What Makes Whataburger's New Peaches And Cream Shake So Concerning

You could make the argument that ice cream is good 24/7/365, and you'd be right. But no season goes quite as well with ice cream as summer. A nice, cold scoop is a great antidote to the heat. A smooth, creamy shake might get you to brain-freeze even faster, making it an ever-popular summertime treat. Whataburger is appealing to our milkshake craving this time of year with a limited-time-only Peaches & Cream Shake (via The Fast Food Post). Deliciousness shouldn't be this easy: Whataburger simply blended vanilla ice cream and sweet peach syrup to come up with its latest shake. What's not to like? We're getting a sugar high just thinking about it. 

To bring us back to Earth, we spoke to Kristen Carli, registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness. She warned us about the Peaches & Cream Shake's sugar content. "The shake is particularly high in sugar — 94 grams," she said. "This is well over the American Heart Association's daily recommended limit of sugar, which is 24 grams of sugar per day. While it sounds delicious, this may not be the healthiest option out there."

Kristen Carli, RDN, isn't necessarily trying to convert us to kale and soy milk smoothies. "If you have a shake craving, it is okay to have these shakes every now and then. Otherwise, you can easily make a healthier version at home by blending frozen bananas, peaches, and milk." That doesn't sound too bad, especially when you consider that Carli's alternative contains no added sugar. Thinking about those 94 grams of sugar again, Carli discussed the risks of making the Whataburger Peaches & Cream Shake and similar treats a part of your regular diet. "That amount of sugar in one sitting has the ability to spike blood sugar," she said. "This can be detrimental over time, increasing the risk for developing type 2 diabetes — not to mention feeling the extreme energy crash a few hours after consumption."

We shouldn't just pick on Whataburger. The shakes at Sonic and Chick-fil-A did well in a ranking by Spoon University, which wasn't giving bonus points for healthiness. The Sonic Chocolate Classic shake has 86 grams of sugar and 900 calories (via the Sonic website) — less sugar than the Peaches & Cream, but a lot more calories than the Whataburger shake's 580. Chick-fil-A's Peach Milkshake is right up there with Whataburger's version, at 600 calories and 97 grams of sugar, according to the Chick-fil-A nutrition page. So remember, Carli's expertise applies to a lot of fast-food shake options.