Starbucks' New Frappuccinos Have A Terrifying Calorie Count

Starbucks is back with two new Frappuccino drinks for summer, and while they're no doubt tasty, you'd be well-advised to consult the nutrition label before indulging. Called the Ultra Caramel and Triple Mocha Frappuccinos, both are layered, blended beverages offering the maker's coffee with a variety of sweet (and salty) ingredients for a proper desert.

Starbucks has added both the Ultra Caramel and the Triple Mocha Frappuccinos to its official menu in the US and Canada; they're available as of yesterday. The classic versions of these drink — the regular caramel and mocha frapps — are also available for traditionalists. The company also continues to offer the bottled versions of its frappuccino drinks.

Now the bad news. Starbucks' new drinks come with a big increase in calories, a surprise considering the caloric density of its classic caramel and mocha frappuccinos. While the regular Grande Caramel Frappuccino, for example, has 280 calories, the Ultra Caramel variant of the same size comes with a massive 440 calories. The Triple Mocha isn't much better at 400 calories.

That's not the only thing you have to keep in mind. Both beverages are also full of sodium, the Triple Mocha at 190mg and the Ultra Caramel at 250mg. As well, depending on your dairy choice, you could be looking at 12g of saturated fat in both new beverages. The use of soymilk or non-fat milk alters the figures somewhat.

None of that's to say the new drinks are bad, but it does highlight the need to be mindful of the changes — taste aside — that come with the Ultra and Triple variants.

SOURCE: Starbuck