Thursday 6 October 2022 01:22 PM How Costa, Starbucks and Prets' autumn drinks stack up nutritionally trends now
Trendy autumnal drinks are now front and centre on the menus of all of Britain's best-loved coffee shops.
While the seasonal beverages are a favourite across the country, Britons may be shocked to find out the sheer amount of calories, sugar and salt packed into offerings sold at Starbucks, Costa and the like.
MailOnline analysis shows that pumpkin spice-blended drinks at Starbucks have up to four times more sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut and a third more calories than a McDonald's cheeseburger.
A simple maple hazel hot chocolate at Costa is just as sugary and bad for your waistline, but contains as much salt as two packets of Walkers ready salted crisps.
In response to the figures, campaigners called for rules that limit how much 'unnecessary sugar' companies pour into their drinks, while dentists said manufacturers have a 'moral obligation' to put people's health before profits.
MailOnline analysis shows that pumpkin spice-blended drinks at Starbucks have up to four times more sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut and a third more calories than a McDonald's cheeseburger. A simple maple hazel hot chocolate at Costa is just as sugary and bad for your waistline, but contains as much salt as two packets of Walkers ready salted crisps
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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MailOnline looked at more than a dozen drinks included in seasonal menus at Starbucks, Costa, Pret, McDonald's and Greggs.
Caffe Nero, the other major chain in the UK, has not released any similar products.
Our analysis focused on the medium versions of the drinks. Opting for a large cup, or choosing extra cream or syrups would only push the calories, sugar and salt even higher.
The worst offender on Starbucks' extensive list of seven new drinks was the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Blended Beverage (£4.40).
The drink — a mix of coffee, pumpkin pie-flavoured sauce and milk, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices — has 379 calories. That is a fifth of a woman's daily intake and 15 per cent of a man's.
For comparison, a cheeseburger at McDonald's has 298 calories.
Its ingredients also include 53.6g of sugar — equal to six-and-a-half scoops of Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream and the most of all drinks this website looked at. For comparison, a Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut has four-times less, at 12.6g.
It also has 0.63g of salt, more than a medium McDonald's fries and the equivalent of two packets of Walkers Ready Salted Crisps (0.34g).
The large version of the drink is even worse, with 444 calories, 67.6g of sugar and 0.78g of salt.
Among Costa's four autumnal drinks, its Maple Hazel Hot Chocolate (£4.65) is the most calorific of all the drinks this website looked at.
The hot beverage has 393 calories and 48.9g of sugar — making it the second worst offender of all the seasonal drinks. It contains the most salt of any drinks, with 0.76g per medium mug.
Gregg's pumpkin spice latte (£2.20) ranked middle of the board, containing 219 calories and 28g sugar. It also had the lowest level of salt (0g).
Pret's take on the
