Healthy eating tips for kids during the holidays
Parents and caregivers play an important role in influencing children's eating habits.
When the weather cools in San Diego, baristas fire up their espresso machines and expand their range of fancy fall offerings. From new flavors, like apple crisp and caramel cream, to old safeties, like the pumpkin spiced latte — known as the PSL among the cool kids — seasonal coffees almost make up for the loss of summer.
However, these fall flavors usually come with health considerations, often using high-sugar syrups and calorie-dense creams to bring on a sweeter buzz. The PSL, for example, serves 50 grams of sugar in one 16-ounce serving, and has 14 grams of fat and close to 400 calories.
A cost-effective solution is to make your own coffee at home, playing around with different flavors while keeping an eye on sweeteners. But for many of us, who love the taste and convenience of our favorite coffee spot, learning how to order more health-conscious versions is a caffeination win-win.
“The added sugars and saturated fat in fancy coffee drinks have a sneaky way of adding up,” says Lauren DeWolf, a Sharp Rees-Stealy Center for Health Management registered dietitian and wellness education specialist. “The chain stores, like Starbucks, have their nutritional information readily available. But with the smaller shops, it can be harder to know what you’re consuming.”
Healthy coffee ordering habits
Getting familiar with the ingredients in your favorite drinks, DeWolf says, and learning how to make healthful substitutions, can help with making balanced beverage selections without compromising flavor. She recommends the following alterations when ordering fancy coffee drinks:
“Don’t skip your favorite drink,” DeWolf says. “Simply enjoy it in a way that supports your health goals.”
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