17 Healthy Starbucks Drinks: Options and Nutrition Tips

You're far from alone if you find yourself at the Starbucks window occasionally (or every morning–no judgment!) to get your coffee fix. With a wide variety of coffees, teas, and blended drinks and a barista to craft the perfect brew, we can’t blame you! While some Starbucks drinks can have more than the daily recommended amount of added sugar and more calories than a meal, there are plenty of healthier options to choose from when you know what to look for. 

Choosing a healthier drink from Starbucks doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your morning caffeine boost or flavor, either. In this article, you’ll learn which healthy Starbucks drinks you can order straight from the menu and how to adjust the ingredients in your favorite indulgent options to rescue the calories, sugar, or fat without depriving yourself of your favorite flavors. 

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How Can You Choose a Healthy Starbucks Drink?

One look at the candy-topped frappucinos and creamy sweet lattes on the Starbucks menu, and you’ll question whether anything could be healthy. But trust us, there’s no shortage of healthier drink choices, even if you have to make a few adjustments. Here are some quick tips on how to order healthy Starbucks drinks. 

• Choose Black Coffee and Skip the Creamers and Syrups: Black coffee is naturally low in calories and free of added sugars. A 2017 review found that those who drink three to four cups of black coffee daily have a reduced risk of heart disease, certain cancers, metabolic disease, liver disease, and neurological disorders compared to those who don’t drink coffee.¹ Plus, the energy boost you get from the naturally occurring caffeine in coffee may be a better choice than fueling up with an energy drink, as they often include added sweeteners and high amounts of caffeine. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to your coffee for a little flavor and natural sweetness, or sweeten it with one of their sugar substitutes–Splenda or Stevia in the Raw. ‍
• Avoid High-Calorie, Sugary Drinks Like Frappuccinos and Syrupy Lattes: These curated drinks contain more sugar than your next meal. Instead, choose simpler drinks that you can customize to fit your flavor and diet preferences. ‍
• Check Ingredients and Nutrition Info on the Starbucks Website and App: The best way to see how your favorite order stacks up is to visit the Starbucks website and check the nutrition information provided. You can comb the menu items to find one that fits your diet goals and tastes. Unfortunately, the Starbucks menu only shows you the nutrition facts for a specific drink as ordered and won’t adjust based on any substitutions or adjustments you make, but it gives you a great place to start. ‍
• Customize Drinks to Lower Calories, Saturated Fat, and Sugar: Order your favorite but healthier drinks by making just a few simple adjustments. Ask for fewer pumps of flavor syrup, choose non-dairy milk options like almond or soy, and skip the whipped cream, drizzles of syrup, and crumbled cookie toppings.  Small changes can significantly affect the amount of calories, sugar, and fat in your drink. 

17 Healthiest Starbucks Drinks to Keep an Eye On

You don’t have to choose between a Starbucks run and staying on track with your health goals. When you’re craving a coffee drink and need a caffeine boost before your workout, on your way to work, or for an afternoon pick-me-up, you can find a drink that fits into your healthy eating plan. While water may be the healthiest drink for weight loss and overall health, coffee can fit into a healthy eating plan, even a fun and flavored coffee drink. Here are some of the healthiest drinks at Starbucks to fuel your day and satisfy any craving, with the nutrition information included for a Grande order. 

Note: Starbucks does not provide nutrition information for its ingredients or a way to calculate nutrition when adjustments to the original published menu item are made. The drinks marked with an asterisk (*) include our best guess nutrition facts based on available information, but they may be less than 100% accurate. 

1. Iced Skinny Latte*

Order an iced caffe latte with skim milk instead of whole milk to save on calories and fat. The 12 grams of sugar naturally occur in the milk without any added sugars or flavor shots. 

• ‍Calories: 90
• ‍Carbohydrates: 14g 
• ‍Sugars: 12g 
• ‍Fat: 0g 
• ‍Protein: 8g

2. Caffé Americano

A simple Americano features shots of espresso mixed with water for a robust drink that’s only 15 calories, with 5 calories in each espresso shot. Coffee may slightly raise blood sugar, but enjoying it without added milk, flavors, or sweeteners will have a much lower impact. 

