Starbucks is known for its innovative “coffee” drinks. You don’t go there for coffee- you go there for a Starbucks drink! But, how do these sweet, flavored drinks compare on a health scale? With the variety that Starbucks offers, it’s easy to get confused about what may be healthy and what’s not. Some are filled with sugar and others are not, so this list is here to guide you through it.
Let’s look at the 5 things you should never ever order at Starbucks when you’re on Weight Watchers.
1. Venti White Chocolate Mocha Frappe 30 points 76 g sugar
The white chocolate mocha, whether it’s iced, blended, or hot is one of Starbucks' most popular drinks. With 76 grams of sugar in a venti frappe, it’s going to cost you a few meal's worth of points. And it will give you a terrible sugar crash a few hours later. It’s not worth the points, so skip it.
- Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte 24 points 77 g sugar
This may excite you or depress you, but this classic drink is very unhealthy. Even a simpler version - the pumpkin spice latte- is high in points. A grande is 18 points. Unfortunately, Starbucks hasn’t come out with a skinny pumpkin syrup yet, so until then, there’s no getting around this drink.
- Matcha Tea Latte 15 points 79 g sugar
This may come as a surprise to you because matcha is known as a health food. However, Starbucks’ matcha powder has 6 grams of sugar per scoop, and one drink has multiple scoops of matcha. You’re better off making your own matcha latte at home with unsweetened matcha powder, almond milk, and stevia.
- Double Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich 18 points
It sounds good, but your weight loss goals will not thank you. The bacon, cheese and bread make it all high in fat which adds the points up quickly. Don’t let the “egg” part of it fool you into thinking it’s a good protein option.
- Iced Lemon Loaf Cake 24 points
This one is probably obvious- the bakery section of Starbucks is not a good use of your points. They look so delicious in that display case, but all items will leave you with a sugar crash and not a lot of points left for the day. The brownie (21 points), banana loaf (16 points), and blueberry scone (17 points) are examples of the bakery items all being over 16 points each. There’s no working around those!
Don’t worry - the list of items you can have is much longer! Here are 10 things that will easily fit into your daily ww points allowance.
- Turkey Bacon Egg White & Cheddar Sandwich 7 points
A full breakfast sandwich for only 7 points. It’s made with turkey bacon and egg whites, which keeps it high in protein and low in fat. The English muffin gives you a good dose of healthy, high-fiber carbs that will keep you going all morning without a sugar crash.
- Rolled Steel Cut Oats (no toppings) 3 points
Skip the toppings and add a few packets of stevia or Splenda to sweeten your oatmeal, and you’ve got breakfast on the go for 3 points. It’s high fiber, which means it won’t leave you dragging a few hours later. You’ll be productive all morning.
- Venti Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso 8 points
This drink is the perfect mix between a sweet drink and a good espresso flavor. Because it doesn’t need a ton of sugar, it only has 8 points. You can make it even lower in points if you ask for sugar-free vanilla instead of brown sugar syrup, and use almond milk instead of oatmilk. The sugar-free almond milk version would only cost you 1 point.
- Venti Cappuccino with Non-Fat Milk 3 points
A cappuccino is a little bit lighter than a latte. It’s made with espresso, milk and then topped with foam. By using non-fat milk, you’re keeping the calories and points very low but you still get a good kick of caffeine from the espresso.
- Grande Skinny Mocha with Non-Fat Milk 4 points
If you need a little chocolate in your life- this drink is a good hack. You get the comforting mocha flavor with not even half the calories of a regular mocha. You only need 4 points for this drink.
- Plain Bagel 8 points
If you have to get something from the bakery- make it a bagel. It’s not high in sugar so it’ll give you a few good hours of energy.
- Cake Pop 8-9 points
Cake pops definitely have a good bit of sugar in them, but because it’s a small portion, it’s a good option if you need a sweet fix. Cake pops range from 8-9 points. While it is a very small portion for those amount of points, it’s a better option than using 21 points on a brownie or cookie.
- Black Coffee/Espresso (americano, drip, iced coffee or cold brew)
Any version of black coffee is going to be zero points. They do sweeten the iced coffee with classic syrup though- so make sure to specify that you want it without syrup. All other black coffee orders - like an americano, pike place, double shot over ice, or cold brew - come without anything. If you don’t like black coffee, try adding sugar-free vanilla and Splenda. It won’t add any points. For a bit of creaminess, you can ask for a splash of almond milk and keep all drinks under 1 point.
- Nitro Cold Brew with Vanilla Sweet Cream 4 points
This is the ultimate creamy drink. You won’t believe that it’s only 4 points. It’s sweet and creamy (hence the name sweet cream) and it will fill any of those sweet coffee cravings you might have. This is packed with caffeine, so if you’re a caffeine-aholic, this is your go-to.
- Coffee Frappe Light Grande 5 points
Don’t worry- there is a version of the frappuccinos that aren’t a million points. You can order any frappe “light” and it’ll save calories. The lowest point and calorie option is a grande light coffee frappe.
Screenshot this list so you have it next time you need a quick Starbucks pick-me-up. Try different versions of “light” or “skinny” drinks until you find what you like and you’ll be able to enjoy your Starbucks and stay consistent on your Weight Watchers plan.
And if you are dying for a Starbucks recipe to try at home, check out my Copycat Instant Pot Egg Bites.
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