Starbucks

EmilyHughes801
EmilyHughes801 Posts: 63 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My friends and I are planning to go to Starbucks tomorrow because we all got gift cards for it. It'll be my first time ever going to Starbucks. I've heard it has a lot of high calorie and high sugared drinks. I was wondering what the healthiest drink there could be other than just black coffee and brewed tea. After all it is my first time going and I want to see what all the fuss about Starbucks is about, but I don't want to feel too guilty afterwards.

Replies

  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    Have a look on-line to check out the drinks and calories. Their "skinny" drinks are reasonable in calories.
    I like the skinny vanilla latte. I'm not a big Starbucks fan and haven't tried a lot of their items.
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
    The online menu is helpful. My go-to is either a skinny latte (pick a flavor like vanilla, caramel, cinnamon) or a frappuccino light (vanilla, mocha, java chip or caramel)
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    I'm a big fan of their unsweetened iced tea...no guilt there ;)
  • RA60172
    RA60172 Posts: 137 Member
    I get either a short skinny mocha or a tall iced skinny mocha. Pretty low cal! My fave food is the turkey bacon sandwich = 250 cal. Totally recommend looking at their online menu.
  • AlyssaPetsDogs
    AlyssaPetsDogs Posts: 421 Member
    I'm obsessed with their unsweetened green iced tea! It's so refreshing and good. Back when I had money, I could drink 4 trentas in a day when it was summer. Now I make my own :)

    When I want coffee, I'll do a nonfat hazelnut latte. You could also order a skinny latte, but the sugar free syrup tastes a little odd to me. I want to say a grand nonfat hazelnut latte is around 150 calories, but it's been a while since I ordered one.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    EmilyHughes801 wrote: »
    My friends and I are planning to go to Starbucks tomorrow because we all got gift cards for it. It'll be my first time ever going to Starbucks. I've heard it has a lot of high calorie and high sugared drinks. I was wondering what the healthiest drink there could be other than just black coffee and brewed tea. After all it is my first time going and I want to see what all the fuss about Starbucks is about, but I don't want to feel too guilty afterwards.

    I am not a starbucks fan, but I will occasionally have a 16 ounce misto with coconut milk and a sugar free vanilla syrup. If you want something, I think it's important to fit into your calorie goals.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited June 2016
    I don't love Starbucks coffee, but I will occasionally get a frappuccino on a hot day. Both the grande caramel light and grande mocha light frappuccinos are 140 calories each, and pretty good sized drinks at that! The tall sizes, which are slightly smaller, are 100 calories for those two flavors.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    edited June 2016
    Their strawberry acai refresher has 130 cals for the venti. I HATE tea and I love the refresher! It is the only thing I will get there because it's about the lowest calorie thing I could find. It fits easily into almost any of my days and I never feel guilty for it. If you want a side treat to go with it (vs. a more caloric drink) you can get the straw cookie for 90 calories. Yummy and a sweet treat that won't kill the calorie budget.
  • __leis__
    __leis__ Posts: 100 Member
    A light Frappuccino is a tasty way to go. They're usually the sweetest and have a mild coffee flavor. If you really like the taste of coffee, an iced caramel macchiato (sp?) can be made light and it's really good. If you're looking to indulge, their current special flavor is double fudge bar Frappuccino, a tall is 360 calories and it's probably the best, sweetest, most chocolatey thing I've ever had!
  • forthemovies
    forthemovies Posts: 14 Member
    Avoid the sickly sweet taste of the "skinny" drinks and simply ask them to reduce the pumps of regular sugar syrup. Most of their beverages are way too sweet to begin with...you can't even taste the coffee. The online menu lists how many pumps go into their standard size drink, you can ask them to customize it for you.

    If you want the sweetness, then you can alternatively reduce calories by getting their smallest size. Anything larger and you're mostly paying for added milk and sugar. You can always add an extra shot of espresso. For hot beverages a "short" is 8 oz and for frappucinos they recently brought in a mini size (10 oz).
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    A tall caramel macchiato is only around 200 calories and because it is mostly milk has a decent amount of protein. Just figure it in your calories for the day. All that skinny and reduce stuff tastes awful imho.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited June 2016
    Overrated and overpriced not a good combination imo

    As others have suggested, check calories online and order appropriately.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    check the calories online.

    IMO, it's worth it to try one of the over-the top frappuccinos or whatever sounds most tasty to really get the starbucks experience.

    If you just go with a light drink, latte, etc. it's going to be exactly like any other coffee shop and you'll probably be disappointed.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,171 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    check the calories online.

