We once tried going caffeine free for a month, it took us two days. If there's one thing we absolutely need to start the day, it's a cup of coffee. Yes, we have a gold Starbucks card and we are not ashamed to show it. We usually start with a house-brewed cup, but you'll often find us at a Starbucks for a second. . . or third cup in the afternoon. We just can't live without them! The day seems to start when you smell that delicious fresh pot of liquid gold.
But we strayed. Of course we are big fans of Starbucks. We usually stick to black or iced coffee, but have you seen the calorie counts of some of the more elaborate drinks? oops! Sugary drinks are often deceptively high in calories, and worse, you won't even feel full after drinking them. If you enjoy visiting Starbucks and ordering your treats, please consider reconsidering your options! Luckily, we've made a list of 12 of the healthiest Starbucks drinks and 13 that just aren't worth the calories!
25 Healthier: iced coffee or brewed coffee (only 5 kcal)
It's pretty obvious why an iced black or black coffee is listed as one of Starbucks' healthiest options. A tall coffee with ice or a hot coffee without sugar or milk is only five calories, FIVE. This is nothing! The movement with which you bring the glass to your mouth is enough to burn the calories of the drink. However, if you're one of those people who needs to put in enough sugar and milk to mask the taste of the coffee, it's clearly not going to be just five calories. Once you sweeten the coffee, it can add up to over 80 calories, depending on how much you eat. So be careful how much sugar you add!
24 Healthier - Prepared Teas (Zero Calories)
Starbucks brewed teas have the lowest calorie count of any beverage! It's zero calories! Huzzah if you're a fan of tea! Starbucks also always has a nice selection of teas to choose from. From classics like Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Green Tea to more exotic flavors like Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea, Passion Tango and Chai Tea. However, as with iced and brewed coffees, you need to consider how much sugar and cream you add to them if you want to keep them low in calories. A dash of honey would be the best option in our opinion!
23 Healthier - Pink Ombré Drink (100 Cals)
Seriously, Starbucks? Can't think of any other name than "Ombré Pink Drink"? Well at least you know what you're getting. Regardless, this drink started out as an internet sensation and Starbucks officially added it to their menu. It's a combination of Cool Lime Refreshers with coconut milk and Teavana Shaken Iced Passion Tango Tea (say, a sip). A large quantity of this drink is only 100 calories! Even better, this Green Coffee Bean Drink in Cool Lime Refresher has a hint of caffeine. Not bad, Starbucks. Not that bad.
22 Healthier - American Coffee (15 Kcal)
If you like the strong taste of strong coffee, Caffè Americano should be your drink of choice. At only 15 calories, this drink is just a simple shot mix of espresso and water. Now that's a strong drink! Did you know that preparing this drink is actually an art? First, shots of espresso are poured into the cup. Hot water is then poured over it to create a light layer of foam. Who knew this was a thing? Regardless, a large amount of this drink contains three shots of espresso that deliver 225mg of caffeine. Surprisingly, a large dark roast beer contains more caffeine!
21 Am gesĂĽndesten - Teavana Shaken Iced Tea (45 Cals)
If the summer heat prevents you from having a hot tea, you'll be pleased to know that you can still get your tea at Starbucks. They offer several refreshing blends of iced tea flavors to choose from. Peach Citrus White Tea Infusion is one of our favorites, and it's only 45 calories. You can save even more calories by ordering a sugar-free drink. Another classic is the Iced Passion Tango Tea, which is also only 45 calories. A popular option with iced teas is to use lemonade to sweeten them. It's okay once in a while, but the extra 50 calories and 22 grams of sugar add up.
20 GesĂĽndestes -Cold Brew (5 Kcal)
When we discovered Cold Brew, it was like everything we knew about coffee went out the window. Who else would think that coffee can only be made with hot water? The secret to Cold Brew is that the coffee beans are slowly steeped in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. The lengthy process allows all aspects of the coffee beans to be absorbed by the water. A cold drink has more caffeine than a regular cup of coffee and tastes completely different! It does not have the strong and spicy taste of regular coffee. Instead, it's much smoother and only has five calories!
