As Starbucks continues to roll out their seasonal drinks, they aren’t exactly the healthiest choices to start your day. Like a lot of the indulgent coffee concoctions at Starbucks, these drinks are packed with a ton of calories and sugar.
“Calories are the biggest offenders for a beverage. You should be eating your calories, not drinking them,” says Keri Gans, Mac was most recently a Senior Editor at Build a killer midsection in the kitchen for effortless miles on the road with. For instance, a grande pumpkin spice latte with whipped cream is a whopping 380 calories—that’s more of a meal, not a coffee, Gans says.
That doesn’t mean you have to give up your morning coffee run. There are plenty of healthy drinks you can order at Starbucks, so we asked nutritionists for their go-to drinks that don’t break the calorie bank.
Healthy Starbucks drinks to order
For the healthiest drinks you can order at Starbucks, stick to the basics: regular old coffee and tea. “Coffee, minus any added cream or sugar, is a no-calorie beverage full of antioxidants,” says Ginger Hultin, R.D., a nutritionist and Arivale coach in Seattle. “Tea is another great example—all varieties of tea have potential health benefits including antioxidant capacity and hydration.”
Cold brew with soy milk
Smoother than regular iced coffee, a slow steeped cold brew doesn’t need much added flavor. If you want to make it a little creamier, go for a dash of soy milk. “Soy foods including soy milk have proven cardiovascular and bone health benefits, protein, and antioxidants,” says Hultin. A tall cold brew with soy is only 25 calories and 2 grams of sugar.
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Americano
If hot coffee gets you out of bed in the morning, go for an Americano. “These offer very minimal calories and you’ll still get the natural caffeine boost from your rich flavored coffee,” Hultin says. Made with espresso and water, Americanos tend to be a little richer on their own without adding milk, but at only 15 calories for a grande (and no sugar), incorporating a splash of your favorite milk won’t derail your drink.
Green tea
“Herbal teas like green tea help provide the body with antioxidants,” says Yasi Ansari, R.D., a nutritionist and certified specialist in sports dietetics in Los Angeles and San Francisco. “I would order any of the hot or iced green teas without the added sugar.” An unsweetened green tea of any size is zero calories and zero sugar. Plus, it won’t make you feel as jittery if you don’t respond well to lots of caffeine.
Shaken iced passion tango tea
For a refreshing mid-day pick-me-up, order a flavor-packed iced tea. The passion tango blends hibiscus, lemongrass, and apple for a sweet and fruity tea that only contains 8 grams of sugar and 30 calories for a tall size. To make it even healthier, ask for an unsweetened version, Hultin says. “You’ll slash added sugar and calories and still get the bright flavor of tea, along with some antioxidants,” she says.
Skim cappuccino
Cappuccinos are classic—and healthy—Starbucks orders. “Whichever way you enjoy your espresso beverage—either hot or iced—you can greatly reduce the calories and fat by choosing a lower fat milk,” says Hutlin. A tall cappuccino with skim milk has only 60 calories and 8 grams of sugar.
Iced latte macchiato
Rather than a super sugary Frappuccino, order an iced latte macchiato instead. Even with creamy whole milk, a tall contains only 120 calories, 8 grams of sugar, and 3.5 grams of saturated fat. If you want to save an extra 50 calories, swap the whole milk out for skim.
Almond protein blended cold brew
While it’s higher in sugar, this blended cold brew falls more into the meal category. Made with plant-based protein, cold brew, almond milk, almond butter, and a banana date fruit sweetener, the 16-ounce drink (the equivalent of a grande) serves up 270 calories, 12 grams of protein, and 22 grams of sugar. “Keep this in the smoothie category, not as a coffee,” Gans says. “Have this with a piece of fruit for a breakfast on the go.”
Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist who writes about women and power. She covers women’s equality through the lenses of sports, wellness, and the gender gap across industries and is the author of MONEY, POWER, RESPECT: How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism. Mac was most recently a Senior Editor at Glamour Best Running Shoes 2025 Elle, Glamour, SELF, Bustle, Marie Claire, Allure, Women's Health, and Forbes among other publications.
