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Q: The sweet flavor
of popular chai drinks makes me wonder, are they high-calorie?
A: Chai is usually black tea that is flavored with
sweet spices, including cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. But that
sweet taste also comes from one or two teaspoons of sugar or
honey in each serving, usually along with a few tablespoons of
milk. The chai latte served at popular coffee bars adds more
milk and steams it, as well as more sugar. Compared to an unsweetened
espresso coffee latte, the tea chai latte is usually higher in
calories because of the sugar, even though it has less milk.
Typically, a 10 to 12 ounce chai latte drink contains 150 to
190 calories and four to six teaspoons of sugar: But this is
no higher than many of the specialty café lattes sweetened
and flavored with caramel or other syrups. The mixes available
to make chai latte at home typically include about four to five
teaspoons of added sugar per serving with each cup containing
90 to 160 calories. Lower calorie options include sugar-free
versions of chai latte mixes made with artificial sweeteners
(about 20 to 60 calories per serving) or simply making chai tea
and adding milk but no sweetener. |
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Q: Is "other carbohydrate"
listed on food labels something I’m supposed to get more
of or limit?
A: "Other carbohydrate" is listed on a food
label’s Nutrition Facts panel underneath "total carbohydrate."
If a food contains sweeteners called sugar alcohols (xylitol,
mannitol, sorbitol) they are included in this group, but "other
carbohydrate" refers mainly to complex carbohydrates, commonly
called starches. This is the main type of carbohydrate in bread,
cereal, pasta, potatoes and starchy vegetables like corn. Even
in high-fiber whole grains and beans, starches make up more of
the carbohydrate than fiber. Because foods that supply complex
carbohydrates also provide important vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals,
the low fat plant-based diet recommended for heart health and
lower cancer risk includes a substantial amount of "other
carbohydrate." There is no uniform goal for how much starch
we should get; it depends on individual energy needs, which vary
with activity level, age and size. Complex carbohydrate is an
important fuel for us with beneficial nutrients, so we should
not avoid it; but eating amounts that supply more calories than
we can burn makes weight control difficult and raises blood sugar
in people with diabetes.
Q: Where can I find
a list of the fruits and vegetables highest in phytonutrients?
A: Because foods contains thousands of phytonutrients
– such as flavonoids and carotenoids – and many are
measured in different units, it is difficult to combine them
into a list of the top phytonutrient suppliers. It is much easier
to find lists of one type of phytonutrient, such as the top carotenoids,
which you can find online on the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) nutrient database. You may see reports of
individual studies listing the foods highest in antioxidants
but at this point researchers have several systems for measuring
antioxidant content, which leads to differences in the foods
ranked as the top 10 or 20. However, note that a 2006 study in
the Journal of Nutrition suggests it is the diversity of vegetables
and fruits that is most important for good health rather than
focusing on the foods ranked highest in antioxidants. And remember
that whole grains, legumes (dried beans and peas), nuts and seeds
all supply protective phytochemicals, too. |
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