• ‍Calories: 15
• ‍Carbohydrates: 2g
• ‍Sugars: 0g  
• ‍Fat: 0g 
• ‍Protein: 1g

3. Iced Black Tea Lemonade

‍If you enjoy a refreshing Arnold Palmer, you’ll enjoy Starbucks' take on this mix of lemonade and black tea. While it has 11 grams of sugar, it’s easy to fit into a balanced diet when you enjoy it with a protein-rich meal or snack. 

• ‍Calories: 50 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 12g
• ‍Sugars: 11g
• ‍Fat: 0g
• ‍Protein: 0g

4. Caffé Latte

Ordering the original Caffé Latte, hot, features milk and espresso shots. The 2% milk adds calories and fat but may be more satisfying than a “skinny” option with skim milk when looking for a drink to double as a snack. 

• ‍Calories: 190 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 19g 
• ‍Sugars: 18g 
• ‍Fat: 7g 
• ‍Protein: 13g

5. Chai Tea

This spiced black tea hardly needs extra sugar, with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, anise, and cloves. You’ll get a small caffeine boost and flavor and zero calories, sugars, or carbs. Craving a creamier version but don’t want all the added sugars or calories that come with a latte? Just add a splash of cream or milk!

• ‍Calories: 0 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 0g 
• ‍Sugars: 0g 
• ‍Fat: 0g 
• ‍Protein: 0g

6. Nitro Cold Brew

‍Nitro Cold Brew solves the issue of wanting a creamy coffee but avoiding the extra calories that come with actual cream. Infusing the coffee with nitrogen creates a frothy, creamy mouthfeel without adding extra calories or sugar. 

• ‍Calories: 5 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 0g 
• ‍Sugars: 0g 
• ‍Fat: 0g 
• ‍Protein: 0g

7. Cold Brew With Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam

This vegan-friendly coffee drink is super creamy and full of sweet vanilla flavor. You can cut the sugar by 10 grams by choosing sugar-free vanilla flavor shots or skil the flavor shots altogether and let the sweet and creamy vanilla cold foam add all the sweetness and flavor you need. 

• ‍Calories: 160 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 19g 
• ‍Sugars: 18g 
• ‍Fat: 8g 
• ‍Protein: 3g

8. Caffè Misto

Made with just brewed coffee and milk, the Caffè Misto is a basic but comforting order from the menu that won’t derail your diet goals. Cut the calories and fat even more by ordering it with skim or almond milk instead of 2%. 

• ‍Calories: 110 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 10g 
• ‍Sugars: 10g 
• ‍Fat: 4g 
• ‍Protein: 7g

9. Iced Green Tea

‍A basic green tea with hints of mint, lemongrass, and lemon verbena is satisfying and refreshing all on its own. If you need a little sweetness, add a packet of Stevia in the Raw to make it more satisfying without spiking your blood sugar. 

• ‍Calories: 0 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 0g 
• Sugars: 0g 
• ‍Fat: 0g 
• ‍Protein: 0g

10. Honey Almondmilk Flat White

‍The almond milk, blonde espresso roast, and four pumps of honey blend sweetener are a fun alternative to traditionally sweetened drinks. To reduce the added sugars, reduce the number of honey blend pumps until you find the lowest number that still tastes delicious. 

• ‍Calories: 170 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 30g 
• ‍Sugars: 24g 
• ‍Fat: 5g 
• ‍Protein: 3g

11. Espresso Macchiato

For a small but powerful drink, the espresso macchiato features two shots of espresso topped with foamed milk. This small addition makes it much creamier and more satisfying than traditional espresso without adding many calories. 

• ‍Calories: 15 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 2g 
• ‍Sugars: 0g 
• ‍Fat: 0g 
• ‍Protein: 1g

12. Sugar-Free Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte*

You could traditionally order this with ice, 2% milk, espresso, and pumps of vanilla flavor syrup, but that would add 28 grams of sugar and 190 calories. Swapping the vanilla syrup for sugar-free vanilla flavor shots will save 80 calories and 20 grams of sugar.  

• ‍Calories: 110 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 10g 
• ‍Sugars: 8g 
• ‍Fat: 4g 
• ‍Protein: 7g

13. Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew

‍Add a little more creaminess and sweetness to your Nitro Cold Brew by adding just ½ splash of vanilla sweet cream. Even with the sweet cream, this Grande iced coffee drink is still under 100 calories and has just 4 grams of sugar. 

