8 Healthy Starbucks Drinks to Keep You Caffeinated and on Track With Your Fitness Goals
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To say that our generation is dependent on coffee is a bit of an understatement (guilty!). And places like Starbucks, who are always coming up with intriguing new ideas like cold brew whipped cream and cold foam that we obviously want to try, keep our coffee addictions strong. And don't even get us started on their delicious wellness tea options.
Most of us throw back a couple cups of coffee or tea each day, so we've done a lot of research on the pros and cons of coffee consumption and what the healthiest teas are. The good news is that for most people, coffee and tea are actually healthy additions to our diet, especially when drinking them without dairy or various forms of sugar.
But a lot of popular drinks might be hindering your health goals due to their high calorie and sugar content. Luckily, we did a little digging to find the 8 healthiest drink options to choose from at Starbucks when you need that extra caffeine or energy boost. While the following drinks are low in calories and carbs, you can ask for modifications and add things like cinnamon for sweetness or swap out dairy milk for almond milk to make your drinks healthier.
- Blonde Roast: The Blonde Roast has a soft and mellow flavor to keep us satisfied without the addition of sugar, milk, or syrups. Without those additives, whether you order a Short, Tall, Grande, or Venti, you're only clocking in five calories with zero fat or sugar.
- Jade Citrus Mint Green Tea: All the benefits from green tea combined with a refreshing burst of citrus and spearmint make this drink perfect for when you need something energizing to fuel your day. While it doesn't have as high of a caffeine value than coffee drinks (about 25 mg in a Tall, and more than 40mg in a Grande), it's definitely a healthy option with zero fat, calories, and sugar. You can also try the Organic Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea for a more lemony version.
- Nitro Cold Brew: This slow-steeped drink is super smooth and velvety while being naturally sweet thanks to its infusion of nitrogen. A Grande has about 280mg of caffeine, but only 5 calories and zero fat or sugar.
- Comfort Wellness Brewed Tea: If you're looking to stay away from caffeine but are in need of something comforting, the Comfort Wellness Brewed Tea is a great choice. It's an herbal infusion with a strong flavor profile that doesn't have any caffeine, sugar, fat, or calories, but is loaded with ingredients like lemon, ginger, fennel, mint, and licorice root that provide some well-deserved balance to help you unwind.
- Unsweetened Iced Coffee: A grande unsweetened iced coffee contains about 190mg of caffeine for those days your body needs an extra boost, but only has 5 calories and 0 sugar so it won't affect any diet goals you might have. This drink traditionally comes sweetened, so be sure to ask for the unsweetened modification. You can also get the iced coffee with milk, but remember those will add calories and sugar to you drink. It does, however, create a more luscious texture to your coffee, so we suggest the unsweetened version with almond milk which only adds about 15 more calories, 1 gram of fat, and 1 gram of sugar.
- Teavana Teas: Teavana teas come in a variety of flavors and you can drink them warm or iced. Each Grande size has under 200 calories even with the addition of sugar and dairy. Our favorites are the caffeine-free Shaken Iced Passion Tango Tea with hibiscus, lemongrass, and apple that only has about 45 calories and 11 grams of sugar for a Grande, and the zero calorie, fat, or sugar caffeine-packed Organic Chai Tea, which is a black tea infused with warming spices like clove, cardamom, and cinnamon.
- Caffè Americano: If you're craving something creamy without dairy or sugar, the Caffè Americano hits the spot. This drink is essentially shots of espresso topped with hot water that resemble and taste like a layer of crema. With just around 15 calories and 225mg of caffeine, this drink is perfect for those days you need a jolt of energy.
- Cappuccino: Cappuccinos are rich, smooth, and delicious. The traditional way of making this drink at Starbucks with 2 percent milk comes in at about 120 calories for a Grande, with 4 grams of fat and 12 grams of carbs. If you want to make this drink healthier, you can ask your barista for almond milk instead for about 100 calories and 6 grams of fat.