Starbucks originally began as a small cafe in Seattle and now has over 16,000 stores world-wide, making it the biggest coffee chain in the world. No matter where you live in the country, you can almost always easily find a Starbucks and get your coffee fix. And that’s just what it is, a needed fixture in our lives.

Having an addiction to coffee itself isn’t the worst thing you could do to your body. The problem lies in the fact that most people consider coffee a drink and do not realize how many calories and grams of fat they are consuming with each sip. Just because you’re not chewing and swallowing doesn’t mean you’re not “eating” that drink. So how many extra calories and fat grams are we consuming a day?

One Grande Vanilla Frappuccino with whip has about 430 calories, a Grande Caramel Frappuccino has 380 calories, and the Java Chip Frappuccino has 460 calories and 19 grams of fat!  Of course, since coffee is a staple in many American’s lives, we’re not suggesting you cut it out completely. Just find a less dangerous drink at your local Starbucks and create a healthier addiction. Ordering an iced coffee and adding your own skim or low fat milk could decrease your caloric intake by up to 90%. Starbucks green and black teas are also delicious alternatives to blended coffee drinks that are no less refreshing.

You don’t have to kick the habit— simply enjoy a healthier favorite drink and stop sipping your way to bad health.

Tessa Prior-Pullins, BistroMD Dietitian