11<\/p>\n How does your favourite drink on the high street fare?<\/p>\n Dietitian Emma Shafqat described them as \u201cdesserts in disguise\u201d.<\/p>\n Over the past few months, we saw the launch of the Lavender Cream Frappuccino at Starbucks<\/a>, which contained a whopping 351 calories, 14.8g of fat and 47.3g of sugar – 12.3g more than a can of Coca-Cola<\/a>. <\/p>\n Even a Mango Smoothie at Pret<\/a> contains a worrying 29.8g of sugar – that’s about the same as a Cadbury Double Decker (30g). <\/p>\n The NHS<\/a> recommends adults have no more than 30g of added sugar per day. <\/p>\n This is sugar that is not natural (such as in fruit – but not fruit juice – or milk).\u00a0<\/p>\n “Many of these summer drinks are desserts in disguise,” Emma, of Dietitian With a Difference<\/a>, tells Sun Health. <\/p>\n “While they are often marketed as refreshing or energising, many are loaded with sugar and saturated fat<\/a>, offering little in the way of nutritional value.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMost are low in fibre<\/a> and protein<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThese kinds of drinks can contribute significantly to our daily calorie intake, without offering satiety and therefore making them ’empty calories’.<\/p>\n “While there’s no issue in enjoying these occasionally, they can become problematic if consumed regularly, particularly for children or teenagers, and they can contribute to tooth decay<\/a>. <\/p>\n I blind taste-tested 5 coffees from high-street shops and was left horrified by popular chain\u2019s drink<\/p>\n “They are also very easy to consume quickly, so you might not realise you have just drunk the equivalent of a slice of cake.”<\/p>\n Here we look at some of the worst offenders for 2025…<\/p>\n Costa Chocolate Fudge Frappe, medium<\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n Costa Chocolate Fudge FrappeCredit: Costa<\/p>\n Anything with a name like this is going to be bursting with sugar.<\/p>\n In fact, this one from Costa Coffee<\/a> has 47.1g of the stuff when getting a medium-sized with skimmed milk<\/a> (47.2g with whole milk).<\/p>\n Emma says: “At nearly 400 calories and 48g sugar, this is another dessert level drink. It’s a shocking amount of sugar – around 12tsp.<\/p>\n \u201cIt contains 167 more calories than a Mars bar and 5g more fat.”<\/p>\n Pret Mango Smoothie<\/strong><\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n Pret Mango SmoothieCredit: Pret<\/p>\n You may go for a fruit smoothie<\/a> as an alternative to the dessert flavoured drinks. But be wary!<\/p>\n Emma says: “This smoothie gets its sweetness from fruit rather than added sugar, so it is a better choice nutritionally.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, it still contains nearly 30g of sugar per portion – around 7tsp!<\/p>\n \u201cWhile naturally occurring, it is lacking the fibre you’d get from eating whole fruit.<\/p>\n \u201cThe smoothie is also low in protein (1.3g) and low in fibre (1.8g).\u201d<\/p>\n Costa White Chocolate Iced Whipped Latte, medium<\/strong><\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n Costa White Chocolate Iced Whipped LatteCredit: Costa<\/p>\n With skimmed milk, your daily sugar recommendation is breached with a medium-sized drink.\u00a0<\/p>\n Emma says: “This is very high for a very small drink and the equivalent of 7tsp of sugar, and more than the NHS recommends an adult having in a whole day.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt may taste like coffee but it offers little in the way of fibre or slow release energy, which means it can spike blood sugar quickly<\/a> and leave you feeling hungry soon after.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs it doesn’t taste overly sweet, it’s easy to forget how much sugar is hidden in a drink like this.”<\/p>\n Some may choose to get syrups to make this drink even sweeter, adding on roughly 10g of sugar (unless getting the sugar-free option).<\/p>\n Caffe Nero Espresso and Caramel Luxury Frappe<\/strong><\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n Caffe Nero Espresso and Caramel Luxury FrappeCredit: Caffe Nero<\/p>\n This creamy frappe from Caffe Nero<\/a> – with caramel sauce and whipped cream – is one of the less fussy drinks out there. But that\u2019s not reflected in its nutritional values.<\/p>\n Emma says: “Over 53g of sugar in one drink is shocking given the daily recommendation for an adult is only 30g.”<\/p>\n That’s almost 14tsp of sugar.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it contains more calories than a McDonald’s double cheeseburger [436],” says Emma.<\/p>\n The Strawberry and White Chocolate Luxury Frappe and Millionaires Luxury Frappe are no better.<\/p>\n McDonald’s Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, regular\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n McDonald’s Frozen Strawberry LemonadeCredit: McDonalds<\/p>\n This McDonald’s<\/a> drink certainly falls into the ’empty calorie’ category.<\/p>\n Emma says: “This sounds like a light and fruity option, but with 32g of sugar (the equivalent of 8tsp) and almost no nutritional value, it’s essentially liquid sugar.<\/p>\n \u201cIt offers no fibre, barely any protein (0.3g) and no fat.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt might feel refreshing on a hot day but it won’t keep you full, fuel your body or offer any lasting energy.”<\/p>\n What are the sugar recommendations?<\/p>\n THE recommended amount of sugar a day is between six and eight teaspoons, but for children it’s much less.<\/p>\n The\u00a0World Health Organization<\/a>\u00a0recommends we consume no more than 10 per cent of our daily calorie intake as sugar.<\/p>\n This is 25g or 6tsp for women and 35g or 8tsp for men.<\/p>\n But the NHS<\/a>\u00a0suggests sugar intake should just be five per cent of our daily calories.<\/p>\n It says:<\/p>\n The type\u00a0of sugars most UK individuals eat too much of are \u201cfree or added sugars\u201d, which include\u00a0refined table sugar (sucrose) as well as concentrated sources like fruit juice, honey and syrups.<\/p>\n McDonald’s Mango and Pineapple Smoothie, regular<\/strong><\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n McDonald’s Mango and Pineapple SmoothieCredit: McDonalds<\/p>\n Another McDonald\u2019s fruit smoothie that, although may be lower in calories, really packs in the sugar.<\/p>\n Emma says: “Even though it’s made with fruit, this smoothie packs a huge 39g of sugar – around 9tsp, which is more than double the recommended intake for UK children.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe sugar is naturally derived from fruit but there is still little fibre or protein in this drink.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt 179 <\/strong>calories, it’s not the worst in terms of energy content but it offers minimal nutritional benefit.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a stark reminder that fruit-based doesn’t always mean healthy, especially when the fruit is blended and stripped of its natural fibre.”<\/p>\n LEON Iced Chai Latte<\/strong><\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n LEON Iced Chai LatteCredit: LEON<\/p>\n You may go to LEON for something you hope is a little more \u2018healthy\u2019 – but not everything on the menu is nutritious. <\/p>\n Emma says: “Chai is known for its aromatic blend of spices and is often thought of as ‘healthy’. With this one from LEON though, you couldn’t be more wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWith over 27g of sugar, it’s more of a dessert than a healthy, iced drink.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe 6.4g fat likely comes from milk or cream, adding extra calories and fat.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the spices in chai can offer some health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory properties from cinnamon or ginger, this iced version lacks fibre and protein.”<\/p>\n Starbucks Iced White Mocha, grande<\/p>\n![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/RW-25-04-worst-summer-drinks.jpg\")
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