Cooler temperatures and shorter days make many people seek comfort. Think a cozy sweater, wool socks and, yes, a pumpkin spice latte.
The pumpkin spice latte, with its warm spices, has become synonymous with the arrival of fall.
But if it’s your go-to drink in chillier weather, you may be consuming more calories – and sugar – than you realize.
Here’s what to know about PSLs, as well other fall-flavoured beverages, plus tips to enjoy them without the calorie and sugar overload.
What’s in a pumpkin spice latte?
The pumpkin spice latte (a.k.a. PSL) is commonly credited to Starbucks, which launched the beverage in 2003. Starbucks PSL is made with milk, pumpkin spice sauce (sugar, condensed skim milk, pumpkin puree), espresso, vanilla syrup, whipped cream topping and pumpkin spice topping.
A Starbucks Grande (16 oz.) pumpkin spice latte (2 per cent milk), which is made with four pumps of pumpkin spice sauce, delivers 390 calories, 14 g of fat (9 g saturated fat) and 50 g of sugar.
To be fair, 18 g of that sugar is naturally occurring lactose in the milk. Still, the remaining 32 g (8 teaspoons worth) comes from added sugar in the pumpkin spice sauce, vanilla syrup and whipped topping.
A similar-sized Tim Hortons Pumpkin Spice Latte has comparable nutrition numbers. The company’s medium (15 oz.) PSL made with 2 per cent milk and three shots of pumpkin spice syrup serves up 375 calories and 32 g of added sugar.
That’s a lot of sugar. Consider that a 12-ounce can of cola delivers 38 g of added sugar, not much more.
Sugar intake guidelines, released by the World Health Organization in 2015, recommend that adults (and kids) cut sugar to less than 5 per cent of daily calories. For a 2,000 calorie diet, that’s no more that 25 g of added sugar per day (about six teaspoons worth).
Any upsides?
There are a few nutritional benefits that come with your PSL.
Made with milk or a fortified non-dairy milk, a PSL is an excellent source of calcium. It’s also a decent source of protein if made with milk or soy milk, providing 14 g per 16-ounce serving.
Pumpkin spice topping, a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, also deserves a shout out. These spices are excellent sources of phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-microbial properties.
As for the pumpkin puree? I’m afraid you won’t get nearly enough in your latte to reap the nutritional benefits of a standard serving of the winter squash. (Not all PSLs contain pumpkin puree.)
Beyond the PSL
If you’re into fall baking flavours, Starbucks new Pecan Crunch Oat Latte may tempt your tastebuds. This hot coffee drink channels freshly baked pecan pie with its pecan flavour, baking spices and buttery notes.
A Grande (16 oz.) Starbucks Pecan Crunch Oat Latte delivers 240 calories, 7 g of fat (0.5 g saturated fat) and 27 g of added sugars (nearly 7 teaspoons worth). The sugar comes from the four pumps of pecan flavoured syrup and the original (not unsweetened) oat milk.
Another fall-inspired coffee drink is Starbucks Apple Crisp Oat Macchiato made with oat milk, espresso, apple brown sugar syrup (3 pumps), cinnamon and spiced-apple drizzle (more sugar). The Grande size provides 320 calories and 32 g (8 teaspoons) of added sugar.
Slimming down your liquid dessert
The obvious downside to these seasonal sweet concoctions is their high calorie and sugar content. What’s more, they’re in liquid form.
It’s thought our bodies don’t register liquid calories as well as those from solid foods.
Liquid calories may not fill you up to the same degree and, as a result, you may not compensate for those 400 calories in your morning latte by eating less later on.
To lighten up your PSL and keep the flavour, order only one or two pumps of syrup and skip the whipped cream topping.
Consider moving from a large- or medium-sized coffee drink to the smallest size.
Or order a Grande plain nonfat latte (no syrup) with pumpkin spice topping. You’ll save 200 calories and 32 g of added sugar.
If you prefer the full-sugar version your favourite fall coffee drink, enjoy it occasionally. Consider it a dessert, though, rather than a cup of coffee.
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based private practice dietitian, is director of food and nutrition at Medcan. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD