Hall of SHame: Tim Hortons Drinks

Whenever I travel anywhere outside of Canada, one of the things I inevitably end up missing is Tim Hortons. Serving more than two billion cups of coffee each year, the coffee chain is certainly a much-loved brand, and its coffee is almost a staple in the Canadian diet. 

But despite the sense of nostalgia and homeliness Tim Hortons often brings, there are some things not to love with this brand, particularly when it comes to their sugar-filled drinks that resemble desserts more than beverages. 

The Most Unhealthy Drinks You Can Order at Timmy Ho’s

Although there are many more items on the menu that are just as unhealthy (or worse) than the ones presented below, I wanted to focus on the ones that are most popular and therefore doing the most damage. Here they are:

6. Medium Double Double 

• Now, the rest of the items on this list are certainly much worse than this one. BUT! I was surprised at how bad this drink is for you, especially considering that many people have more than one a day. Just one of these has 150 calories, 7g of fat, and 18g of sugar. That’s a LOT of sugar for one measly coffee!

5. Medium hot chocolate  

• If you’ve ever had one of these at Tim Hortons you can almost feel the sugar granules going down your throat as you drink it. I’m unsurprised, then, that this drink packs a whopping 49g sugar in 300 calories, with 7g of fat to boot. FYI: There is less sugar in a bag of Skittles (one bag has 47g)!!!

4. Medium apple cider 

• While this contains less calories and less fat than a medium hot chocolate—at 260 cals and 0g of fat—its sugar content is downright insane. Brace yourself: this winter favourite has a ridiculous 66g of sugar, equal to about two packs of Starburst. 

3. Medium French vanilla 

• Though I can only stomach a small size of these things given how sweet they are, combining half French vanilla, half coffee is one of the most scrumptious things I’ve ever tasted (not that I’m trying to give you any ideas…). But sadly, one of these contains 310 calories and 40g of sugar. But if it has less as the medium hot chocolate, why did you put it higher on the list? Well, because it also has 10g of fat, making it a brutal choice.

2. Medium Iced Capp

• High in calories, fat, and sugar, the Tim Hortons Iced Cap is pretty much dessert in a cup. The damage? 360 calories, 15g of fat, and 47g of sugar. In other words, an Iced Cap has twice as much sugar than a Twix bar and more fat. 

1. THE WINNER (or loser): Medium Mocha Iced Capp 

• I don’t think I could make a drink at home this unhealthy if I even tried. Straight up. And I pray to God this isn’t one of your favourite beverages at Tims because you’re about to hear some disturbing information: One medium Mocha Iced Capp has 410 calories, 56g of sugar, and 16g of fat. Lord have mercy. 

The Bottom Line

Listen, I love my Timmy Ho’s, I really do. But I do not love the idea of people slurping down the drinks above with their meals. The tricky thing is that Tims is such a loved coffee chain in Canada that it’s not unusual for people to make a couple stops a day, especially when it’s also so much cheaper than Starbucks (which also can do a lot of damage, by the way). But remember, if you’re having two double-doubles a day, you’re unknowingly consuming an additional 300 calories per day! This also translates to 2,100 calories and 252g of sugar each week, equating to one pound gained every month. if you’re having a grande White Chocolate Mocha every morning, you’re unknowingly consuming an additional 2,000 calories and 232g of sugar each week. In other words, if you cut out your double-doubles in the morning, you could lose more than 2 lbs. a month. It’s as simple as that. Cut these out of your diet completely or drink them in moderation and you’re bound to feel (and look) a heck of a lot better. 

You Tell Me!

Surprised at any of the above items? Have you been accidentally consuming any of these on a daily basis? Let me know in the comments below!