Starbucks is notorious for their grand selection of beverages. Whether you’re looking for a caffeine boost or a sweet treat, their large menu is one that will accommodate any of your cravings! Because they are readily available with over 18,000 stores in 55 countries and useful for those mornings when we are inevitably running late, it is easy to forget that many of their drinks are high in calories, sugar, and fat.
Here are some of their healthier options that give you an energy boost without the extra calories and sugar:
1. Black Hot Coffee or Iced Coffee: Start simple. These two beverages are as simple as coffee gets. They have between zero and five calories and zero sugar, fat, and carbs. If you need some milk and sugar, add your milk of choice and try to stick to just one packet of sugar.
2. Cappuccino: Cappuccinos have more foam than milk when compared to a latte, which makes them a lighter choice at 120 calories and 10 grams of sugar from the milk. Because of the milk, there is also an additional 8 grams of protein.
3. Caffé Americano: If you need your espresso fix, an Americano is the way to go. It’s like black coffee, except made by mixing espresso shots with hot water. You can treat an Americano like regular coffee, adding in the milk and sugar of your choice.
4. Nitro Cold Brew with Sweet Cream: Despite the vanilla sweet cream top, this drink contains only 70 calories and four grams of sugar. It does, however, contain 18% of your saturated fat intake (3.5 grams) so just be wary of that.
5. Iced Blonde Flat White: Blonde espresso, which has a smoother taste than regular espresso, is mixed with milk for the perfect iced coffee. Starbucks markets it as being, “not too strong, not too creamy, but just right.”
6. Iced Latte Macchiato: Macchiatos contain two shots of espresso layered in between milk and milk foam, as opposed to a latte or cappuccino that contain only one shot of espresso. These are naturally sweet from the milk and contain no additional sweeteners.
7. Iced Blonde Vanilla Bean Coconut Latte: For a dessert-like treat, this drink is on the lower side of calories (120) and sugar (14g). The drink is made by mixing coconut milk and vanilla bean powder with ice, then topping it with a shot of blonde espresso.
8. Brewed Tea: Starbucks has a lot of tea options but many of them are loaded with sugar. If you want tea, your best bet is to go with freshly brewed, unsweetened tea that is hot or iced.
9. Shaken Iced Green Tea: This drink is lightly sweetened and is a mix of lemongrass, mint, and lemon verbena. If you don’t want it too sweet, you can always ask for it unsweetened.
10. Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refresher: Of the “Refreshers” drinks, this is one of the lowest in sugar, containing only 14 grams. It is mixed with fruit juice and real blackberries with the addition of green coffee extract for a boost of energy.
For a detailed list of Starbucks products and their nutritional facts, click this link to find information on all coffees, teas, and drinks!
If you are interested in healthy food options at Starbucks, click this link to read one of our prior articles!
