By: Bethany Barich (Follow on Instagram & Twitter)
Something iced from Starbucks on a hot summer day is ideal. Likewise, something hot from Starbucks is also ideal when the weather is a bit cooler. However, what is not ideal is how many calories those delicious Starbucks drinks can round up to! Sure you can always opt for “non-fat” or something “skinny”, but there are options out there that naturally are low in calorie and still taste fantastic.
Let’s take a look at some of the yummy options you can get that won’t hold you back from having a good day and going over your calories or crashing your diet.
Skinny Flavored Lattes/Mochas
I know what I just said – that there are other options besides the skinny drinks, but the fact that you can get any sugar-free syrup, or sauce, and this magical drink still doesn’t go over roughly 200 calories, is worth mentioning. First off the hot Skinny Vanilla Latte is only 100 calories, and for summer, get it iced because I believe it’s only 80-100 calories! Second, when the weather gets cooler and Christmas is in the air, the delicious Skinny Peppermint Mocha is only 130. The skinny options are definitely a nice choice and are perfect for any type of weather.
Passion Tea
Unsweetened and iced, the Passion Tea is perfect for a hot summer day. Once the weather gets cooler, get this tea hot because the flavor is so rich and delicious. The best part about this tea is that it also is only 0 calories – the best quilt free drink. If you do need to have this tea sweetened, don’t worry, getting the Passion Tea sweetened will only bring the calories up to 60, 80 or 120 depending on the size you desire, and if you want something even more sweeter, make it a Passion Tea Lemonade – the Grande size is only 120 calories!
Coffee
We have to have the most simple and basic of all drinks at Starbucks on this list. The iced coffee with the classic syrup is roughly 60 – when drank black. If you do need some sort of cream and sugar, use Splenda or any 0 calorie sweetener they have and get soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or a nonfat milk! Get their coffee if you’re desperate for a quick caffeine fix, or just craving some yummy coffee.
Refreshers
Both the canned and shaken Refreshers are a delicious choice no matter what the season is – but trust me they’re best in the summer. If you’re looking for their shaken drinks the best one to get is the Lime Refresher – to make the flavor a bit more interesting, try adding coconut milk to it. I know that may sound a little gross, but it actually taste fantastic! The other one to try is their Very Berry Hibiscus, so good and refreshing! Their canned refreshers are just as good too – they only have roughly 100 calories per can. The best one for a hot summer day is their Strawberry Lemonade – fruity and hydrating. Plus, something really nice about their canned Refreshers is that they essentially are an energy drink. So if you need a pick-me-up, but don’t want coffee, grab a Refresher and start your day off right.
Tea
Starbucks has a nice variety of brewed teas – like the Passion Tea previously mentioned. They all are decently low in calories and can benefit you in multiple ways. Their green tea obviously is good for the mornings and can help with weight loss. The black teas are good for in the mornings too. Something even nicer about their brewed teas is that you can opt to have them made into lattes – both iced and hot. To keep them from going high in calories, if you get a latte, get non-fat or skim milk instead of the regular 2%. If the weather is on the hotter side, get the Iced Green Tea, unsweetened, and enjoy the day. If you want to add a little hint of something fruity, get the Iced Peach Green Tea!
