"Healthy" Starbucks Drinks

Dress c/o Tobi | Scarf | Similar Booties Here and Here | Engraved Bar Necklace | Arrow Ring | Sunglasses

According to @TheRealPSL's tweet, Starbucks should be releasing their Pumpkin Spice Latte any day now.....and all the basic white girls will rejoice!

But seriously....the release date seems to get bumped up a few days every year. Last year it was on September 6, the year before that it was September 8..... Being that today is August 30, I'm crossing my fingers the PSL arrives within the next week! But, with Pumpkin Spice Season comes a lot of potential calories.

Did you know a grande PSL has 380 calories? 50 grams of sugar, 52 grams of carbs and 14 grams of fat. Yeah, you read that right.  For those of you who don't track your macronutrients, that's a looooot of sugar, carbs and fat! About the same as the unicorn drink everyone freaked out about! Think of it this way, a chocolate frosty from Wendy's has 46 grams of sugar, 56 grams of carbs and 9 grams of fat.... soooo, about the same. Yikes!

Since it's not exactly health-friendly, I only allow myself one Pumpkin Spice Latte every season because basic is beautiful (and delicious), but I try to order the rest of my holiday beverages in the healthiest way possible. I thought I'd share some of my go-to's with you for some coffee-inspiration! Enjoying this time of year is so much easier when you don't have to feel guilty about drinking your calories. 

Note: Some of these are Fall or Christmas beverages, but others can be ordered year round! 

Coffee w/Coconut Milk and Sugar Free Syrup

Good hot or iced. My favorite sugar free syrups are vanilla, cinnamon dolce and peppermint! Ask your local Starbucks to see which flavors they have on hand. I order mine unsweetened (the syrup is enough for me), but you might need to add your low calorie sweetener of choice, depending on your preference. 

Skinny Latte 

Good hot or iced. My favorite order is a hot skinny vanilla latte with soy, but you can choose your flavor and milk option. 

Skinny Peppermint Mocha 

Jingle bells and ho ho ho and mistletoe! My favorite Christmas drink EVER. Pre- and post-Christmas, a regular skinny mocha will suffice. If only the PSL had a skinny version amirite?! I mean, this is 2017, why haven't they figured that out yet? Maybe this will be the year. 

Holiday Spice Flat White 

It tastes like Christmas in a cup! Order it non-fat and you'll get fewer carbs and zero fat. Of course, a regular flat white with non-fat milk is good year round!

Caramel Apple Spice

I wouldn't exactly say this is a "healthy" drink....ha! But if you order it with no-whip, it does cut down on the calories. It's mostly just carbs, so I guess it's healthier than some of the others. I'm including it because I like to order it in the evenings when I want something warm without the caffeine - it makes a great dessert drink. Decaf is considered healthy, yes? 

Those are my go-to's, but you can "healthify" a lot of Starbucks drinks through custom ordering! Here are some tips:

• Substitute skim, coconut or almond milk
• Request sugar free syrup
• Ask for less syrup or fewer pumps of sauce
• Order no-whip
• Order it "skinny" (non-fat milk + sugar free syrup, when applicable)
• Instead of a frap, try ordering a drink "blended" - they'll just blend the beverage with ice! 

Starbucks provides all their nutrition information on their website and their app - plus they automatically adjust it when you choose different syrups or milks. It makes it super easy to stay mindful of your caloric intake. Keep in mind that not all beverages can be made "skinny" and not all syrups flavors come sugar free.

On another note, this dress from Tobi gives me all the fall feels, especially when paired with my N-Sale leopard print scarf. The dress is super soft and cozy, but light enough to wear now before the temps really drop - b/c who cares if I'm jumping the gun, right?! Right. 

I hope this post helps you keep your health and fitness goals in check as we enter the best time of the year! If you try something you love, please share - I'm always down for a new concoction! I become such a Starbucks addict September through December and I have zero shame in it. 

Outfit Details: Dress c/o Tobi | Scarf | Similar Booties Here and Here | Engraved Bar Necklace | Arrow Ring | Sunglasses