Chai Latte K Cups Nutrition
The Keurig coffee maker uses single-serving K-Cups in place of traditional coffee filters and grounds. K-Cups are available in many flavors, including some coffeehouse-style drinks such as the Chai Latte. The Chai Latte, like many of the other K-Cup specialty flavors, contains added ingredients that contribute fat, calories and carbohydrates to your drink. Understanding the full nutritional impact of each Chai Latte serving will help you make more educated decisions regarding your diet.
Calories and Fat
Each K-Cup brews a single serving of Chai Latte. The blend is spiced black tea with milk, sweetened with sugar. There are 70 calories in each serving, with 30 calories coming from fat. The 2.8 grams of saturated fat in the drink equal 14 percent of the USDA's standard recommended daily intake. Saturated fats are fats that remain solid at room temperature. These fats can contribute to high cholesterol, heart disease and clogged arteries. As a result, the USDA recommends limiting your saturated fat intake as much as possible.
Carbohydrates and Protein
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The sugar-sweetened Chai Latte contains 9 grams of carbohydrates. Sugar is the sole contributor to the carbohydrate load of the drink, which offers largely empty calories with little nutritional benefit. The 1 gram of protein supplied equals 2 percent of the daily USDA recommendation; they recommend consuming 50 to 65 grams of protein per day, depending on your caloric intake.
Sodium
Each serving of Keurig's Chai Latte contributes 133 mg of sodium, or 6 percent of your daily requirement. A high-sodium diet contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease and circulatory problems. Limiting your intake to sodium that is supplied with additional necessary nutrients can help you get the most from your daily calories.
Considerations
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The Keurig Chai Latte K-Cup contains tree nuts, which may trigger an allergic reaction. Chai Latte also contains soy products. Soy is touted for its many health benefits, and research is being conducted to determine soy's impact on heart disease risk, menopause and arthritis symptoms and brain development. There are lingering questions regarding soy's impact on breast cancer susceptibility, with some researchers claiming that it increases the risk of breast cancer. More studies are being conducted to determine how the estrogen-like isoflavones in soy react at different stages of female development.
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Tara Kimball is a former accounting professional with more than 10 years of experience in corporate finance and small business accounting. She has also worked in desktop support and network management. Her articles have appeared in various online publications.