I don’t know about you, but I love Starbucks! What I don’t love is getting up to the cashier and not being able to think of healthy things to order at Starbucks that won’t ruin my eating plan. To be clear, to me “not ruining my eating plan” means it’s both low or no sugar and low carb. So, that’s what I’m including in this post.
First, let’s dive into some basic considerations about Starbucks.
The Milks
All milks are not created equal, but it may surprise you to know what’s best for your eating plan. Here are the basics for a 12oz serving (one Tall drink):
- Almond milk – 80 calories, 4g sugar and 5g carbs
- Coconut milk – 110 calories, 9g sugar and 11g carbs
- Nonfat milk – 100 calories, 14g sugar and 15g carbs
- 2% milk – 150 calories, 14g sugar and 15g carbs
- Whole milk – 180 calories, 14g sugar and 15g carbs
- Soy milk – 150 calories, 14g sugar and 18g carbs
The choice is easy, ladies. Go with the Almond Milk. I promise, you WILL get used to the Almond milk after drinking it for awhile. If you’re following a Keto diet, you may prefer the Coconut milk for it’s healthy fat content. But, to me it’s not worth the carbs…
The Syrups
One of the loveliest things about Starbucks is without a doubt the abundance of delicious sweet syrups. Don’t worry, you don’t have to give up all of them. Starbucks has four sugar-free syrups to choose from:
- Vanilla
- Hazelnut
- Cinnamon Dolce
- Mocha
The Toppings
You’re pretty much always going to want to skip the whipped cream and the sweet toppings. However, Starbucks did recently come out with several new foams for cold drinks that work in your eating plan and add a little something something:
- Dark Cocoa Almond Milk Foam
- Cinnamon Almond Milk Foam
- Sweet Cream Foam
The Sweetener
If they ask you if you want it sweet or unsweet, always say “unsweet” and sweeten it yourself using Splenda or Stevia.
Order it Skinny
Ordering a drink “skinny” at Starbucks means use sugar free syrup, nonfat milk and skip the whipped cream. I frequently order a “Skinny Vanilla Latté with Almond Milk.”
The Drinks
- Black Coffee
- Espresso
- Nitro
- Cold Brew
- Brewed Hot Tea
- London Fog (Secret Menu – hot black tea with vanilla syrup and milk)
- Iced Black or Green Tea
- Super Fruit Iced Tea (Secret Menu – green tea with fruit)
- Café Misto (equal parts steamed milk and black coffee)
- Latté
- Macchiato
- Flat White
The Food
- Egg & Cheese Protein Box
- Egg White & Roasted Pepper Sous Vide
- Oatmeal (skip the sugar topping)
- Oatmeal Late (Secret Menu – an oatmeal breakfast and a late all in one!)
Photo by Fahmi Fakhrudin on Unsplash
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