The 8 Most Unhealthy Drinks at Dunkin'—Ranked!
When you need to drag yourself out of bed and head out to work, nothing sounds as good as a pit stop at Dunkin'. Eating a donut while sipping on your favorite luxurious coffee-based drink can make any tough morning feel easier, but this type of early morning treat can take it toll in the long run. Too many breakfast sandwiches, donuts, and Coolattas can do a number on your health and even lead to weight gain. This is why keeping track of the most unhealthy drinks at Dunkin' does have some clear advantages.
When you know which drinks at Dunkin' are the most unhealthy picks, you'll be in a better position to occasionally treat yourself to when you're desperate for a pick-me-up, if not opting to avoid unhealthy drinks altogether. Because let's get real—avoiding unhealthy items at any fast-food chain is easier said than done, and while you can circumvent all fast food to the best of your abilities, the allure of quick and easy convenience is sometimes too hard to resist while on the go. With over 9,000 Dunkin' locations in the U.S., it's no wonder they're hard to miss—you're likely just a stone's throw away from a Dunkin' spot, especially if you live on the East Coast. But with so many Dunkin' specialties and iconic coffees being rich with high amounts of fat and sugar, and trying to determine which unhealthy Dunkin' drinks are the worst for you and which will likely be less detrimental to your long-term health can make anyone's head spin.
Luckily, Eat This, Not That! consulted a handful of experts and figured out exactly which Dunkin' drinks are the most unhealthy, so you don't have to! You might be surprised to learn which Dunkin' drinks dietitians consider to be the worst out there. (And by the way, this nutrition information doesn't even rank as one of the 10 Secrets Dunkin' Doesn't Want You to Know!) Keep reading to find out which beverages ranked among the most unhealthy drinks at Dunkin', and for more healthy eating tips that can help you make smarter breakfast choices at your favorite fast-food spot, be sure to check out Taco Bell's Entire Breakfast Menu—Ranked From Least to Most Healthy.
Brownie Batter Swirl Hot Coffee With Cream, Extra Large
Anyone who orders a drink with "Brownie Batter" in its name probably has some idea of the nutritional content of their coffee. This particular hot beverage lives up to its namesake dessert by packing in far too many grams of fat and sugar for one serving.
"Brownie Batter Swirl Hot Coffee with cream is very high in both calories and fat grams," says Morgyn Clair, MS, RDN, author at Fit Healthy Momma. "To make it worse, we get [66] grams of sugar—that is 15 teaspoons!"
While this coffee won't do your diet any favors, it dodges a bullet by escaping the rankings as one of The Absolute Worst Drinks for High Blood Sugar.
Blue Raspberry Coolatta, Large
While many drinks at Dunkin' offer up some positive health benefits in the form of protein content, the Blue Raspberry Coolatta's nutrition info looks more like candy.
"The Blue Raspberry drink is one of the unhealthy drinks in Dunkin' Donuts," explains Bill Bradley, RD, at Mediterranean Living. "While it can be a perfect alternative for people who don't drink coffee because of the caffeine it contains, it's not good for you since it contains artificial dyes and flavors. It's also loaded with sugar."
While this drink looks like it should contain pure sugar, it doesn't come close to touching some of the coffee-based drinks that the chain has to offer.
Cocoa Mocha Signature Hot Latte, Large
If you love ordering up a large Cocoa Mocha Signature Hot Latte every morning, you might need to hit the gym twice as hard after work in order to make up for all of the fat and carbs in the drink. This coffee doesn't pull any punches when it comes to weighing you down in calories.
"[It] has a huge amount of calories for just one drink, and you'll also be getting more than half of your saturated fat allowance for the day and about twice the amount of recommended sugar," says Sarah Chatfield, RDN, at HealthCanal.
Frozen Chai Latte, Large
"Although chai tea can be a healthful option if ordered properly, this [large] frozen chai latte is packed with additional sugars and saturated fats, coming in at 690 calories, 12 grams of total fat—with more than half coming from saturated fat, and 129 grams of sugars," explains Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, and author of the Sports Nutrition Playbook.
If you want to watch your waistline and avoid any unhealthy drinks, Goodson recommends sticking to the coffee basics.
"The best solution when it comes to coffee is to order a coffee with milk, hot or cold. Then, add a splash or two of your favorite flavor [yourself]. Skip the whip, the drizzle, and all the added sugars, and you'll save hundreds of calories!"
Vanilla Bean Coolatta, Large
The Coolattas at Dunkin' all find ways to pack in the sugar, and the Vanilla Bean Coolatta easily laps the Blue Raspberry Coolatta when it comes to carbs.
"This frozen drink option clocks in at 790 calories, 6g fat and 167g sugar per large serving," says Goodson. "With approximately 85% of calories coming from sugar alone, this drink is primarily sugary syrup."
Vanilla-flavored drinks taste great in the morning, but this Coolatta has already developed a reputation as one of the top 10 Fast-Food Drinks With Exorbitant Amounts of Sugar.
Frozen Chocolate, Medium
The thought of "frozen chocolate" just sounds unhealthy off the bat. Prepare for these suspicions to be confirmed after you examine the nutrition information of this Frozen Chocolate drink from Dunkin'.
"This frozen treat contains [nearly] 700 calories in one medium serving—[around] 500 in a small—along with 114 grams of added sugar!" explains Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, at Balance One Supplements.
"Frozen drinks, like Dunkin' Donuts' Frozen Chocolate, are made with flavored syrups and whole milk which makes them high in calories, sugar, and fat—especially if you choose larger sizes or add extra toppings like whipped cream," continues Best. "This drink is highly inflammatory and will also result in a rapid glucose rise and crash. These combinations can lead to chronic pain, overeating, fatigue, brain fog, and irritability."
"Rather than going for the Frozen Chocolate, consider choosing an unsweetened iced coffee made with almond milk and no syrups or sweetener," she suggests. "This beverage is only [roughly] 25 calories with [about] three grams of added sugar. [Also], it can be made decaf if preferred."
French Vanilla Swirl Frozen Chocolate, Large
When your drink almost hits the 1,000 calorie mark, you know it's time to find a new coffee alternative. The large French Vanilla Swirl Frozen Chocolate sounds more like a milkshake than an ice cream and might even have more sugar than many types of ice cream per serving.
"Coming in second place, a large serving of this drink provides 900 calories, 17g fat and 162g of sugar," says Goodson. "With more than seven different types of sugar additives, this drink packs a sugar-laden punch."
Caramel Swirl Frozen Coffee With Cream, Large
This drink's massive sugar and fat content easily wins it the spot of unhealthiest drink at Dunkin' for very clear reasons. According to Goodson, it's "the highest calorie drink at Dunkin'."
"[It has a] whopping 1,120 calories, 40 grams fat and 172 grams of sugar—including 160 grams added sugars, for a large," explains Goodson. "At 320% of the daily value of added sugars and 100% of the daily value for saturated fat per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, this drink is more of a dessert than coffee. And for some, people is more than half the calories they need in a day!"
Many folks don't need to consume half of their daily calories before noon, but the large Caramel Swirl Frozen Coffee with cream easily makes sure many commuters hit work completely bogged down with sugar. Instead, opt for a lighter option, like an iced coffee or cold brew with almond, oat, or skim milk—and if you really need that extra kick of caramel to satisfy your tastebuds, you can request a small pump of caramel swirl flavoring in lieu of other sweeteners. Though this still wouldn't be considered the healthiest of healthy coffee drink orders, it's certainly a vast improvement from the Caramel Swirl Frozen Coffee.
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