3 things you didn't know about your coffee-to-go

Is grabbing a morning coffee from your favourite cafe on the way to work or school more of a ritual that allows you to find the energy and strength to get through your day? You're not alone. But do you really know what's inside your cafe shop coffee?

There are benefits to drinking caffeine, in moderation of course, and it's nice when the barista knows your order by heart. But it could be one thing that your consuming that is sabotaging your healthy lifestyle without realizing it so now could be time to change it up if these are things you didn't know about your coffee!

The sugar shocker

Some of the coffee beverages on offer at the coffee counter are more like a dessert than a drink. With upto 69 grams of sugar in say a caramel frappuccino, about 13 teaspoons, that warm and fuzzy feeling you get inside afterwards might in fact be from a sugar hit. It's very possible that the post coffee boost you are experiencing isn't coming from caffeine at all! Yikes. You can of course customize your coffee in so many ways, so if you are a real regular and haven't taken advantage of this at the coffee counter,  don't be shy to make some changes to your order and skip the syrup and cream.

The milk mystery

Then there's the choice of milk. Unless you ask for skimmed, then the default milk will be 2% or full fat and vegan choices are in most cases limited to soy milk. And if you've ever wondered, almond milk isn't so commonly found in cafes because of the complications for those with nut allergies. But uhm hello coconut milk! It might be music to your ears that coconut milk can now be found as a lactose free alternative however we have some bad news that this isn't necessarily a more nutrient rich alternative if you're looking to make a healthier choice. Specifically at Starbucks, the coconut milk product they use is actually a beverage with coconut water from concentrate containing a list of more than 10 ingredients. Coconut milk is naturally low in sugar which is why it is extremely popular but be wary that it might not be the all natural source of coconut milk you expected.

The decaf dilemma

Opting for a decaf black coffee and skipping the flavoured syrup might sound like the sure bet to minimize any negative post coffee crash. But have you ever wondered how coffee is decaffeinated? The coffee bean in its green form (what it looks like before its roasted) undergoes one of three methods used to remove the caffeine. Two of these methods are certified organic; the Swiss Water method which uses a process of soaking the beans in water and the other which uses carbon dioxide to dissolve the caffeine. The third method uses a chemical solvent to strip the beans of caffeine. So if you're especially keen on only consuming ecological products, this is definitely an important factor to consider when making a coffee choice. Why choose organic everything else and compromise when your on the go?

It isn't the end of the world if you go all out and indulge in a specialty coffee now and again but it's good to now what's going into the things you eat and drink when you're not at home.