Fall is in full swing and with this season comes comfy sweaters, leggings, apple picking, and most importantly, seasonal Starbucks drinks. If you’re like me and are completely obsessed with Starbucks coffee, then you know how exciting it is when the seasonal menu is released. One downside (and possibly the only one) is that Starbucks drinks can be very high in fat, sugar, and calories. Many people tend to not realize this because “how much fat can really be in a coffee?” but the results are pretty shocking. Here are five healthier alternatives to some delicious Starbucks drinks that you can order in store!
Image Source
1. A Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte, 2 Pumps Pumpkin Sauce, and No Whip with Almond Milk
The Pumpkin Spice latte is an iconic fall drink, but many people don’t realize how bad it really is for you. If you were to order a plain Pumpkin Spice latte in a grande size, you would be consuming 14 grams of fat, 50 grams of sugar, and 380 calories! This is considered more of a meal replacement than just a coffee. But if you order a Pumpkin Spice, 2 Pumps Pumpkin Sauce, No whip with Almond Milk, you cut down on all three categories and still taste the drink you love but without the guilt!
Image Source
2. A Grande Chai Latte and 2 Pumps Chai with Nonfat Milk
A Chai Latte is a delicious fall and winter drink, but ordering a plain grande one comes with 4.5 grams of fat, 42 grams of sugar, and 240 calories! This drink isn’t as unhealthy as some other lattes, but a few simple substitutes can make it even less unhealthy. With cutting the amount of pumps in half, you can save on sugar and guilt!
3. A Grande Salted Caramel Mocha with 2 Pumps Toffee Nut Syrup, 2 Pumps Mocha Sauce, No Whip, and Light Caramel Drizzle with Nonfat Milk
Yes, this is a mouth full but if you order on the Starbucks app, you can make all these changes yourself and pick it up as a mobile order. Salted Caramel Mochas are absolutely delicious, but they are extremely bad for you. A normal grande Salted Caramel Mocha has a whopping 16 grams of fat, 59 grams of sugar, and 470 calories! Keep in mind, a venti would be even more. In order to keep the flavor as close as possible to the original, this order cuts the amount of syrup pumps in half and cuts the fat down dramatically!
Image Source
4. A Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte and 2 Pumps Cinnamon Dolce Syrup with Nonfat Milk
This drink tastes just like a warm cinnamon bun! It’s super delicious and great for when the cold hits. But like many other drinks, it has 13 grams of fat, 41 grams of sugar, and 340 calories! Cinnamon Dolce syrup has a lot of calories and sugar, and by cutting the amount of pumps to only two, it saves on a lot. Also the nonfat milk really helps cut fat out!
5. A Grande Vanilla Creme Latte and 2 Pumps Vanilla Syrup with Almond Milk and No Whip
This latte is like the warm version of a vanilla frappe! It’s creamy and sweet and tastes like creme brulee. Like all of these lattes, this delicious beverage comes with a cost: a lot of fat. But with substituting the regular four pumps of vanilla syrup with only two and adding almond milk instead of 2%, you can cut the fat of 14 grams, the sugar of 38 grams, and the calories of 330 way down!
It’s important to remember that everything is good in moderation, and if you want to get a Salted Caramel Mocha the way it is, that’s completely fine. All that matters is what makes you happy, and if that means not counting calories, sugar, and fat, then so be it. These are all just suggestions that have worked well for me and that taste really great! I hope you all enjoy them!