Starbucks will never have the nutritional profile of green juice. Especially when your order is more than a simple black coffee.
That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a daily Starbucks run. A few simple switches can make even a Frappucino less of a calorie and sugar bomb, so you won’t find yourself resolving to drop recently added pounds come New Year’s Day.
Still, how can you make your favorite drink less of a liquid dessert? Shave 50 calories by ordering it with nonfat milk, and get it down to a reasonable 210 calories by going sans whipped cream. If you ask the barista for one pump of syrup rather than the usual two or three, you’ll skinny it up even more.
The ability to customize drink orders to your liking is what sets Starbucks apart from other restaurants. They are always willing to accommodate all of your requests. Plus Starbucks provides many healthy on-the-go options that make it easy to stick to a healthy diet.
Consider this your Starbucks cheat sheet. With the weather cooling down, feel free to grab a drink that feels splurge-worthy but won’t wreck havoc on your waist.
Starbucks Cheat Sheet
Hot coffee and tea
Tea and coffee are without a doubt the healthiest thing available. As well as the most budget friendly and figure friendly of the lot. Be aware of all the calories of the add-ins such as cream, milk, and sugar. If sweetening your coffee is a vice, do it on your own and abide by portion sizes. Such as a tablespoon of creamer and a teaspoon of sugar.
Iced tea
“I will have a ___sized, unsweetened, light ice, ___tea. Not the tea lemonade.”
This drink is zero calories, is super refreshing, and is healthy. If you want it to be a lightly sweetened you can add your own truvia or ask for 1 pump of sugar-free vanilla.
Iced coffee
The base iced coffee is sweetened and comes with milk. Make it healthier by asking for it unsweetened without milk and add in your own add-ins.
“I would like a ___sized, unsweetened, no milk, iced coffee.”
Espresso or Americano
An Americano is espresso with hot water added to it. There are a few more calories in an Americano than there is in a cup of coffee (20 vs. 5), but it is worth the calories if you like strong coffee.
Americano misto or café misto
A misto is half coffee or half americano and half steamed milk. Order a misto instead of a latte because it is: less expensive and have fewer calories. A grande, non-fat, café misto (made with coffee) is 60 calories and an Americano misto with non-fat milk is 80 calories.
If you want a sweeter drink; order your misto with one of the sugar-free syrups (sugar-free caramel, sugar-free vanilla, sugar-free hazelnut, sugar-free cinnamon dolce, and skinny mocha).
A chai tea bag latte
There is a healthy way to get your chai fix that is not on the menu. Order it like this,“can I please have a grande, sugar-free vanilla, non-fat, chai tea tea bag, custom tea latte”. This little trick will make your drink be about 60 calories and it will taste amazing.
Order a skinny syrup latte or a non-fat latte
A latte is espresso and non-fat milk and a skinny syrup latte is a latte with sugar-free flavored syrup. The only lattes flavors that are available skinny (non-fat milk, sugar-free): sugar-free caramel, sugar -free vanilla, sugar-free hazelnut, sugar-free cinnamon dolce, and skinny mocha. All of these drinks are good options if you need to quell your sweet tooth.
Chocolate smoothie
Chocolate smoothies are made with 2% milk, a banana, mocha sauce, and 2 scoops protein powder. Substitute skinny mocha sauce for mocha and opt for non-fat milk.
