Many claim that the drink is perfect to refresh and give extra energy. It’s just a mix of a shot of espresso, tonic, and a bit of lime syrup. A few shots of espresso are poured over an ice-cold tonic water to prepare the drink. Tonic water is slightly sweet so it rounds out the bitterness of the espresso making the drink somewhat creamy. But can switching to espresso tonic be a healthy idea?
Tonic coffee calories
Tonic water is full of sugars just like any other soft drink. It is by no means a healthier alternative to Coca-Cola and other sugary drinks. It’s pretty much just a sweetened soda, with a little quinine added.
All of the carbohydrates in a serving size glass of regular tonic water come from added sugar. A serving of normal tonic water has the equivalent of between 8 and 8.25 teaspoons of added sugar. Also, although the small amount of quinine is not dangerous, a doctor should always be consulted before adding tonic to the diet to ensure that it is safe.
So it’s best that we stick to regular espresso. Also, light roast coffee is better than darker: Light roast coffee has a higher level of antioxidants that can prevent free radical damage. Lightly roasted coffee beans have been shown to contain higher levels of the antioxidant chlorogenic acid compared to darker ones. This is the reason why we should drink coffee instead of decaf.
On the other hand, if we use a normal tonic, in each tonic coffee we will find some 60 calories. On the other hand, if we use a tonic without sugar, the drink will not exceed 5 calories.
Healthy homemade recipe
To make a healthy tonic coffee, the ingredients that we must use are:
- 1 cup of ice
- ⅔ cup tonic water
- 1 shot of espresso
The instructions are quite simple:
- Fill the cup with ice.
- Add the tonic without sugar
- Make an espresso and pour on top of the tonic.
Additionally, you can add a slice of orange to give it a flavor similar to that of a cocktail. At first it is not a drink that excited all coffee lovers, so it is recommended to experiment little by little.