We’ll be the first to admit to letting our hair down over Christmas (especially with a nice glass of mulled wine).
But even during the holidays we have to say “bah, humbug!” to drinks with up to 25 teaspoons of sugar!
Luckily, the backlash last year means UK coffee chains Costa, Caffe Nero and Starbucks have reduced the sugar in their festive fare (by 40, 26 and 19 per cent respectively). Kudos.
But if you ask us, the sweetness is still too damn high. Here are our worst offenders (and what to have instead).
1. Hot chocolate.
Our worst pick: Caffe Nero Tiramisu Hot Chocolate regular without add-ins. This drink contains just more than 12 teaspoons of sugar.
The ancient Mayans used to drink hot chocolate with a dash of chilli and little sugar. We’ve honoured that custom by spiking our fructose-free hot chocolate with spices including anti-inflammatory turmeric.
Anti-inflammatory Hot Chocolate
2. Gingerbread latté.
Our worst pick: The Gingerbread Latté (tall) from Starbucks UK contains nearly seven teaspoons of sugar. Run, run as fast as you can away from this drink.
This gingerbread-flavoured smoothie is sweetened with just bananas and sweet potato. It’s much more refreshing if you’re Christmassing Down Under.
3. Hot mulled fruit.
Our worst pick: To be honest, we’re not even sure if they sell this anymore in Starbucks UK (we hope not). Last we heard, the Hot Mulled Fruit Grape (with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Venti) was a staggering 25 teaspoons of sugar!
Guys, wine is pretty low in fructose. You don’t have to sweeten it with all that sugar either – fruit does the job.
4. Chai.
Our worst pick: Chai-spiced drinks are comforting and festive, but we wouldn’t want to curl up with Costa’s skim Chai Latté Massimo, which contains 19 teaspoons of sugar.
Last time we checked, chai meant tea, not sugar explosion. So make your own, like our silky turmeric blend.
5. Sugary cocktail.
Our worst pick: If it’s not wine, beer or clean spirits, you can bet it’s packed with sugar. The most festive of Christmas cocktails, eggnog, can contain more than six teaspoons.
You can try our Eggnog Popsicles if you like. But honestly, with all the heavy festive feasts, we just want something refreshing, like this mocktail. Happy Holidays!
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