Aces Full of Links: Frozen Drink Season

July 13, 2006

Frozen Drink Season

Smoothies of Industry

If you're in the northeast US and you have a TV, you've probably seen the ad campaign for Dunkin Donuts' new smoothies. Of course, if you're in the northeast, you can't avoid Dunkin Donuts so you may have already had one of their new smoothies.

In any case, in the last few years, the approach of summer has meant new frozen drinks from the most familiar coffee vendor in New England. This year the new offerings are 3 fruit and yogurt smoothies. I have tried one of them: the Strawberry Banana Smoothie.

Its flavor was pleasant and not too surprising. Sufficiently berry-like with a hint of banana. Strong creamy/tangy flavor from the yogurt.

Coolatta Calories

Previously, when I went to Dunkin Donuts for a frozen treat, I set my sights on their coffee Coolattas. They're delicious.

16 oz. is a small. The medium size is 24 oz. Since I generally get a medium, the "small" nutrition information is, to me, a little misleading. Even though Dunkin Donuts tells you the nutrition values are for 16 oz., it may not be clear to people that 16 oz is a small.

To wit, I once explicitly placed an order for "whichever one is 16 ounces" and was given a 24 oz. medium. By a manager. I have a witness (Sara!). So I have adjusted all the calorie information below for 24 oz.

When you get a 24 oz. Coolatta (with cream), you're getting 525 (admittedly delicious) calories of fat and sugar. 300 calories from fat, but the 210 sugar calories aren't all that good for you either. (BTW, I think they miscalculated and that there are actually 555 total calories in a Coolatta. I think there are 30 calories in complex carbohydrates they forgot to figure in.)

For comparison, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese is 516 calories. A medium order of McDonalds fries is 450 calories. 2 "Big Grab" bags of Ruffles potato chips (at a total of 3 ounces of chips) are about 480 calories.

I'm not telling you not to drink one of these. Just know what you're getting into.

So, I sometimes asked them to make the Coolatta with milk. Those weigh in at 315 calories (60 from fat and 240 from sugar this time). A whole milk Coolatta is almost as good as a cream one. At least, to me.

Going all out to eliminate fat, you could get a Skim Milk Coolatta. That's 255 calories. Nearly all the calories are from sugar. However, the drink's enjoyability suffers when you lose all of the fat.

Ultimately, last summer, I switched to an Iced coffee with skim milk (adding Splenda for sweetness). That's a 37.5 calorie drink. Good for when you really want coffee, but it does leave something to be desired.

If it looks like I'm targeting fat here as evil, I'm not. There really isn't anything all that special about calories from fat. A low fat diet is not, in and of itself, going to help you lose weight any more than, say a vegetarian diet, or a no-Twinkie diet would. However, because fat has 9 calories per gram and carbs and protein have 4 calories per gram each, reducing extra fat in your diet might make it easier to reduce calories. But you really have to find a way that works for you, and people have different food preferences that may make one approach easier than another. Don't go too crazy. A healthy diet includes fat. As always, follow you doctor's advice if you have a condition that warrants dietary restrictions.

In a future post, maybe I'll give a recipe for one of my homemade low-cal banana and strawberry smoothies. I have to measure the calories carefully, though, before I go posting about it here on the blog. Since I'm "outing" Dunkin Donuts for their calorie contents, I want to be up front about my own alternative. That means getting out the scale, and usually when I make my smoothie I am on my way out the door.

Additional Links

Why Dunkin' Donuts needs to move faster.
Accentuate the Hate (Why Dunkin Donuts needs to differentiate itself by being different than Starbucks rather than become more similar)
Dunkin Donuts Nutrition Information

Posted by James at July 13, 2006 2:05 AM

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Comments

If you ever desire a career change you'd make one heck of a consumer advocate.

I still have a weakness for their chocolate coolatas, which taste like a liquid fudgesicle, but I don't let myself have one very often. The coolatas are more of a treat than the donuts which have become boring over the years. It seems like Dunkin doesn't even try to make their donuts appealing anymore because they know their primary source of business is from coffee sales.

Posted by: Mike L. at July 13, 2006 9:20 AM

A good starting point to losing weight is to avoid all restaurant foods. Period. They are ridiculously high in calories and fat. Nobody in their right mind would prepare their own drink with as much sugar and fat as a regular coffee at Dunkin' Donuts; never mind the super sweet ones.

Posted by: Maggie at July 13, 2006 9:40 AM

Or see if you can talk someone into splitting the drink with you. Half the calories and half the guilt.

Posted by: Mike L. at July 13, 2006 9:43 AM

I tried a Mango passionfruit smoothie at DD.
Disgusting!

Posted by: Wormie at July 13, 2006 9:52 AM

Really, Wormie? That's too bad. I wonder whether these smoothies are working out for DD.

The people I know who visit DD frequently don't seem to order Coolattas or smoothies. I see a lot of iced coffee orders and iced latte orders.

Posted by: James at July 13, 2006 11:15 AM

I still have a weakness for their chocolate coolatas, which taste like a liquid fudgesicle

Hey, that sounds really good! I'd never even considered ordering one of those. Now you put the bug in my head.

Posted by: James at July 13, 2006 11:17 AM

I tried to get an unsweetened coolatta (because they are much sweeter than I'd like) and was told that it wasn't possible. I'd probably be willing to spend the money once in a while if I could get it the way I'd like it.

Posted by: Julie at July 13, 2006 11:19 AM

Now that you mention it, I'd like to mix a chocolate one with a coffee one. Or maybe they already have a mocha one. I never go to DD, so I have no clue. :)

Posted by: Julie at July 13, 2006 11:27 AM

The Coolatta is made from a mix (I think it's a syrup) which is why it's not possible to get one unsweetened.

Yes - they are REALLY sweet. I would probably prefer something a little less sweet myself.

Posted by: James at July 13, 2006 11:31 AM

Hmmm. The chocolate coolatta is not listed on their nutrition information page. I haven't had one in a few years so maybe they discontinued it. Thankfully in the summer I can create a rough fascimile with the help of an ice cream truck, a few bucks and a cup.

Posted by: Mike L. at July 13, 2006 12:08 PM

I'm not a big frozen drink fan myself. An occasional iced coffee (I too have been using splenda when available, it has the added advantage of actually dissolving in iced drinks) is about it for me. Otherwise I'll stick to soft drinks and hard (alcoholic) beverages.
Hot coffee in the morning, even if it's 100 degrees and humid is a requirement for me not, option!

Posted by: B.O.B. (bob) at July 13, 2006 12:12 PM

Actually, a low fat diet in and of itself WILL help you lose weight. Combine that with exercise, and viola! Less of you to love!

Posted by: Helen_B at July 13, 2006 12:13 PM

I've gained weight on low fat diets. That's because I have no trouble at all cutting out many common fat sources (mayo, cheese, cream cheese) as long as I can have all the carbs I want. I love starches!

So, you can't just reduce fat and not pay attention to your other calories.

One Panera bread bowl is around 500 calories (that's without the soup). It doesn't matter that it's low fat - that's a lot of calories.

Lowering fat CAN really help you lose weight, I agree wholeheartedly. But not by itself if you don't pay attention to other calorie sources.

Posted by: James at July 13, 2006 12:25 PM

There's a cold mocha latte which is good. I have no idea what the nutrition is, but it can't be good, because it's got the chocolate syrup. I believe it's made with milk, and you can probably specify the low-fat milk. Whenever I get one it's in lieu of a meal, so I haven't ever requested a low-fat version.

I've never had a coolatta because you can't get one in decaf. Latte you can get decaf.

Posted by: Maggie at July 13, 2006 1:07 PM