I don’t know about you all, but I’m a big Starbucks gal. Yes, very basic, I know, but sometimes you just need a sugary latte or refresher to make your day a little brighter. As a dietetics major, I’m constantly thinking in terms of calories, grams of sugar, and the overall macronutrient distribution of my daily food intake. I’m sharing with you my secrets for enjoying your favorite drinks with a healthy spin to decrease calories and sugar; however, this is not to say that a frappuccino every now and then is going to absolutely ruin your progress. These are just my little tips I’ve picked up from one health conscious, coffee-loving gal to another.
The Pink Drink
A normal pink drink from Starbucks contains 140 kcal and 24 g of sugar (Starbucks.com). If you instead get an iced unsweetened passion tea with coconut milk, this drink now has only 4 g of sugar! You still get the same creamy, fresh taste and beautiful pink color without the sugar. Also, feel free to add your favorite zero calorie sweetener to match the sweetness of the original!
Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee
Though both of these drinks are zero calories and zero sugar, for my own personal taste, I would want to add flavors to an iced coffee like caramel syrup or vanilla syrup; however, cold brew coffee has a sweeter undertone to it, so it is not necessary to add extra flavors. This is my caffeine of choice on a warm day when I want to have something like a pastry to go with it. The balance of a coffee and muffin is the perfect late afternoon snack.
Photo courtesy of Omar Lopez
Ask for your drink “Skinny”
If you don’t own the Starbucks dictionary, then you may not know that you can ask for your drink to be “skinny”. This means that it will have nonfat milk, sugar-free syrup, and no whipped cream. I have started doing this with every single drink that I get because it tastes the exact same but is much healthier. For example, a grande iced mocha has 350 kcal and 30 g of sugar, but if you order it skinny, it has 120 kcal and 9 g of sugar. That’s crazy! A sweet, chocolate coffee with less calories sounds pretty good to me!
Matcha Lemonade
This was a specialty drink a few summer’s back when Lady Gaga had a Cups of Kindness collaboration with Starbucks. I tried it hesitantly and was hooked. Matcha is a green tea powder, though this drink is nothing like a normal green tea lemonade. This powder is super concentrated with caffeine, antioxidants, and flavor. Even though it’s not on the menu anymore, the baristas will still make it for you! This will wake you up with a steady stream of energy not like the anxious jitters that coffee gives. I also make this at home and add some spirulina powder. This dark green powder is packed with Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, and so many others I can’t even list them all. Since both powders are green, you can’t even tell the difference, but you get a little added superfood boost.
Photo courtesy of Jason Leung
At the end of the day, ordering your normal drink is totally okay, but if you’re on a health kick and want to have your caffeine too, these drinks are perfect for you. Sometimes it’s the simple changes in our diets that make the biggest difference: whether that be going to the gym, or just switching up your daily coffee order!