They’re the go-to drinks of the summer, promising to refresh and replenish all at once. But what’s in those tempting iced treats — and how refreshing are they really?
McDONALD’S
Belgian Chocolate Honeycomb Iced Frappe (regular, 400ml), £2.49
Tessa Cunningham examined the nutritional value on a selection of the most popular iced drinks available within the UK. She was unimpressed with McDonald’s Belgian Chocolate Honeycomb Iced Frappe (pictured) as it contains 40 per cent of the recommended daily intake of sugar
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 309; sugar 36g.
VERDICT: Studded with chocolate chips and topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, this looks yummy. But the chocolate is grainy.
There’s no hint of rich honey and it’s unpleasantly sweet.That 36g of sugar is 40 per cent of your recommended daily intake. 1/5
Mango and Pineapple Iced Fruit Smoothie (regular, 400ml), £1.99
Mango and Pineapple Iced Fruit Smoothie (pictured) has a high content of sugar but all naturally occurs from the fruit
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories, 197; sugar 40g.
VERDICT: Although there are undertones of pineapple (32 per cent) and hints of pear and white grape, all I get is intense, creamy mango.
And, while the sugar content appears high, it all comes from the fruit — a blend of juices and purees — with nothing added. It’s so delicious, you might want to drink it in one greedy gulp. 4/5
PRET A MANGER
Berry Blast (regular 410g) £3.25
Pret A Manager’s Berry Blast (pictured) is made from 100 per cent frozen fruit and has 44g of sugar. Tessa was impressed by its ‘sensational’ taste
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 239; sugar 44g.
VERDICT: Imagine gathering glossy and sun-ripened blackberries and raspberries, then rushing home to whizz them up with a handful of chopped mango and a dash of apple juice.
Made from 100 per cent frozen fruit, this is zinging with the fresh, slightly bitter taste of summer fruits. Sensational. Just check your teeth for pips before you smile. 5/5
Strawberry and Banana Smoothie (400g), £3.25
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 211; sugar 42g.
VERDICT: This tastes far too wickedly indulgent to be healthy. The creamy texture is all down to the bananas. A generous slosh of sharp lemon juice keeps the smoothie silky without being icky. There’s no added ice, so it’s super-filling, but very refreshing. 5/5
COSTA COFFEE
Coconut and Watermelon Fruit Cooler (medium, 400ml), £3.25
Costa’s Coconut and Watermelon Fruit Cooler (pictured) was declared flavourless by Tessa. It has a sugar content of just 26.8g and is low-calorie
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 117; sugar 26.8g.
VERDICT: You might be tempted by this cocktail of coconut water and melon. Blush pink, it’s delightfully pretty, satisfyingly low-calorie and light on sugar.
I was eager to try it and very disappointed not to enjoy it more. I thought it was because I’m not a fan of coconut water so I got a friend who does like the stuff to try it. She was just as disappointed — declaring it flavourless. 2/5
Peach Iced Tea (medium, 400ml), £2.90
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 130; sugar 31.7g.
VERDICT: This tantalising drink — so popular in the southern states of the U.S. it’s known as ‘the Champagne of the South’ — is simply horrible. It tastes like stewed tea jazzed up with peach juice. Yuck. 1/5
CAFFE NERO
Garden Mint Lemonade, £2.95 (480ml regular)
Tessa believes Caffe Nero’s Garden Mint Lemonade (pictured) which has a sugar content of 31.8g could be less sweet
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 131; sugar 31.8g.
VERDICT: This is served with a slice of lemon and infused with mint. An alternative to lemonade, it is deliciously refreshing and good value.
Although Caffe Nero says it has significantly reduced the sugar content, it could still do with being a tad less sweet. 4/5
Raspberry and Italian Peach Booster, £3.55 (480ml regular)
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 239; sugar 50.2g.
VERDICT: Made from fruit syrups blended with ice, this has a rich raspberry colour and smells intensely of peaches. But it tastes like a Slush Puppie and contains more than half the recommended daily intake of sugar. It also has more calories than a Caffe Nero croissant. 3/5
STARBUCKS
Caramel Cheesecake Frappuccino (473ml regular/Grande)
Tessa clams Starbucks’s frappuccinos aren’t refreshing and have an alarming sugar content. The coffee shop’s caramel cheesecake frappuccino (pictured left) has the equivalent of 13 teaspoons of sugar
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 452; sugar 55.1g.
VERDICT: Coffee and my favourite dessert in one icy hit. This decadent drink is definitely delicious, but so creamy it’s not remotely refreshing.
The calories are sky-high and the alarmingly huge sugar content is equivalent to 13 teaspoons of sugar. 3/5
Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino (473ml regular)
WHAT’S IN IT? Calories 390; sugar 47.7g.
VERDICT: This very sickly mixture of milk, whipped cream and strawberry syrup is so sweet that I could almost feel the enamel dropping off my teeth! I didn’t feel refreshed at all, just sick. 2/5