They say “America runs on Dunkin!” But what do we do when you’re running on dunkin, but trying to lose weight? Here I will break down some of my favorite low calorie drinks at Dunkin Donuts.
If you crave your morning run to Dunkin for coffee but need some ideas that will not destroy your weight loss efforts, keep reading for suggestions that all come in at 160 calories or less!
What to look out for…
The two biggest culprits when it comes to derailing a diet effort through your choice in coffee, are calories and sugar. Some beverage choices can be upwards of 1000 calories and over 170 grams of sugar! This may be more than half of your calorie needs for the day and more than three times the recommended amount of sugar!
While that may be an extreme example, it is not uncommon to see drinks that average over 300-400 calories or 30 grams of sugar per beverage. When someone consumes that everyday, it can easily contribute to a several pound weight gain every month.
Low calorie drinks at Dunkin Donuts
While many of the choices at Dunkin Donuts, or other coffee shops, can have a negative impact on your weight loss efforts, there are some smarter choices that are available.
Below is a list of my top 10 selections for low calorie drinks at Dunkin Donuts. All selections below are based on a medium sized beverage.
- 1. Iced Cappuccino with almond milk – 60 calories and 10 grams of sugar
- 2. Iced tea lemonade – 120 calories and 29 grams of sugar
- 3. Peach Sunshine Spark’d Energy – 120 calories and 27 grams of sugar
- 4. Cold brew coffee with cream – 90 calories and 1 gram of sugar
- 5. Cold brew coffee with oat milk – 30 calories and 1 gram of sugar
- 6. Vanilla cream cold brew – 100 calories and 1 gram of sugar
- 7. Cappuccino with skim milk – 70 calories and 9 grams of sugar
- 8. Hot latte with almond milk – 100 calories and 15 grams of sugar
- 9. Mocha swirl iced coffee – 160 calories and 34 grams of sugar
- 10. Hot coffee with cream – 90 calories and 1 gram of sugar
How to make smarter choices:
If you prefer a different option of coffee or tea that contains a higher amount of calories or sugar, it is possible to still fit a variation into your diet plan.
There are a couple different choices you can make when trying to fit your favorite beverage into your diet plan.
- It may seem obvious, but the first recommendation I would have is to simply order a smaller size. Ordering a smaller size beverage will lessen the amount of flavor pumps or the amount of dairy (or non-dairy) addition into the drink, which will ultimately equate to fewer calories.
- Order your drink with less pumps of syrup. Generally speaking, the greatest contributor to calories is the flavor pumps of syrup. Having fewer pumps can still give you the tasty flavor, with less calories!
- Have your drink with a high protein or high fiber meal. Protein and fiber help to slow digestion. When digestion is slowed, blood sugar can be better regulated, and less insulin will be needed to return blood sugars to normal levels. This is helpful for people not only with a history of diabetes, but also people looking to prevent extra sugar from being stored as fat.
To sum it up…
When all is said and done, there are plenty of low calorie drinks at dunkin donuts that can be a part of your weight loss journey.
If you need more personalized help with your weight loss journey or blood sugar management, be sure to check out my nutrition coaching program!