You're standing in line at the café, you just wanted something small and indulgent – coffee and a pastry sound like the perfect start to the day, or a light break in the middle of a busy routine. But how many calories are really hiding in that treat? Sometimes as much as an entire day's menu with 6 healthy meals. So what's the solution?
The pastries look small, light, airy – but they're rich in butter (in the best-case scenario) or margarine, sugar, chocolate, and of course, white flour. I checked the published calorie charts of several coffee shop chains in Israel and found the following averages:
• Regular butter croissant: 350–420 calories
• Chocolate croissant: 480–600 calories
• Cinnamon/pecan Danish: 500–650 calories
• "Pinuqim" (indulgent) bourekas: 712 calories
• Blueberry/chocolate muffin: 450–550 calories
• Cheese and apple tart: 700 calories
• Large chocolate chip cookie: 200–300 calories
• Chocolate brownie: 350–450 calories
• Alfajores: 300 calories per “serving”
In other words - sometimes just the “small pastry” contains more than a full lunch that includes all of this: Quarter chicken, baked potato, oven-roasted vegetable antipasti, and rich vegetable salad with a spoonful of tahini.
The meal contains: A large amount of high-quality protein, carbohydrates, a high amount of dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, and other antioxidants, and it contains around 400–450 calories.
And with coffee on the side? The nutritional value can already climb to 800–1000 calories in one snack.
The nutritional value of the pastry
In most cases, the value of the pastry is minimal – in fact, I wouldn’t be wrong in telling you that we’re talking about nearly zero nutritional value.
Pastries contain almost no dietary fiber, are low in protein, rich in saturated fat that harms the body, sugar that causes belly fat and inflammation, and white flour that causes diabetes and obesity just like sugar.
“Parve” pastries may also contain trans fat, especially when they are industrial or reheated again and again.
And if you see “vegan” on the menu – don’t rush to assume it’s healthy: Sometimes it just means someone swapped butter for margarine.
True, it’s very tasty – no argument there. And even if it’s something that happens “once in a while” – there’s no problem with coffee and a pastry, but if it’s a daily habit, it’s worth considering healthier or at least lower-calorie options (more on that later in the article).
Calories in café-style coffee
Even the coffee next to the pastry seems innocent – but it contributes hundreds more calories (data taken from the website of a well-known café chain in Israel – you can all see them):
• Regular cappuccino (with milk): 120–160 calories
• Mocha with whipped cream: 350–450 calories
• Chai latte: 350–400 calories
• Hot chocolate: 400–450 calories
• Sahlab with cinnamon and nuts: 400 calories
• Hot chocolate with marshmallows: 500 calories (!)
How can there be so many calories? After all, it's just a cup of drink. But in terms of protein and carbohydrate quantity, it’s the nutritional value of a meal – not a “drink” you don’t count. The calories come from the milk itself, the fat in the milk, the whipped cream, and the sweet additions – like melted chocolate, caramel-flavored sauces, marshmallows, and vanilla syrup.
Pay attention to the impressive protein content in a café-style coffee:
• In a large cappuccino – there are 8.3 grams of protein!! That’s a lot. That’s more than what you’ll find in some dairy desserts. It’s high-quality protein that can definitely be counted toward your daily protein intake – milk protein that helps build muscles, hair, and other body tissues.
• Hot chocolate – despite the 448 calories in a cup, it contains 13.3 grams of protein! A very impressive amount, close to what you’ll find in half a container of cottage cheese.
That’s a clear advantage, no doubt – but along with the calorie downside, I think this kind of drink should be treated as a meal, not a fun drink "on the go."
Possible solutions
If you love that moment of coffee and a pastry – you don’t have to give it up, just make slightly smarter choices:
- Choose a "small cappuccino with water" with a bit of frothed milk – about 40–50 calories only
- Avoid whipped cream, melted chocolate, and flavored syrups
- Split the pastry with someone – and enjoy the taste with half the calories
- One chocolate truffle – can be enough and contains only 150 calories
- Cheese/apple phyllo pastry – “only” 200 calories. It’s basically like eating 2 light pitas with cheese – not a small amount, but better than other options as you can see.
- Consider a homemade alternative – like a healthy snack bar, a slice of whole-grain bread with cheese, or a piece of fruit.
- Buy just the cappuccino made with half water and half milk – your health and calorie count will thank you.
Sometimes, just being aware is all it takes – to pause for a moment, think, and decide if it’s really worth it right now.
To join Dr. Maya Rosman’s course on how to improve your health and lose weight in a sane and reasonable way, click here.