• ‍Calories: 70 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 4g  
• ‍Sugars: 4g 
• ‍Fat: 5g 
• ‍Protein: 1g

14. Nonfat Cafe Mocha*

‍Order your cafe mocha with non-fat milk, just two pumps of mocha sauce (instead of four), and without the whipped cream to save almost 200 calories and over 10 grams of sugar. 

• ‍Calories: 175
• ‍Carbohydrates: 27g
• ‍Sugars: 23g
• ‍Fat: 1g
• ‍Protein: 14g

15. Nonfat Cappuccino*

‍A combination of rich milk foam and espresso for a creamy coffee drink lower in calories and fat than the original version featuring 2% milk. 

• ‍Calories: 95 
• ‍Carbohydrates: 15g 
• ‍Sugars: 13g 
• ‍Fat: 0g 
• ‍Protein: 9g

16. Unsweetened Iced Passion Tango Tea

‍A fruity, naturally sweet iced tea made with just ice and Passion Tango Tea. The hibiscus, lemongrass, and apple blend is so sweet that you won’t need to add any sweeteners or sugar. 

• ‍Calories: 0
• ‍Carbohydrates: 0g
• ‍Sugars: 0g
• ‍Fat: 0g
• ‍Protein: 0g

17. Iced Shaken Espresso

‍For a cold coffee drink that’s simple in flavor, the iced shaken espresso uses classic syrup as a sweetener and gets its creaminess from a splash of 2% milk. 

• ‍Calories: 100
• ‍Carbohydrates: 17g
• ‍Sugars: 14g
• ‍Fat: 2g
• ‍Protein: 1g

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href=weight-loss-coffee>Does Green Coffee Aid With Weight Loss?</a>.</div>

Nutritionist-Approved Tips for Any Starbucks Drink

If you can’t find a drink order on our list that will hit the spot, you can easily adjust just about any drink on Starbucks’ menu to have less sugar, fewer calories, and more easily fit into a healthy, balanced diet. Here are a few tips to create a healthier drink order, according to a dietitian: 

• Choose Almond Milk or Skim Milk: Skim milk still provides the same amount of protein and carbohydrates as whole or 2% milk but with fewer calories and fat. For a plant-based option that’s also lighter, almond milk has almost no protein, no fat, and fewer carbohydrates than regular milk. 
• Ask For Half the Flavor Syrup or Sweeteners and Choose Sugar-Free When Possible: Each flavored syrup pump adds 20 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, and 5 grams of sugar to your drink. Asking for half the usual amount will still add flavor and sweetness while making it more blood sugar-friendly. Sugar-free syrup adds full flavor but uses artificial sugar alternatives to add your desired sweetness. 
• Ask for Light Drizzles: If you enjoy caramel or mocha drizzles and don’t want to skip them altogether, ask them to be “light” to reduce extra sugars and calories.
• Skip the Whipped Cream: Skipping the whipped cream can shave over 100 calories off your drink order and up to 10 grams of fat without sacrificing the flavor and or sweetness of the drink. 
• When Unsure, Ask the Barista to Make It “Light”: Many Starbucks drinks have "light" or “skinny” versions that are lower in calories and sugar, making them a better choice for a balanced diet. If you’re unsure what ingredients you should reduce or omit, ask the barista to recommend you! 

Learn How to Improve Your Nutrition and Monitor Your Glycemic Index Levels With Signos’ Expert Advice.

The best way to improve your health is to find sustainable ways to adjust your lifestyle, including your eating habits. If Starbucks is a regular part of your routine, especially if it’s one that you look forward to, you don’t have to give it up completely. Signos can help you learn how certain drinks impact your blood sugars so that you can choose the best options that are both satisfying and delicious while getting you closer to your goals. 

Learn how Signos works and how it can improve your health, maximize your energy levels, and help you manage your weight through continuous glucose monitoring. To find out if Signos is a good fit for you, take our free, quick quiz!

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Learn More: </strong><a href=what-to-order-at-dunkin-donuts>What to Order at Dunkin’ Donuts, According to a Registered Dietitian</a>.</div>