5 Delicious Starbucks Drinks Without Excessive Sugar

For many people, having a cup of coffee to start their morning and then some more through the course of the day is just part of their normal routine.

Over 60% of Americans claim to start their day with a cup of coffee.

And while coffee does contain antioxidants and can even reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, dieticians believe that many people don’t recognize the negative effects that drinking too much coffee can have on the body.

This is especially the case when that plain cup of coffee is replaced by sugary lattés or blended drinks.

Many Starbucks drinks are loaded with extra sugar and calories. These can cause hormone imbalances in the body, not to mention their contribution to the obesity epidemic.

We all know the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino was made for Instagram fame and fanfare, and the rest of their secret menu is just as bad.

Sure, it’s absolutely gorgeous to look at and tastes like candy, but have a closer look at the Unicorn Frappuccino.

Did you know that it contains around 410 calories with 59 grams of sugar in a 16oz Grande? For comparison, a 16 ounce Coca-Cola contains 190 calories with 52 grams of sugar thrown in.

The Unicorn goes far beyond what nutritionists would consider acceptable levels of calories and sugar in a beverage.

And it isn’t even the worst offender, either!

Look at the S’mores Frappuccino – it consists of 490 calories and 67 grams of sugar in the 16-ounce Grande!

Starbucks Drinks Without Excessive Sugar: Calories

A study completed in 2016 and published in the JAMA Internal Medicine publication states that if a person’s daily caloric intake consists of 25% sugar, their risk of heart disease doubles compared to diets that consist of less than 10% sugar.

Other diseases related to sugar intake are insulin resistance, pancreatic cancer, liver failure, and of course obesity.

Registered nutritionists and dieticians say that drinks such as these high-calorie Starbucks beverages cause blood glucose spikes which can result in insulin resistance, associated with diseases like type 2 diabetes.

Fortunately, a company spokesperson has said that Starbucks is committed to reducing the added sugar in some of their more indulgent beverages by 25% by the end of 2020. Ultimately, however, consumers have the responsibility of making their own nutritional choices.

As a fellow coffee and Starbucks drinker, I’ve found and assessed these 5 Starbucks drinks without excessive sugar you can enjoy instead. Here are more options to check out later if you want to stay slim.

Starbucks Drinks Without Excessive Sugar: Tea

I know I started off writing about coffee, but there are quite a few healthier Starbucks options aside from their coffee, so I thought I’d expand your potential choices 🙂

Teavana Shaken Ice Passion Tango Tea

When it comes to healthier Starbucks options, you should ask for the non-sweetened version of this delightful fruity drink.

Zesty and flavorful as is, you probably won’t even miss the sugar or syrup they typically include in their recipes.

Mint Majesty Hot Tea

All of the herbal teas contain 0 calories and have plenty of antioxidants.

The Starbucks mint tea also has a really refreshing taste.

It is not only delicious but mint has proven health benefits for the GI system.

Not only would it be one of the healthier Starbucks options, but one of the lowest on caffeine as well, making this a great option for your health.

Brewed Chai Tea with a Splash of Steamed Milk

Another one of the healthier Starbucks options is a Chai Tea Latté. The tall option would have 42 g sugar and contain 240 calories and 45 g carbs; more sugar than what is recommended per day – plus the carbs.

However, if you opt for steamed skim milk in your brewed hot chai tea instead, you cut right down to only 30 calories!

Starbucks Drinks Without Excessive Sugar: Coffee

Iced coffee

This Starbucks summer staple comes in an unsweetened version with no sugar and no calories.

But don’t feel like you have to keep it to the bare minimum!

The sweetened version is only 60 calories with 15 g of sugar.

And just adding some whole milk to your unsweetened ice coffee is still only 30 calories with 2 g sugar!

Americano

If you love the steamed milk you get in a latte but don’t want to forego the pick-me-up provided by an espresso, the Americano with steamed milk can be a great option as well.

TL;DR

I don’t mean to be a downer, I do love my extra sweet Frappuccino after all!

But don’t worry, with these 5 Starbucks drinks without excessive sugar, you can still slim down and reduce your sugar intake without having to sacrifice your daily Starbucks run – that’s good news! You just have to opt for one of the healthier Starbucks options out there.

And always remember that water is your best bet. Plus you can always flavor it with fruit to keep it interesting!

With all my love,

SC xo