The Best Starbucks Drink Picks by this RD 2 Be!

Recently, for my internship with American Dairy Association North East,  I was asked to write a blog for their Dairy Diary page on their website. The dietitian I am under thought it would be a great idea to write about my favorite drinks  at Starbucks and how to make them better for you. With a little bit of thinking, I came up with 4 of my favorite, and most ordered drinks and made them healthier!

Along with being a college senior in a nutrition and dietetics program, I am also a part-time Barista at Starbucks. Through my 2-and-a-half-year tenure there and my nutrition classes, I have found the best drinks for health-conscious customers.

These drinks are high in protein, with vitamins and minerals that help your body stay strong and healthy. From the vast possibilities of drinks at Starbucks (and believe me, there are THOUSANDS of combinations and options!), I have come up with four of my favorite good-for-you drinks.

The Smoothie

Everyone knows the Frappuccino, but Starbucks offers another type of frozen blended drink; smoothies! They are available in Strawberry or Chocolate. Both smoothies come standard with 2% milk, a banana, ice, and whey protein/fiber powder.

My favorite of these two smoothies is the Strawberry! However, I like to change up the recipe a bit. Instead of using 2% milk, I ask for it to be made with fat-free skim milk. Whichever your preference, skim or 2% milk, all milk has 9 essential vitamins and minerals necessary to keep us healthy and our bones and teeth strong. The other change I like to make is asking for an extra scoop of the whey protein/fiber powder.

The standard recipe comes with 2 scoops, but after an intense workout at the gym, the extra scoop of whey protein/fiber powder, with 6 grams of protein, helps me reach my protein goal for a post workout recovery snack. The extra gram of fiber also helps with digestion, all the more reason to ask for an extra scoop!

The Frappuccino

One of Starbucks most popular items is the Frappuccino. There are so many different flavors and combinations available. Just when I thought I’ve seen it all (like the Butterbeer or Fruity Pebbles Frappuccino off the secret menu), a new one is created.

Frappuccino’s can be made with or without the frap roast. This is a coffee concentrate that adds the flavor of coffee to your beverage. It doesn’t add much caffeine, so ask for an extra shot of expresso if you’re in need of a boost but want a Frappuccino.

Frappuccino’s are usually made with whole milk, which is one of the biggest contributors to the amount of fat in this drink. Don’t think about removing the milk all together and going with a non-dairy imposter! Instead, ask for it to be made with skim or 2% milk to cut down on the fat, while also getting the 9 essential vitamins and minerals. You can also ask for protein powder to be added to the Frappuccino, which will make your drink thicker and taste more like a milkshake!

Lastly, all Frappuccino’s  are made with Frap base. This is what makes the Frappuccino smooth and easy to blend. There are three types of bases, cream base for Frappuccino’s that do not have coffee, coffee base for those made with coffee, and the light base for light Frappuccino’s that are lower in added sugar. Ask for your Frappuccino to be made with light base to cut the amount of added sugar.

Lattes

Lattes are another staple at Starbucks. You can get a plain latte with no sweetener or flavor added, or one of the specialty lattes, like a Caramel Macchiato. All lattes come with 2% milk, but if you ask for skim or whole milk, they will gladly accommodate your preferences. Stick with real dairy instead of any milk alternatives for a healthful drink with lots of protein.

If you’re looking for a flavored beverage, ask for the sugar free syrups like mocha, vanilla and cinnamon dolce. They have the same great taste without the added sugar and calories.

Iced Teas

We brew four different types of tea daily: Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, and Passion Tango Tea. The caffeine free options are White Tea and Passion Tango Tea. When ordering your tea, ask for it to be unsweetened.

A standard ice tea comes sweetened with liquid cane sugar, but if you’re watching calories and added sugar levels, you can ask for it to be unsweetened. Or, if you like the taste of sweet tea, ask for less pumps of liquid cane sugar.

With all the options at Starbucks, it’s easy to get healthier versions of your favorite drinks. Go with one of my picks – or create your own!

Want to know the Nutrition Facts of your favorite Starbucks drink, or a drink you created? Head over to Starbucks.com, click menu, then go under the Nutrition tab and select Drink Nutrition. From there you can find the base beverage you had, and add all the customizations you made to find out the Nutrition Facts for your beverage.