19 Healthier -Caffè Latte with Almond Milk (70 kcal)
One of our favorite classics is a simple latte. While a regular 2% latte has a staggering 190 calories, it's an easy adjustment to cut the calories nearly in half. Just replace the 2% milk with almond milk and the latte is down to just 100 calories. Almond milk not only gives it a hint of sweetness, but additional flavor as well. The cold version of the Caffè Latte is even lower in calories at 70 calories (although again with almond milk). Honestly, we're not sure why the same drink with added ice cubes has fewer calories, but we'll drink it anyway.
18 GesĂĽndeste - Iced Skinny Mokka (160 kcal)
You'll be glad to know that it's possible to enjoy a mocha without feeling guilty about how much sugar you're consuming. Just order the thin mocha version and you'll drop the calorie count from 360 to 160! That's almost half the calories. Instead of 2% milk, you can switch to fat-free. High sugar mocha syrup can also be swapped out for a thin version. The rich, chocolaty drink can be a guilt-free treat the next time you visit Starbucks! Keep in mind that the drink contains about 15 grams of sugar, and the recommended daily amount for a person is 25 grams.
17 The healthiest -Cappuccino (about 120 kcal)
If you've ever tried to make your own cappuccino, you know that creating the perfect amount of foam isn't as easy as you thought. In fact, it can be downright difficult. We are all talking about milk foam, foam splashes and hot milk burns. Also, espresso machines with vaporizers are ridiculously expensive; so, like many others, we'll stick to our local Starbucks for our caffeine fix. A Grande Cappuccino at Starbucks would only have 120 calories if you choose 2% milk. If you switch to fat-free, the calorie count drops to 90%.
sixteen The healthiest -Light caramel Frappuccino (180 kcal)
It doesn't take a genius to know that the worst drinks at Starbucks will be their Frappuccinos. There is an obscene amount of sugar in these drinks. Still, we can't deny that these sugary drinks taste amazing, especially on a hot summer day. If you can't resist ordering one of these, the healthiest option is the Light Caramel Frappuccino (large size). If you switch from whole to low-fat milk and don't use whipped cream, you're only drinking 180 calories. A much better alternative to the 300 calories it usually has.
15 The healthiest -Refreshing (less than 100 kcal)
Furious! These Starbucks sodas are seriously refreshing (please don't hate us). Regardless, Starbucks has three delicious soft drinks that we can't get enough of. There's Cool Lime, Very Berry Hibiscus, and Strawberry Acai (our favorite is Cool Lime!). Each of the drinks is under 100 calories, but still provides a caffeine hit. Unfortunately, soft drinks contain quite a bit of sugar, with Strawberry Acai being the heaviest at 20 grams. The other two have only 15 grams. You can reduce the sugar by asking for the light syrup or a few less drops of sweetener.
14 The healthiest -Iced Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte (80 kcal)
We can't believe this drink is only 80 calories, but you'll hear absolutely no complaints from us! This drink is insanely delicious and we are obsessed with it. It is made with skim milk, sweet cinnamon flavored syrup without sugar and sweet cinnamon topping. The drink has a clear name. The regular version has a whopping 340 calories! Although the calorie count is down to 80, none of the flavor is missing and you won't regret it. Let's just say this drink wins Starbucks' best "healthiest drink" award. It's delicious, low in calories, and just amazing.
13 Not-So-Healthy -Caffè Mocha (takes all of your daily sugar intake)
Starbucks isn't kidding when it says this drink will satisfy your sweet tooth. This is because one large order of this drink will completely take care of all your daily sugar intake. Caffè Mocha has 35 grams of sugar and 15 grams of fat. The average person should consume only about 25 grams of sugar per day, and this drink makes up 45% of their daily saturated fat intake. Yes, the rich, chocolaty goodness is hard to miss. However, if you really can't stay away from mocha, order the lean version, which has a fraction of the calories.
