As that cool fall breeze starts to blow in and it becomes a little harder to get motivated to do anything productive, coffee is the first thing most collegiettes reach for. With homework piling up and back-to-back club meetings, a regular cup of joe from your coffeemaker just won’t cut it—these days are reserved solely for your favorite Starbucks drinks. But between keeping up with exams and all of your other commitments, you’ve got to remember to stay healthy. That “clean eating” lifestyle that so many collegiettes have dedicated themselves to can be jeopardized with just a few cups of sugary coffee drinks!
This fall, instead of picking up your favorite pumpkin-macchi-whatever, try a few of these tasty and healthy options in a “tall” size to keep you just as warm and satisfied with fewer calories. You can find the calorie counts and full nutritional information here!
1. Caffé Americano
If you’re not into all of those fancy drinks, a caffé americano from Starbucks has only 10 calories by itself. Instead of adding sugar to your drink, use a packet of Splenda or Stevia. Also, soy milk or skim milk can be substituted for creamer for a healthy yet tasty alternative!
2. Nonfat Green Tea Latte
What’s better than green tea? A nonfat green tea latte, of course! Rolling in at about 210 calories, this drink has absolutely zero grams of fat and still offers that delicious green tea taste without all of the sneaky additives that lattes normally add, such as sugars and fat. This option is the perfect drink to sip on while eating your (healthy!) breakfast in between classes. An added bonus: aside from being absolutely delicious, green tea has been proven to boost metabolism and even raise mental alertness!
3. Nonfat Pumpkin Spice Latte
The first day of fall does not compare to the first day of “pumpkin spice season.” Unfortunately, all of those pumpkin spice goodies aren’t too good for you. A regular tall pumpkin spice latte contains 300 calories, 11 grams of fat and 38 grams of sugar! Make it a nonfat tall and hold the whipped cream, and you’ll bring the calorie count down to 200 and eliminate a gram of sugar while still getting your pumpkin fix.
4. Caffé Mocha
Chocolate is pretty much always a fan favorite, so it’s no surprise that the caffé mocha is such a popular Starbucks drink. However, since this drink has a high fat and sugar content, this might not be your best choice if you’re trying to stay healthy. Nix this sugary delight for something just as good: a nonfat caffé mocha (hold the whipped cream). Just a simple change from two percent to nonfat milk will bring you from 270 calories to 230! By holding the whip, you reduce the caloric content of your drink by 60 calories, bringing your drink to around 170 calories. If “nonfat caffé mocha, no whip” is too much of a mouthful, just walk in and ask for a “skinny mocha.” They’ll know what to do.
5. Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte
For all of the cinnamon dolce latte lovers out there, listen up! Although this fall favorite is delectable, it’s loaded with sugar, fat and cholesterol. Fortunately, there are a few tweaks you can make to take the calorie count from 270 to 100: ask for sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup, lose the whipped cream and sub nonfat milk for two percent.
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6. Nonfat Chai Tea Latte
Another option for tea-lovers to keep in mind is a nonfat chai tea latte. This black tea is blended with steamed milk and flavored with spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Substitute nonfat milk for two percent and you’re down to 160 calories (from 190) and zero grams of fat!
7. Nonfat Caramel Macchiato
Mmm, a salted caramel mocha sounds delightful—but unfortunately, the 330 calories, 13 grams of fat and 44 grams of sugar aren’t as appealing. Fortunately, a nonfat caramel macchiato is much healthier but just as delicious as the salted caramel mocha! The caramel macchiato has only 140 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 24 grams of sugar – a definite improvement! Another option is to substitute the vanilla-flavored syrup with sugar-free vanilla to cut down even more on the grams of sugar (keep the caramel drizzle, though; everybody needs a little something sweet!).
8. Shaken Iced Passion Tea
No matter the season or temperature, some people just have to sip on cold drinks. If this is you, then remember one thing: say no to sweetening. A sweetened shaken iced passion tea is only 60 calories but it has about 15 grams of sugar. Unsweetened, this drink drops down to zero calories and zero grams of sugar! The more you avoid all of these sugary drinks, the less you’ll crave them. The unsweetened version will keep you just as satisfied without having to experience that anxious sugar rush.
9. Light Frappuccino
How many people on this earth actually don’t like frappuccinos? Seriously, they’re pretty amazing. The bad news: they can be very high in calories and sugar. The good news: Starbucks has “light” frappuccinos! You get all of the blended, tasty goodness with fewer calories. Instead of blending your drinks with regular whole milk and topping it off with whipped cream, light frappuccinos are blended with nonfat milk and don’t have whipped cream. A regular mocha frappuccino (with whole milk) has 280 calories, 11 grams of fat and 41 grams of sugar. Order a light version, and that will bring your drink down to 110 calories, 0.5 grams of fat and 21 grams of sugar.
Now that you’ve got an idea of some healthy and tasty Starbucks drinks for fall, swap out your old favorite for something new! All of the drinks on this list are not only delicious, but they’ll also definitely keep you on track with your healthy lifestyle.