3 facts you should know before placing your order. . . .

It’s as versatile as a pair of tight black jeans and more social than Kim and Kanye. Yep, you guessed it – coffee! Whether it’s a first date, a work meeting, a catch up with your bestie or a late-night assignment – coffee is never far away. With Aussie adults drinking more than nine cups of the stuff every week, coffee has become a daily ritual for many of us (including me).

Recently, I’ve heard many people asking, ‘how much coffee is too much?’ So I thought I’d share these three facts about your daily cuppa. Now, where did I put my latte. . . . ?

1. More than a cuppa

Coffee is well loved for its ‘pick me up’ effect from the caffeine. But did you know caffeine is found in more than coffee? In fact, research has just found that caffeine is even in some store-bought muffins! See my breakdown below.

2. How much is too much? 

The evidence in Australia shows that when adults have up to 400mg/day it doesn’t have any negative health effects. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (our national food regulators) suggest to stick to less than 300mg/day.

What does this mean? 400mg equates to about:

• Three espresso coffees
• Four instant coffees
• Eight cups of tea.

But as we all know, some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others. So be wise when considering your own limits.

3. Worth the weight?

I always see coffee as a snack – not a meal. For example, an apple has around 300KJ – the same as a small skim cappuccino. But some coffees are huge, and come with added syrups and sugars. And many people use coffee to replace meals like breakfast or to ‘tie them over’. This is where the problem lies – not with the coffee itself. Here’s a visual example of how a simple coffee can easily become a weighty issue:

Black coffee 0KJ
Small skim latte 297KJ
Regular caramel latte 925KJ
Large mocha 1300KJ
Large latte (500mL) with two sugars. 1385KJ

Holly’s bottom line

Enjoy your regular coffee (preferably without too many added sugars) but don’t let it replace other healthy foods in your diet.

What’s your favourite coffee routine?

My weekend pleasure is going to the local café on a Sunday morning with a newspaper in one hand and a latte in the other!