With summer in full swing, you might be tempted to head to your local coffee shop for an icy, blended coffee drink. Coffee chillers might be refreshing, but low in calories they are not. It seems that frappuccinos, chillates and iced cappuccinos can break your diet. Our nutrition expert, Leslie Beck, is here to give us the lowdown.

Q: How many calories are in these cold coffee beverages?

A cup of black coffee is a three calorie beverage. Add a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of milk and you're up to 35 calories. But order a frozen coffee drink and you've turned a low calorie beverage into a 500-plus calorie liquid dessert.

Consider that Second Cup's large (24 ounce) Chillatte with whipped cream serves up 540 calories, 23 grams of fat (18 of them saturated) and 18 teaspoons worth of sugar. Even worse for your arteries is Tim Horton's large (20 ounce) Chocolate Mint Iced Capp Supreme made with cream which delivers 640 calories, 30 grams of fat (20 of them saturated fat) and 20 teaspoons of sugar. That's a full day's worth of saturated fat in just one beverage.

Here's a look at some of the worst in terms of calories, fat and sugar:

 Summer Chillers to Avoid  Calories  Fat (g) Sugar (tsp.)
 Second Cup Coffee Chillatte  470   21 15
 Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino   600  23  19
 Tim Horton's Iced Capp Original, cream  500   22 17
 Tim Horton's Iced Capp Supreme, cream  640   30 20
 Breyers Triple Chocolate Ice Cream, 2.5 cups  650  35 17.5

Let's put is this way: two scoops of ice cream are easier on your waistline. You'd have to eat five servings of this ice cream to consume as many calories as you would from the Tim Horton's Iced Capp. If ice cream isn't your thing, think of these drinks as a fast food burger, minus the sugar. A McDonald's Quarter Pounder has 420 calories, 20 grams of fat and 8 grams of saturated fat. Pretty much the same numbers as a Grande (10 ounce) Vanilla Frappuccino with whipped cream from Starbucks (430 calories, 14 grams fat, 9 grams of saturated fat).

Q: What's in these drinks that add so many calories?

Although there are variations, chillers, frozen cappuccinos and frappuccinos are blended drinks are made from coffee, milk, ice and plenty of sugar in the form of syrup. Depending on the flavour, coffee drinks can come with added chocolate, coconut, caramel or vanilla (i.e. more sugar). Some are made with cream and come with a dollop of whip cream, bumping up the calorie and saturated fat content.

Q: Are there better choices in coffee houses?

There are definitely lighter coffee drinks available. Starbucks has a line of light frappuccino Blended Coffee. And of course you can always order iced non-fat latte (just espresso and skim milk poured over ice) and add a little sugar yourself. Here are some lighter options:

 Lighter Iced Coffee Drinks  Calories  Fat (g) Sugar (tsp.)  
 Second Cup Icepresso Chiller, 2%  240  6   9
 Tim Hortons Original Capp, 2%  150   2  8
 Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino Light  110  10  4
 Starbucks Iced Caffe Latte, skim   70  0  2

Q: Any tips for ordering a healthier frozen coffee drink?

If you're counting calories or watching your blood cholesterol level, it's best to treat these slushy summer coffee drinks as splurge for the week. If you enjoy them more often, the following tips will help you cut calories, fat and sugar.

  • Order the smallest size. Moving from a large (20 ounce) to a small (10 ounce) Tim Hortons' Iced Capp Original (with cream) will save you 250 calories, 11 grams of fat and 8 teaspoons of sugar - not to mention a 20 minute jog on the treadmill.

  • Choose non-fat. Order your chiller with low fat milk (skim, 1% or 2% milk fat) or soy milk to reduce your intake of saturated fat. If you order a small Tim Horton's Iced Capp Original with 2% milk instead of cream, you'll save 100 calories, 9 grams of fat and 5 grams of saturated fat. Say no to whipped cream and you'll save roughly 100 calories and 10 grams of fat.

  • Go light. If you're looking for a rich and creamy coffee drink with considerably less fat and sugar, Starbucks offers a light version of its signature Frappuccino Blended Coffee. A Grande (16 ounce) Starbucks' Mocha Frappuccino Light has 140 calories, 1 gram of fat and 5 teaspoons of sugar. The same sized regular Mocha Frappuccino (with whip) has 380 calories, 15 grams of fat and 11 teaspoons of sugar.

  • Keep it simple. Order an iced non-fat latte (just espresso and skim milk poured over ice). To sweeten, add one packet of sugar or one pump of flavoured syrup (20 calories per pump). Some coffee houses even have sugar-free flavoured syrup.

  • Read nutrition information. Starbuck's, Second Cup, Tim Hortons and Country Style post detailed nutrient breakdowns of menu items on their websites. To know what you're drinking -- and to make a healthier choice -- consult this information in advance.