One bite, 90 calories

If you’re wondering where those extra pounds are coming from it could be that treat you grabbed with this morning’s cup of java. Yes, they’re delicious, but many of the snacks you’ll find at coffee shops and other fast food restaurants have more calories than you think. We surveyed some common places to find a few of the biggest offenders. Don’t worry, we also found better options to help tip the scale back in your favour.

Starbucks
Choose this:
Double Fudge Mini Doughnut
Considering this is a doughnut, it really isn’t too high in fat (8g) or calories (130). But remember, it’s a treat so don’t expect any nutritional value.
Nutrition facts: 130 calories, 8g fat, 16g carbs, 0g fibre, less than one gram of protein

Don’t choose that:
Blueberry Scone
All we have to say is this...25 grams of fat! In one scone! Seriously, would you ever have thought that this comfort food was so bad for your figure, not to mention your heart?
Nutrition facts: 470 calories, 25g fat, 55g carbs, 2g fibre, 8g protein

Tim Hortons
Choose this:
Strawberry Yogurt
With little fat (2.5g), reasonable calories (140) and a small amount of sodium (50mg), this is a much healthier option. One serving also provides 10 percent of your daily requirement for calcium, an essential bone-building nutrient many women lack.
Nutrition facts: 140 calories, 2.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 50mg sodium, 27g carbs, 20g sugar, 2g fibre, 4g protein in 170g

Don’t choose that:
Sour Cream Glazed Cake Timbit
When it comes to doughnuts, good things do not come in small packages. This bite-sized devil delivers 90 calories per mouthful and almost five grams of fat. Multiply this by three (be honest, you’ll never stop at just one) and that’s 270 calories and 13.5g or 3 tsp of fat. Yuck!
Nutrition facts (1 timbit): 90 calories, 4.5g fat, 2g saturated fat, 65mg sodium, 12 g carbs, 7g sugar, 0g fibre, 1g protein in 19 grams

McDonald’s
Choose this:
Vanilla Cone
Tasty, refreshing and definitely a healthier choice, ice cream offers 15 percent of your daily requirement for calcium in addition to fewer calories and less fat. It’s still high in sugar (28g), but nothing’s perfect.
Nutrition facts: 230 calories, 7g fat, 4g saturated fat, 135mg sodium, 39g carbs, 28g sugar, 0 g fibre, 5g protein in 147 grams

Don’t choose that:
Carrot Muffin
Think you’re doing your heart a favour by choosing a muffin instead of the fries you crave? Think again. This monster muffin has almost double the calories and sodium of a small order of fries and 35g of sugar.
Nutrition facts: 430 calories, 16g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 330mg sodium, 65g carbs, 35g sugar, 3g fibre, 6g protein in 123 grams

Coffee Time
Choose this:
Almond Hazelnut Biscotti
We all know that almonds are good for us – they can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol. And hazelnuts are high in Vitamin E, helping to protect our skin and possibly fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Oh yeah, they’re also lower in calories and don’t have any saturated fat.
Nutrition facts; 160 calories, 5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 70mg sodium, 24g carbs, 0g fibre, 8g sugar, 4g protein in one biscotti

Don’t choose that:
Raisin Bran Muffin
Munching on this muffin may help ease hunger pains, but it’ll also deliver over 75 percent of your daily requirement of sodium and 54grams of sugar, not to mention a boatload of calories and fat.
Nutrition facts: 610 calories, 18g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 1,110mg sodium, 103g carbs, 9g fiber, 54g sugar, 9g protein

Mmmuffins
Choose this:
Potato and Green Onion Twist
A fraction of the size, this 57g treat boasts 151 calories, almost half that found in some of the muffins. It’s also lower in fat with 4 grams per serving as opposed to 10.5.
Nutrition facts: 151 calories, 4g fat, 5g carbs, 21g protein, 1g fibre in 57g

Don’t choose that:
Low-fat Strawberry Banana Oatmeal muffin
Just because it’s low fat doesn’t mean it won’t pack on the pounds. This tasty treat has only 3 grams of fat but a whopping 527 calories. It’s so huge that one muffin counts as over three of your daily servings of grains.
Nutrition facts: 527 calories, g fat, 0.35g saturated fat per 113g serving.

Tips for treating
Carol Schnittjer, a community health nutritionist in Dauphin, Manitoba, gives us some smart snacking solutions:

- Check the nutrition information. Many snacks have more calories, fat and sodium than you’d think. Ask a clerk for the information or source the store’s website.
- Practice portion control. Most bagels and muffins are more than double a healthy serving size. Cut one in half and save the other for tomorrow’s snack or share it with a friend.
- Say no to toppings. Adding butter, peanut butter or margarine to already fatty items such as scones and croissants will add unwanted calories to your diet.
- Beware of “healthy” items. Low-fat selections are often excessively high in sodium while other healthy-sounding ingredients like bran, fruit and flaxseeds can tip the scales with their calorie, fat and sugar contents.
- Consider it a treat. Eating tasty snacks in moderation is fine, but when you find yourself grabbing one every time you order a coffee, the pounds will add up quickly.