If you’re anything like me, you’re a patron of the Starbucks holiday drinks. But, did you know that the new holiday menu has an average of 330 calories and 41 grams of sugar per Grande drink? While it’s good to treat yourself every so often, getting that Toasted White Chocolate Mocha every morning can get pretty bad for your arteries. If you want to keep drinking Christmas in a cup every day without the detriment to your health, try these hacks to get a healthier, equally tasty alternative:
- Ask for no whipped cream
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Although it may sound like a no-brainer, foregoing the whipped cream on your holiday drink can save you a surprising amount of unhealthy fats and calories. Each serving of whipped cream on a grande drink is about 80-100 calories in itself, with almost 90% of those calories coming just from fat. If you’re serious about drinking a healthier alternative of your favorite Starbucks drink and are okay without getting to experience the creamy and fluffy topping, ask for no whipped cream.
- Get fewer pumps of syrup
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If you’re comfortable with customizing your drink at Starbucks, you probably know that the company has a wide range of different syrups and sauces. However, most of the fun-sounding syrups you can get are just flavored sugar water, and even the Grande version of a drink contains at least 4 whole pumps of that sugary syrup. With a single pump of most syrups ranging from 10 to 20 calories and containing five grams of sugar, asking for fewer pumps of syrup in your drink can save you a lot of unnecessary nutritional detriment.
- Ask for it “skinny”
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For some drinks, you can ask to get it “skinny” — this means it’s made with nonfat milk, sugar-free classic syrup, and no whipped cream. Asking for a “skinny vanilla latte” is much easier than listing off all of your customizations, and can easily save you a handful of unnecessary calories and sugar. Of course, you can also choose to do any of these steps separately for any one drink, but asking for a skinny version of a drink can convey that you’re looking for a healthier alternative, however possible.
- Use sugar-free vanilla Syrup
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While maybe not as applicable to the holiday drinks, getting vanilla syrup in your coffee is pretty common. But did you know that Starbucks also has the option for sugar-free vanilla syrup? Instead of sweetening up your drinks with regular vanilla syrup, sugar-free vanilla uses an artificial sweetener alternative, sucralose. This results in an essentially calorie-free alternative to regular, old vanilla syrup!
Of course, if none of these options sound appealing to you and you’re not sure what options are available with the drink you want, never be afraid to ask your barista! Starbucks baristas are famous for being able to customize your drink any way you want, so asking them how you could make your drink of choice healthier is no problem. Although the information above might put a negative light on some of your favorite seasonal drinks, never be afraid to treat yourself! You deserve a little sugar — this guide is just to help you have your favorite drinks more often, guilt-free.