If you go on the Starbucks website they have a whole section dedicated to “lightening up” your holiday drinks. Their advice is to order holiday drinks “skinny” which means nonfat milk and sugar-free syrups. I don’t exactly agree with this recommendation. I have my own hacks to still enjoy a festive holiday drink from Starbucks without all the sugar (or artificial sweeteners). Did you know a grande egg nog latte is 450 calories + 52 grams sugar + 57 grams carbohydrates. Another holiday favorite is the peppermint mocha which packs 440 calories +54 grams sugar + 63 grams carbohydrates in a 16 oz grande. That’s the max amount of added sugar you should have in 2 days…all in one drink!
While my drink recs won’t be as sweet as what you might be used to this is a good thing for many reasons. Consuming sweet drinks/food (real or artificial) will keep you craving and reaching for more and more of it. Retrain you tastebuds to be good with less of the sweet! I talked more about this in my added sugar reset post.
If you have a favorite holiday drink familiarize yourself with what is in it, so you can ask the barista to make specific adjustments to lighten it up. For example, a grande peppermint mocha has 4 pumps mocha syrup + 4 pumps peppermint syrup and topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls. All of this information is available on their website. Now you know what syrups and toppings to ask for less of or omit.
My top 5 holiday drink orders
Egg Nog Latte
What I Order: Tall almond milk latte with 1 inch steamed egg nog OR half steamed almond milk half steamed egg nog. Add cinnamon.
Peppermint Mocha
What I Order: Tall almond milk peppermint mocha with 1 pump mocha + 1 pump peppermint. No whip. No chocolate curls.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
What I Order: Tall almond milk PSL with 1/2-1 pump pumpkin syrup. No whip. Add cinnamon.
Cinnamon Dolce Latte
What I Order: Grande almond milk misto with 1/2-1 pump cinnamon dolce syrup. No whip. No Cinnamon Dolce sprinkles. Extra Foam. Add cinnamon.
Blonde Caramel Brulée Latte
What I Order: Tall almond milk blonde flat white with 1/2-1 pump Caramel Brulée syrup. No Whip. No Caramel Brulée topping. Add cinnamon.
Other Tips:
- Ask for less whip or no whip to save anywhere from 80-110 calories depending on the size and type of drink
- Always ask for iced tea drinks unsweetened
- Ask for fewer or no pumps of classic added syrups or sugar-free options if that’s your preference
- Choose a smaller size. There is a short option that is 8 oz.
Please share your best Starbucks drink hacks!
xx, A
