Last week, the Internet lost their mind over the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino. I must admit, the memes about the limited release of the Unicorn Frapp were highly entertaining, and I felt horrible for the baristas having a meltdown over the difficulty in making this magical beverage. Some “nutritionists” were hailing the colorful drink as the next instigator of diabetes. Some were blaming it for the obesity of America, making it appear as a microcosm to all that is wrong with nutrition in America (and elsewhere).
Because ‘Merica!
We live in the world of anything goes, which includes some psychedelic-colored drink that changes colors as you swirl it… and it changes from sweet to sour as you drink more of it.
The problem isn’t necessarily in a single drink; the problem lies in the fact that some may attach the ideas of “good” and “bad” to food. Nutrition isn’t binary, because food is food — it isn’t “good” or “bad” as I pointed-out in my previous blog. Unfortunately, some people also take every chance to make those who choose to drink this crazy-colored (oh, freak-out over the food dye because it causes cancer!) drink guilty. GUILTY. They actually try to make people feel ashamed for drinking this drink that was only around for a few days. SHAMEFUL.
Take a moment and let your brain wrap itself around that thought: there are people trying to make others feel ashamed for drinking something once. ONCE. Why does this shaming not include the pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream that we can get year-round in our grocery store? Or the king-sized Snickers bar? The Unicorn Frappuccino was not being advertised or marketed as a health food or weight loss drink — it was being marketed as a special indulgence!
The Unicorn Frappuccino in all her glory. Pic courtesy of Starbucks.com.
STOP FOOD SHAMING, PEOPLE!
I’m sure there are a few of us who may regret some poor decisions made after drinking ample alcohol in our college years. I would give someone a dirty glare if they ever tried for a second to make me feel ashamed for any of my decisions, then or now.
I am pro-food and nutrition transparency. However, I am NOT a supporter of fear mongering and spreading faulty information about the toxicity of a certain food or beverage. (To those of you who fear monger, please kindly do your research.) Do you know how much sugar we would actually have to consume for it to reach a toxic level as seen in some of these infamous sugar studies conducted on rats? I’ll give you a hint: IT’S A LOT MORE THAN WE ARE ABLE TO CONSUME AT ONE TIME. Again, do your research, and keep in mind that many so-called “documentaries” are actually “shockumentaries” meant to elicit a strong fear response.
Let your brain wrap itself around that thought for a moment: there are people trying to make others feel ashamed for drinking something once. ONCE.
‘RBF’ me if anyone ever tries to make me feel guilty for enjoying life through simple pleasures like food and drink.
If you chose not to drink the Unicorn Frapp, then good for you, but please don’t try to food shame other people who may make a different decision from you. If you want to drink or eat something, then go for it. One single meal isn’t going to derail your progress as long as you are consistent with your efforts the rest of the time. Consistency is what is going to allow for positive progress, and sometimes that includes indulging yourself in moderation (or maybe even without moderation if you need a ‘mental break’ from dieting or whatnot).
Instead of shaming people about drinking the Unicorn Frappuccino, I prefer to offer alternatives. For example, you could make the following substitutions to the standard Unicorn Frappuccino (the ‘standard’ serving was a grande, whole milk, with whipped cream):
Tall (instead of grande or venti)
2% milk (instead of whole milk)
No whipped cream (but this would make my soul a little unhappy)
By making these small adjustments, you can save yourself considerable calories and fat (no, I do not think fat is “bad”). Take a look at the new nutrition facts using these substitutions:
Nutrition facts courtesy of Starbucks.com
With these substitutions, you could more easily make this indulgence fit into your day. As a point of comparison, the grande standard serving of the Unicorn Frappuccino has 410 calories, 16g of fat, 62g of carbs (with 59g of sugar), and 5g of protein.
Sometimes, it only takes pausing for a moment before you order your food or beverage, and think about ways you can make it align with your goals. Other times, it’s simply nice to indulge without any concern at all! It is completely up to you, and no one else.
Who are we to judge the decisions made by someone else? What gives us the right?
Try not to ever feel guilty or shameful for indulging yourself in something. And DEFINITELY never make someone else feel guilty about their own indulgences or off-plan eating. Who are we to judge?
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?
Interested in learning more about flexible eating and how to eat a balanced nutrition plan to tell your feelings of guilt to shove it? Comment below or email me, and I’d be more than happy to help you make sense of it all.
If you’re interested in having your macronutrients personally calculated for you to meet your goals, or having a customized nutrition plan built just for you and paired with attentive coaching, then check-out my Services page first to see what I offer. Message me and we can arrange a time to chat for a free consultation.