What is Starbucks’ healthiest drink? Lowest calorie items revealed

Starbucks is known across the world for its colorful coffee drinks, which can be daunting for dieters and people adopting a more nutritious lifestyle. So what is the healthiest option fans can order from the chain?

There’s no question that Starbucks is the world’s most prominent coffee chain, taking over the globe with storefronts across every continent.

Starting out as a fast-casual coffee chain, with very little on the menu, they now boast some of the world’s most classic seasonal beverages, such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte, and the Peppermint Mocha, as well as their famous Frappuccino varieties. 

However, some of the tastiest beverages sold by the chain might also be the unhealthiest. For example, if you were to order their seasonal Caramel Brulée Frappuccino Blended Beverage, this would ring in at about 400 calories, despite its deceptively simple appearance. 

Another example is their Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino, which features a rich vanilla sauce, Frappuccino chips, whipped cream, and cookie crumbles. This drink weighs in at another huge 480 calories. 

These numbers certainly make us think twice about what we’re consuming.

This brings us to our burning question. Now that we’ve covered some of the most calorific drinks on the whole menu, what are some healthy options you can turn to when you’re trying to shed a few extra pounds?

What are some healthy drink options I can order at Starbucks? 

Starbucks

It seems that the biggest culprit with Starbucks drinks is their sugar content. According to the American Heart Association, men should not consume more than 36 grams of added sugar, and women no more than 25 grams.

To put this into perspective, a grande Caffè Mocha from Starbucks has 35 grams of sugar.

“If you’re having food or drinks that are high in this added sugar, it can displace healthier, more nutrient-dense foods in the diet… And anytime that we’re displacing nutrient-dense foods, we can have potential deficiencies come up down the line,” health nutritionist Kat Benson says. 

This means that the less added sugar in your Starbucks beverage, the better. So ordering a plain coffee from the chain, without any additional syrups or sugar would be the safest option. 

You can also try customizing your beverage, as per Benson’s recommendations. She says to ask for a fewer pumps of syrup in your drink, or maybe skip the whipped cream now and then. All these little changes help in the long run.