It’s the most magical time of the year- you can’t listen to any radio station without hearing Christmas carols, your favorite store’s display windows are fully adorned with winter wonderland lights, and most importantly you can now order your “grande skim peppermint mocha no whip” in those festive holiday cups at Starbucks. Helloooo holiday season! So now that you’re in the holiday spirit, it’s time for a quick lesson on how to order your drinks at Starbucks so you don’t end up with a belly full of jelly.
In general, the way to order your skinniest drink possible without missing out on taste is to first follow these steps:
1. Skip the whip. You can save around 120 calories by adding “no whip” to your coffee order, and you won’t even miss these empty calories. (Not to mention, by the time I get my coffee my whip cream is always melted into my drink and I can’t taste it through the sippy hole.)
2. Switch it skim. Making the change from whole milk to skim milk will drastically reduce your coffee’s calories and make it more of a drink and less of a dessert… or even a meal.
3. Make it a tall. This makes sense as the smaller the size, the fewer the calories. But since portion sizes are distorted these days, you may think the venti is the standard size (or at least I used to). The truth is, a venti of a richer/heavier coffee beverage, is a lot to drink. Try switching from a venti to a grande, and maybe even gradually to a tall. I promise you will still feel satisfied and get the necessary amount of caffeine to keep you awake during finals.
Here’s a few drinks that ended up on the “naughty list” (my last Christmas pun, I promise) because they contain up to 500 calories! The following drinks are all calculated based on a grande size and made with non-fat milk (but they will contain significantly more calories with 2% or whole milk).
1.Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino = 500 calories
2. Eggnog Latte = 440 calories
3. Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha = 400 calories
4. White Chocolate Mocha = 350 calories
For some lighter choices, you can try these drinks instead. The calories are also based on a grande size and made with non-fat milk.
1. Skim Cappuccino = 120 calories
2. Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte = 140 calories.
3. Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Light = 150
4. Caffe Latte = 190 calories.
Still, the best option is to drink a normal cup of drip coffee, which can be approximately 10-30 calories. Of course, without ordering the “no whip, tall, non-fat gingerbread latte” it might take some time before you are used to ordering a coffee….and just a coffee.
So there you have it; when you are looking to get your caffeine fix, opt for the one of the lighter options- don’t worry the healthier drinks still come in the same holiday cup…
For full nutritional information on all of Starbucks drinks: http://www.starbucks.com/menu/catalog/nutrition?drink=espresso#view_cont…