    IMO, it's worth it to try one of the over-the top frappuccinos or whatever sounds most tasty to really get the starbucks experience.

    If you just go with a light drink, latte, etc. it's going to be exactly like any other coffee shop and you'll probably be disappointed.

    I agree with this. Especially since you are planning to go tomorrow. Eat a little lighter today so you can have a few extra calories tomorrow and you should be able to fit it in. I think that is the best thing about mfp. You can plan for a little indulgence occasionally.
  • baciodolce18
    baciodolce18 Posts: 113 Member
    I got a skinny caramel macchiato once trying to be "good" and it was DISGUSTING. I had 2 sips and threw it out. If you want to try something "starbucks" (and not just coffee) they should still have the mini frappucino size cups. They're like itty bitty. 6-8oz I forget. It's a nice way to indulge without blowing 300-400+ cals. And I mean you can do non fat or skinny if you're into that. I agree with other suggestions of just halving the normal amount of pumps if you don't like the sugar free.

    My favorite drink in the summer is the mango black tea lemonade. I always ask for it with half the pumps of mango and just a splash of lemonade to keep the calories a little more in check.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
    I typically only get their Black Coffee, If i do splurge and get a custom drink it's a latte macchiato, or their Strawberries and Cream Frapp.

    Just get whatever you want and either plan it into your allotted calories or work it off later ....
  • Devol82
    Devol82 Posts: 80 Member
    edited June 2016
    The refreshers/ fruity cold drinks are good and you can ask for no syrup.
  • codename_steve
    codename_steve Posts: 255 Member
    My "treat" breakfast every Friday is a grande caramel frappuccino (nonfat, no whip) and a turkey bacon breakfast sandwich. Together it comes out to 485 calories, which is a pretty standard breakfast for me.
  • jbgibso3
    jbgibso3 Posts: 40 Member
    I worked for Starbucks for 10 years and there are ways to get a great tasting beverage without having to do sugar free, black coffee, or iced tea. The best thing to do is look online (like everyone else is suggesting), ask the barista at the counter, or just get what you want and exercise/eat healthy the rest of the day. I always ask for half the syrup in each of my drinks so I don't have 90 grams of sugar with each trip. Some of my favorites:

    - Grande iced coffee with 2 pumps of syrup and light cream (You can pick whatever flavor you enjoy, i.e. caramel, mocha, white mocha, cinnamon, hazelnut, vanilla, etc.)
    - Coffee frappuccino with only one pump of a flavored syrup and no whipped cream. (You can also use nonfat milk to lower the fat content, but it's better with 2%)
    - Any of the refreshers--They are a lightly sweetened fruit based beverage, made with green coffee extract, therefore it's caffeinated, but not calorie laden.

    You don't have to go for the high calorie/fat/sugar drinks, but can still enjoy yourself. I hope this helps.
  • dietstokes
    dietstokes Posts: 216 Member
    I'm of no help because I pretty much get a venti iced coffee with 2 splenda and a splash of cream every time. Boring I know. The cinnamon dolce latte used to be a favorite (I would get the skinny) or the Light caramel macchiato iced is also good (this one doesn't have all syrups skinny, so that make it with as many skinny syrups as they can). and then, that all goes out the window during pumpkin spice coffee season where I drink 1 a day, lol. And that one does not come light.
  • 4HisGloryAlways
    4HisGloryAlways Posts: 8 Member
    Here's a helpful guide to bookmark:
    http://www.hungry-girl.com/go-to-guides/show/starbucks-survival-guide-2015
  • A_poetiq
    A_poetiq Posts: 52 Member
    I know i'm late, but they have this vanilla cold coffee right now. It's lightly sweetened and 110 calories for a grande. It's yummy!
  • witcherkar
    witcherkar Posts: 138 Member
    If I'm going to pay 10 dollars for a coffee, I'm getting a venti smores frappe. If out of season, a venti caramel white chocolate frappe
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    They post the calories there. If I want to splurge a little, I get a latte, but usually, just black coffee.
  • mysticwryter
    mysticwryter Posts: 111 Member
    Try these:
    Shaken Tazo Iced Black Tea Lemonade (90 calories, 0 g fat) Nonfat Iced Vanilla Latte (120 calories, 0 g fat) Nonfat Iced Caramel Macchiato (140 calories, 1 g fat) Iced Coffee with syrup added (60 calories, 0 g fat)

    Always check a caloric calculator if you are watching your intake.

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