The Best & Worst CosMc's Menu Orders, According to a Dietitian
From the creators of McDonald's comes a new restaurant chain called CosMc's, whose first location opened in Bolingbrook, IL back in December 2023. Named after a six-armed McDonaldland alien mascot that once graced ads in the '80s and '90s, CosMc's is not your typical burger-and-fries fast-food restaurant; instead, it focuses on "out-of-this-world" beverages like "Galactic Boosts", specialty lemonades, slushes, and a variety of coffee drinks. While the chain currently only has one location in Illinois, CosMc's will soon expand to 10 more restaurants in Texas by the end of 2024.
CosMc's menu diverges from traditional coffee chain menus, featuring "bold and unexpected flavor combinations" with drinks like their Popping Pear Slush, Island Pick-Me-Up Punch, and Sour Cherry Energy Burst. But similar to most beverage chains, CosMc's offers patrons the flexibility to customize these menu items to cater to individual flavor and nutritional preferences, whether that's cutting back on flavor syrups or adding vitamin C shots—which is a big advantage if you're looking to eat healthy. Without modifications, some drinks on CosMc's menu contain a staggering 108 grams of sugar.
There are also food options on the menu, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, with even a few McDonald's classics like the McMuffin and McFlurries.
Navigating through CosMc's menu requires a discerning eye, as calories, saturated fat, and added sugars can escalate quickly in certain choices. To help guide you through your intergalactic, gastronomic journey, we put together a list of the 20 best and worst orders at CosMc's to help you make informed nutritional choices the next time you find yourself in Bolingbrook. Remember—those add-ins can get you so watch how much you add in. But also, don't be afraid to opt out if you want to remove an ingredient or even ask for half the amount to make the order a bit better for you.
Read on, and for more, don't miss I Tried 8 Items From McDonald's New Chain CosMc's & Some Were Horrendous.
Signature Galactic Boosts
Best: Blueberry Ginger Boost
Size certainly matters when it comes to Galactic Boosts. This blueberry ginger green tea, which contains a vitamin C boost, is made with dried blueberries and garnished with a lemon wheel. A small is a reasonable amount of calories and the added sugars are only 9 grams which is very good compared to other options of any size.
Worst: Berry Hibiscus Sour-ade
This sweetened lemonade is mixed with a berry probiotic blend and served with a dried lemon wheel over ice. Of the 108 grams of sugar, 107 grams are added which is like having an equivalent of 27 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Even if it does have a "probiotic blend," any potential health benefits of this beverage are offset by the high calories and insane amount of added sugar.
Iced Teas & Lemonade
Best: Iced Green Tea
This iced beverage has no significant amounts of calories, fat, protein, or carbs and is in line with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines recommendations to enjoy your meal with no or low-calorie beverages. Green tea does contain caffeine, so order up a medium or small if you've had one or two cups of coffee or other caffeinated beverages that day. Green tea also provides polyphenols, which is a powerful antioxidant. If green tea isn't your thing, the iced black tea also has caffeine and zero calories as well.
Worst: Tropical Spiceade
This tart lemonade is mixed with pineapple flavoring and topped with dried dragonfruit. The calories are as much as you should be getting from an entire meal with sugars equating to over 27 teaspoons of granulated sugar. The small size with 250 calories is slightly better because it is just smaller—but it's still mainly added sugar.
Slushes & Frappes
Best: Pomegranate Hibiscus Slush
If you're in the mood for a slush, this small-size option is a better choice. Don't get me wrong, it's still made of all sugar but only accounts for 6% of total added sugar on a 2,000-calorie diet. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than 10% of added sugar per day—so you would be within the recommended limits.
Worst: Churro Cold Brew Frappe
A cold brew is rather healthy without any added sugars or toppings. However, this version sweetens it heavily and finishes it with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles. The result is a beverage that has more calories than you should get in one meal, 75% of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat, and the equivalent of 19 teaspoons of granulated sugar.
Brews
Best: Brewed Coffee
A plain cup of Joe is your best bet in terms of calories, saturated fat, and added sugar. To keep all those at bay, add small amounts of sugar and a splash of milk of your choice, and steer clear of syrups, whipped cream, and other calorie and sugar-heavy add-ins.
