The Skinny on Starbucks

While I could probably live off of my daily cold-brew-protein-coffee that's on my Instagram story almost every morning, just like any other normal person, there are days when I just want my coffee to be made for me! Starbucks gets a bad rap for being high calorie, "bad for you", full of sugar, etc., but just like any other restaurant, it's all about how you order.Making substitutions or even creating your own drink can often times be your best bet. By doing this, you know exactly what goes into it and what you're getting when you order! There are thousands of options when it comes to substituting, creating, and "healthifying" the drinks that are already on the menu, but I've come up with three different options that have become my go-to orders over the past couple of years. I'm sharing them with you today in hopes that you might be encouraged to order something a little bit lighter the next time you're craving caffeine on your way to work!

What to order

• How to order: "Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew with Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup"
  • I know, its a mouthful, but it's my all time favorite. The sweet cream cold brew is something relatively new to Starbucks. It showed up on the menu just in time for summer, so I pray they don't get rid of it when fall rolls around. If you like coffee, but really like to doctor it up so that it doesn't taste like coffee (don't be shy, I know y'all are out there, I'm with you) this is totally for you. This is a cold brew coffee, with full fat sweet cream, which really takes away from the boldness that coffee usually has. If you order this the regular way ("Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew") you'll get the full sugar vanilla syrup it's made with, so if you'd like the low carb/low sugar option, you need to ask for "sugar free vanilla". I ask for three pumps!
  • Macros for a grande (16oz.): 80 calories, 6g fat, 7g carbs, 0g protein

• How to order: "Unsweet Cold Brew Coffee with Sugar Free Mocha"
  • This drink will for sure be available year round because this doesn't use any special version of the cold brew, it's strictly Starbucks regular cold brew that they've had for years. If you love a stronger coffee taste, this drink is for you. It's smooth, but very bold so if you're a "doctored up coffee drinker", this may be a little too strong. Their regular cold brew is sweetened which means it's higher in sugar and carbs, so if you want the low carb/low sugar option, be sure to ask for the "unsweet cold brew". I ask for three pumps of sugar free mocha! If mocha isn't your thing, ask for the sugar free version of whatever syrup is your favorite - they're all the same, macro wise!
  • Macros for a grande (16oz.): 5 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs, 0g protein

• How to order: Teavana Unsweet Shaken Iced Green Tea
  • If you're not a coffee drinker at all, this is for you! This tea is so refreshing, especially in the summer when I'm not in the mood for even iced coffee. It's green tea made with mint, lemongrass, and lemon verbana. Just a heads up though, the regular version is made with sugar, so for the low sugar option, you have to specify that you want the "unsweet" version. If it's not sweet enough, add a packet of stevia for zero additional carbs/sugar/calories.
  • Macros: 30 calories, 0g fat, 0g carbs, 0g protein

Ways to lighten up your drink choice

If none of these options is uber appealing to you and you don't want to step outside your Starbucks box, get your regular drink & just make a couple of changes. Here are three ways you can lighten up ANY drink at Starbucks:

• Ask for nonfat milk
• Ask for the sugar free version of the syrup you want
• Ask for "no whip"

Thanks for reading, & happy Monday! Let me know if you try anything new or if you have any other "healthified" Starbucks options!XO, A