McDonald’s serves over one billion cups of coffee each day around the globe. As one of the leaders in beverage markets, it comes as no surprise that their McCafe line of beverages has seen rapid expansion since it first made its debut in 1997. Yet many are concerned that McDonald’s coffee contains too much sugar, saturated fats and calories; is it really as unhealthy as people suggest or is there another way it can become healthy?

Answer to the latter question is an emphatic “yes.” Despite being one of the world’s most beloved fast-food beverages, McDonald’s McCafe coffee has actually been approved as FDA safe by using filtered water which removes chlorine and other contaminants to produce coffee with reduced saturated fat and sugar than would otherwise occur when made using tap water as its source.

Does that mean McDonald’s iced coffee is good for me? Yes, provided I avoid their sweetened options. While the iced coffee is made with 100% Arabica beans similar to their hot McCafe coffee, the sweetened versions often add significant calories. Luckily it’s easy to find McCafe iced coffees without added sugars; and plain ones may allow for the addition of honey or stevia for additional sweetness.

If you’re searching for something healthier, look no further than McDonald’s McCafe Premium Roast coffee – with only 5 calories and availability at any McDonald’s location or through Mobile Order & Pay.

McCafe Premium Roast Decaf contains only 3 calories, making it one of the healthiest drinks to choose. When it comes to sugary drinks, Yule advises avoiding anything with more than 66 grams of sugar; an example would be a medium caramel mocha frappe which packs in 510 calories, 13 grams of saturated fat and an impressive 66-gram dose – that would power through three hamburgers or at least an entire week’s worth of detoxing sugar from your system!

McDonald’s utilizes only high-quality beans that have been responsibly sourced from farmers in Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala and Peru and roasted under lighter conditions in order to bring out flavor while maintaining balance. McDonald’s has taken steps to become more environmentally sustainable, teaming up with conservation organization Conservation International in order to source their coffee responsibly, according to Crain’s. McDonald’s is also investing in training programs designed to assist farmers with dealing with climate change and other threats, in addition to its sustainable coffee platform. Furthermore, it has taken steps to enhance its coffee’s taste through new roasting techniques and equipment – such as testing out a coffee bean grinder that reduces oil release during grinding; this should create smoother, less acidic cups of joe.