What You'll Really Find In A Starbucks Frappuccino
Ah, Starbucks. The great pantheon of the coffee deities — the place where the beloved coffee bean, the richest of creams, and the sweetest of syrups all come together to create caffeinated masterpieces. Surely, anything that comes from a place as magnificent as this must be packed with wholesome goodness and nutrient-packed nourishment, right? Well, that question shall be answered forthwith, but first one must take a closer look at this American-made shrine to the coffee bean.
When Starbucks opened its first coffee shop in 1971 at Seattle's Pike Place Market, it likely had no idea how bright its future would become. Perhaps they never even imagined that by 2020 they would boast 32,660 locations around the world (via Finances Online). Nor would they predict that Starbucks' Global Chief Marketing Officer would tell HuffPost that the company can dole out over 80,000 different beverage combos. That's a heck of a lot of ways to enjoy your Starbucks. Did they envision Chicago becoming home to the largest Starbucks location in the world, with over 35,000 square feet of space and serving 8,000 customers each day (per CNBC)? According to Insider, the coffee giant even owns a record label, Hear Music, that counts Paul McCartney and James Taylor among its artists.
While this is all fascinating, it doesn't answer the question that's pressing on your mind. Are Starbucks' offerings, those on and off its secret menu, packed with good ingredients?
Frappuccinos appear to be a slurry of sugar and fat
It all depends on what you mean by good. If by "good" you mean "tasty," then yes. If you mean "good" as in "beneficial to your health," the response would be a resounding "Heck no!" followed by a hearty guffaw. A prime example is the Frappuccino, a name that Starbucks has trademarked and a customer favorite that comes in a range of flavors including the Tie-Dye Frappuccino and one that tastes like s'mores.
Spoiler alert: If you wish to continue to consume these beverages free from guilt, the following may prohibit you from doing so.
A shift supervisor at Starbucks told Quora that all Frappuccinos start with a base. She explained that coffee Frappuccinos contain powdered coffee, whole milk, a flavoring that comes from a syrup or powder, ice, and a coffee base that creates the right consistency. Non-coffee versions will not have the powdered coffee and the coffee base will be replaced by a cream one. Sounds benign enough, right? Wrong.
MEL magazine notes that the base contains sugars, artificial flavors (artificial is never a good thing), and the chemical potassium sorbate (ingesting chemicals is never a good thing either). Plus, it's important to reiterate that their go-to milk is whole milk. Yes, the one with the extra fat and calories. And that's just the base. What about all the things that are added to your Frappuccino to make it so delicious?
The Frappuccino has as many calories as a Big Mac
Prepare to have your head explode into a million little pieces. According to Taste of Home, consuming a 24-ounce Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino will give you nearly as much sugar as eating four Snickers bars and pack more calories than a Big Mac. Not so benign now, it is?
The Midlands Directory puts more fear into Frappuccino fans by revealing that their caramel syrup is made with "2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, which may lead to lung, liver, and thyroid cancer." And if you opt for whipped cream, the news is even grimmer. Fast Food Nutrition warns that the whipped cream used on a Venti cold drink equates to about 110 calories and that 86% of those calories are from pure fat.
No one is saying that it's not okay to treat yourself to one of these beverages on occasion, but this certainly serves as a cautionary tale against making a Frappuccino a regular part of your daily commute. Thankfully, instead of cutting yourself off cold turkey, you may want to take control of the ingredients by making a DIY Mocha Frappuccino at home.