Best: Cold Brew
Hot or cold, a cup of plain brewed coffee will give you the lowest amount of calories, saturated fat, and added sugar. Just like with the brewed coffee, watch those add-ins!
Worst: Mocha
Made with whole milk and whipped cream, this large-sized mocha is just too many calories. It also provides 55% of the daily recommended max of artery-clogging saturated fat and over 11 teaspoons of granulated sugar.
Worst: Hot Chocolate
It's a misconception that a hot chocolate is a better choice compared to a fancy coffee. The large size has 60% of the daily recommended amount of saturated fat and the equivalent of close to 12 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Even the small size has 290 calories and 8 grams of saturated fat—which is still a whole lot of artery-clogging fat and added sugar for a beverage. If you swap whole milk for skim milk that can help shave off some calories and saturated fat.
Tea
Best: Hot Peppermint Tea
This caffeine-free option has minimal calories, fat, carbs, and protein. Peppermint is also good to help settle an upset stomach. If you're looking for a good choice of hot tea besides peppermint, black and green tea are also good options.
Worst: Chai Tea Latte
Chai tea on its own is a healthy choice, but in this CosMc's menu option, you'll find it brimming with added sugar and saturated fat. For a better option, opt for the small size and swap the milk to nonfat or almond milk to cut back on calories. Also, ask for less sweetener—oftentimes I request half the standard amount to cut back on added sugar.
Sandwiches
Best: Egg McMuffin
This sandwich made with an egg, Canadian bacon, and American cheese is the best option available in this category. You can always opt to hold the bacon to cut back on sodium, saturated fat, and calories.
Worst: Spicy Queso Sandwich
This sandwich is made with an omelet-style egg with sausage, queso sauce, cheddar cheese, and jalapeno chips and served on a brioche bun. Although the calories for the sandwich alone are reasonable for an entire meal, the sandwich is high in saturated fat providing 80% of the recommended daily max and 52% of the recommended daily max of sodium.
Bites (Savory)
Best: Snack Box
The snack box consists of smoked gouda cheese, sliced pepperoni, flax seed crackers, and a handful of almonds and dried cranberries. Overall, you are getting numerous food groups including dairy, grains, protein, and fruit which is healthy. However, the calories are slightly high for a snack so either enjoy it as an on-the-go meal, split the box with a friend, or enjoy half later.
Worst: Savory Hash Brown Bites
This fried option comes with up to 5 packs of various dips which will certainly add up to 550 calories and not much nutrition to this snack. Overall, for the calories and lack of many nutrients—it's an unhealthy option.
McPops & Baked Goods
Best: McPops Apple Cinnamon
It's uncertain how many McPops are in a serving (it appears to be 3), but from the five McPops options and baked goods, this has the fewest calories. If a few McPops are in a serving, opt for one or two with about 100 calories each to help curb your sweet tooth while keeping calories, saturated fat, and sugar at bay.
Worst: Caramel Fudge Brownie
For a dessert, this brownie provides as many calories as you should eat in an entire meal. The saturated fat is 45% of the daily recommended max—and that's not counting the meal. If you need a chocolate fix, split this brownie with a friend.
Soft Serve
Best: Twist Cone
This simple option without bells and whistles can certainly calm your sweet tooth while providing a reasonable amount of calories, saturated fat, and sugar.
Worst: Caramel Fudge Brownie Sundae
Add fudge, caramel sauce, and pieces of fudge brownie, and the calories, saturated fat, and empty calorie carbs skyrocket to an unhealthy level. You're better off ordering any of the cones with fewer calories and fewer bells and whistles.
McFlurrys and Shakes
Best: Citrus & Cream Shake
The best option available is this small-sized shake. However, if you do choose it split it with a friend or have it as a once-in-a-blue-moon treat as the saturated fat and added sugars are still quite high.
Worst: Strawberry Shake
Although you may think a shake is a better option..think again. This large-sized strawberry option provides the highest amount of calories, saturated fat, and carbs of any option on the CosMc's menu. It provides 42% of the daily recommended amount of calories (based on 2,000) and 65% of the recommended daily max of saturated fat.
Sign up for our newsletter!
