How many calories are in coffee drinks?

Question: How many calories are in coffee drinks?

Not all coffee drinks are created equal. Depending on the choices you make -- the type, size, milk and adding whipped cream -- a typical coffee beverage can range anywhere from 100 calories to a two-meal-equivalent of a 1,000 plus calories!

Answer: While plain, black coffee by itself only contains around five calories, "special" flavors like blended mochas or caramel frappes are a different story. It seems few of us drink that black coffee anymore and have ditched it in favor of the fancier beverages, so it's safe to assume that a typical flavored coffee drink contains at least 75 to 100 calories.

Believe it or not, some coffee drinks contain more than half the calories you actually need for an entire day! Add something from that baked goods counter and you've doubled the calories in mere seconds. Not only are the calorie content of coffee drinks concerning, you could also be taking in too much potentialy heart-harming saturated fat if you drink them regularly.

Take a look at this brief listing of the calorie count of some popular 16-ounce coffee drinks:

Cappuccino with whole milk: 150 calories
Caffe Latte with whole milk: 260 calories
Iced Caffe Latte with whole milk: 160 calories
Mocha Frappucino (no whip): 290 calories
Mocha Malt Frappucino (no whip) 430 calories

To lessen the caloric impact of coffee drinks (and lower their saturated fat content), request that your favorites be made with fat-free milk and just say no to whipped cream (it adds 100 calories and six grams of saturated fat to your drink).

To find out the calorie content of the drinks at many chain coffee shops, restaurants and fast food eateries, visit About.com's Calorie Count today.