12 Not so healthy - Hot chocolate (400 kcal)
Holy smoke! Little did we know that a cup of hot cocoa would have so many calories. Starbucks hot chocolate has 400 calories! It also contains 43 grams of sugar and 16 grams of fat. As nice as a cup of hot cocoa might feel on those cold winter days, we're not sure consuming a drink with more than double your daily amount of sugar is the best idea. Well... maybe a cup once in a while. But maybe switch to skim milk, light mocha syrup, and ditch the sweetened whipped cream. Your doctor and your body will thank you.
11 Not so healthy: vanilla latte (250 kcal)
A plain vanilla latte is deceptively high in calories. 250 to be precise. In fact, we mean any coffee with milk. The syrups used to flavor the drinks are pure sugar and make up the majority of the calories in the drinks. They're also the reason drinks typically lower your daily sugar intake. If you want to make a healthier version of the drink. Switch to skim or almond milk and ask about light syrup options. As far as we know, Starbucks has low-fat vanilla and caramel options.
10 Not So Healthy – White Chocolate Mocha (430 kcal)
This drink holds the title of the worst Starbucks espresso drink. The drink has 430 calories. It has 18 grams of fat, of which 12 grams are saturated fat, making up 60% of the allotted saturated fat intake. It also has 53 grams of sugar, which is more than double the amount of sugar you should consume in a day. All this in one drink. Our teeth hurt just thinking about that drink. We can already feel how cavities are forming! If you're looking for a caffeine fix, we recommend staying far, far away from this drink.
9 Not So Healthy - Cinnamon Bun Frappuccino (500 kcal)
There's no way something called a cinnamon roll frappuccino could come close to being healthy. The drink is made with sweet cinnamon syrup, white chocolate mocha and coffee. This cold drink has 500 calories. A drink has the same amount of calories as a normal meal should have. The Frappuccino also has 83 grams of sugar. . . it's a lot of sugar. By default, all Starbucks Frappuccinos are made with whole milk, unless otherwise specified. (Why Starbucks, by the way?) Switching to skim milk only brings the calorie count down to 470 calories, so that doesn't help much.
8 Not So Healthy - Ultra Caramel Frappuccino (enough calories to replace an entire meal)
Don't be surprised, there will be quite a few more Frappuccinos on this list. Next up is the Ultra Caramel Frappuccino, and it contains an excessive and unnecessary amount of caramel sauce. The drink features layers of whipped cream, white chocolate, and caramel sauce throughout the drink. While that sounds delicious, we're surprised by the 55 grams of sugar this drink contains. A drink that has enough calories to replace an entire meal, doubles the daily sugar intake, and contains 60% of a person's daily fat intake is NOT a health drink.
7 Not So Healthy - Red Velvet Cake Crème Frappuccino (Contains 70 grams of sugar)
Starbucks! What are you doing? The company has created a drink that seems to taste like Red Velvet Cake. It is a combination of chocolate chips, mocha sauce, and vanilla-raspberry sauce. They describe it as "perfectly sweet and velvety." However, the "perfectly sweet" part made us laugh a little when we saw how much sugar was in it. A large cup of this frozen treat contains at least 70 grams of sugar. Let's repeat this again. 70 GRAMS. Because it is a cream-based frappuccino, it does not contain coffee. However, you will certainly get an intense sugar rush from consuming this drink. Just be prepared for the sugar crash that is about to happen.
6 No tan saludable – Cinnamon Dolce Latte (340 kcal)
We have already mentioned the lean version of this drink, which has only around 80 calories. For the same size, a regular version of this drink comes in at a whopping 340 calories! That is a big difference. The latte has 41 grams of sugar, definitely above the daily recommendation, and 13 grams of fat. Most of the calories in this drink seem to come from the cinnamon flavored syrup and topping because we were trying to customize the drink with skim milk and no whipping cream. However, the drink was reduced to just 220 calories, a far cry from the lean version's 80 calories. So if you're looking to save a few calories at a Starbucks, ask specifically about the Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte so they use the correct syrups.