If we think that the McDonald’s is the problem, well, we got it wrong : I read with horror an American article in which milkshakes and drinks such as smoothies and smoothies were compared, with lots of nutritional values. Well, I didn’t think we had come that far: some milkshakes go up to nearly two thousand calories, with over two hundred grams of sugar, a bit like eating an entire homemade apple pie, only you drink this and it hurts more. Of course, we can breathe a sigh of relief to know that most of these killer drinks are American and are likely to stay in America, as Starbucks hasn’t caught on here either. However, a doubt arises, also because in Italy, if it is true that Starbucks is missing, it is also true that there are many other pitfalls that from coffee shops to ice cream parlors actually offer very similar drinks.: milkshakes and smoothies full of sugar that travel around 700/500 calories can also be found here. First of all, a piece of advice: when you are abroad, go to Starbucks or the Dunkin’Donuts chain which is also present in many European countries, but not for their drinks. The Starbucks pumpkin drink travels around five hundred calories – it’s a warm pumpkin-flavored latte. Their  frappuccini in various flavors or spicy even reach eight hundred calories, the equivalent of a pound of liquid butter , only in this case it is all sugar. Dunkin Donuts makes frozen chocolate frappuccini that exceed nine hundred calories, like a liter of oil.
And in Italy? Our McDonald’s, which abroad offers maxi drinks with eight hundred calories, in Italy limits the offer to small sugar concentrates: the normal milkshake travels on 225 calories, the extreme milkshake 335 calories . Beware of carbon copies of American milkshakes sold in Italy: many companies are giving their contribution in sachets to bars and cafes that offer you hot chocolate, frappuccini and milkshakes imitating the American ones (see Eraclea) and of which nothing is known under the nutritional profile (what beautiful companies!). Get the chocolate made from real chocolate, the milkshake from two spoonfuls of ice cream, milk, ice and a little fruit : you will never exceed three hundred calories, but it is always better than double or triple the various multinationals.
And pay attention to the smoothies: these fruit and water smoothies, similar to velvety slushes, have an incredible percentage of sugar , which swells the mixture together with the ice. Avoid them. Better a freshly squeezed orange juice.