Purchase students may need to add another Italian word to their repertoire as the ‘Trenta’ size, meaning 30, is introduced to Starbucks across the country.
But not so fast – Jamie Mcowan, Purchase Starbucks manager, said that they’re not offering the Trenta yet.
“I don’t know if we will,” he said. “They haven’t said anything to us about it.”
Although New York isn’t among the 14 states that are already offering the size and according to a press release, all American Starbucks will have the new size by May 3rd.
But for those who love their chai lattes, sorry – the 31-ounce cup will only be available for three iced drinks: coffee, tea, and tea lemonades.
Comments have been exploding about the supersize option that’s reminiscent of fast food eateries like McDonalds. Online there have been graphs comparing its content to the average size of the human stomach, and a photo showing that it can contain an entire bottle of wine.
Gwyneth Mackenzie, a freshman dance major, said she wished Purchase’s Starbucks was already carrying the Trenta. “I just want a drink that lasts forever,” she said with a laugh.
The Trenta stacks up to other drinks like 7-Eleven’s Big Gulp and Dunkin Donut’s large Coolatta, which both hold 32 ounces.
There is a question of whether bigger is really better, especially at a time when First Lady Michelle Obama is launching efforts to combat obesity and when, according to the Center for Disease Control, 68% of adult Americans are either obese or overweight.
Sophomore Kerry Mcgrath called the new size “ridiculous”. She added, “No one should drink that much coffee.”
According to Starbucks online nutrition calculator, a Trenta shaken iced tea lemonade will have 230 calories. A Trenta iced coffee with 2% milk has 220 calories and 195 miligrams of caffeine. By comparison, large Coolatta ranges from 420 calories (coffee flavor with skim milk) to 860 (vanilla bean flavor).
Sophomore Molly Shatzkin said, “That’s more caffeine than anyone should have in one sitting.”
The Mayo Clinic, a not-for-profit practice of over 50,000 doctors of all different specialties, reports that most people can safely tolerate 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine. But some students hit Starbucks more than once a day, and since caffeine’s already in foods like chocolate and soda, having the Trenta may push people to their limit. The Mayo Clinic warns that too much caffeine can cause problems like irritability, headaches, and anxiety.
Shatzkin questioned whether people would even be able to finish their drinks.
“It’s a waste because people are going to end up throwing out a large portion of their drinks,” she said.