Healthy summer drinks hide more kilojoules than a Big Mac, health experts warn
According to research by LiveLighter which analyzed the kilojoules, sugar, and fat of store-bought beverages, half of 40 drinks surveyed (including three ‘healthy’ drinks) had more kilojoules than a regular 2060 kilojoule McDonald’s Big Mac.
The results also found that 24 drinks had at least 16 teaspoons of sugar – more than a regular 600ml bottle of soft drink, while some shakes and iced-based frappes had up to 20.5g of saturated fat – almost twice as much as a Big Mac (10.7g saturated fat).
LiveLighter Victoria Campaign Manager Alison Ginn said some drinks which appeared healthy contained more sugar than the average adult needs in a whole day.
“Food outlets use phrases like 97% ‘fat free’ or ‘dairy free’ to make their smoothies and frappes sound healthy, but with up to 31 teaspoons of sugar and as many kilojoules as a Big Mac, these drinks can actually do more harm than good,” Ginn said.
"“The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that added sugars make up no more than 5% of people's daily energy intake, or 6 teaspoons per day, for the biggest health benefit. You would consume up to five times this amount from just one drink alone. Like with soft drinks and other sugary drinks, regular consumption of frappes and smoothies can contribute to weight gain and a build up of toxic fat around your organs, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.”
Heart Foundation Victoria Healthy Living Manager Roni Beauchamp said in addition to being very high in sugar, most milkshakes, thickshakes and iced café drinks were also found to be high in saturated fat.
“Our research found that on top of their high sugar content, milkshakes, thickshakes, iced coffees and frappes, which are laden with cream and/or ice cream, were also alarmingly high in saturated fat – some have more saturated fat than we should consume in an entire day,” Beauchamp said.
“For good health we should aim to limit saturated fats in our diet as they can raise cholesterol levels and put us at greater risk of heart disease. The average Australian should not have more than 16g saturated fat per day.”
