Make Mine a Mocha!

Are you a chocolate lover?  Do you also enjoy a daily cup o' jo?  Then you obviously know the tantilizing joy of a good Cafe Mocha!

Well, here's a shout out to my good neighbor, Joe, a fellow chocoholic and caffeine addict who tipped me off to the best way to enjoy a little chocolate treat.  No Sugar Added hot cocoa mix in your cup of coffee is a wonderful, cheaper, better-for-you way to enjoy a Mocha without that trip to the local coffee shop.

I use Swiss Miss's No Sugar Added Milk Chocolate, bought in bulk at Costco.  (Note that this is a seasonal item at Costco, and I don't think they'll carry it past March.)  One envelope is 60 calories, 1 gram of fat and 7 grams of sugar - and for my taste, one envelope is more than enough for two cups of coffee.  I know that some will need a little more creaminess, so add a tablespoon or two of skim milk, and you have one delicious treat!  

Figure that a 12oz Tall Cafe Mocha from Starbucks has 270 calories, 12 grams of fat (7 of which are saturated) and 26 grams of sugar.  Order it with nonfat milk and no whipped cream, and you at least go down to 2 grams of fat, but still 25 grams of sugar.   Starbucks now touts their Skinny Mocha, and the 12oz version comes with only 90 calories, no fat, but still 12 grams of sugar.  (Which, really, isn't that bad, but go with me on this.)

And let's not forget about the financial cost of a daily Starbucks habit - a Tall Mocha is what, almost $3 with tax?  Plus the cost of driving there? And who really orders only a Tall?  You know you go for the Grande or Venti when you're there!

So go easy on your waistline and your pocketbook, and enjoy a homemade Mocha today!