Admit it, most of us love something at Starbucks, whether it’s the lemon pound cake, the Frappucinos, or yummy iced teas…but, what about the calories? And, since Starbucks now uses eco friendly cups, and has gone trans fat and high fructose corn syrup free shouldn’t there also be healthy options to choose from? Well here are some that won’t kill your diet, and some that would be the atomic BOMB of your waistline. First though, let’s explore some fun facts about Starbucks I bet you didn’t know:

• There is a drink size which is 8 oz. called a short ( may not be available for items such as Frappucinos©) it’s not on the menu so you have to ask.
• Any drink which includes milk can be ordered with 1%, or skim. The “regular” is made with 2% milk.
• Avoid the whipped cream to make some of those “bad” drinks healthier.

So, you ask what are the best choices for my waistline at Starbucks? Well I have listed a few that are favorites of many people, when it comes to drinks we need to remember that something 300 calories is NOT waistline friendly because they aren’t meant to be meals.

• Obviously, coffee would be the best choice, at 5 calories
  (without adding sugar or cream) for any coffee size if you need a little jump and want that Starbucks flavor , plus you can get flavors at the cream/sugar bar such as nutmeg, or chocolate powder which may add few calories.
• A nonfat caffee latte comes in at 100 calories.
• The classic tall Nonfat Cappucino is only  60 calories.
• The shaken iced teas do not normally include sugar, and in that version they are 0 calories, you can choose from passion tea, black, or green tea. If you want the lemonade it will cost you 100 calories.

At the Starbucks website, you can take a look at all the low calorie options, the ones included above or probably the most popular, you can also tweak the drinks according to size, type of milk, whipped cream etc. They also have started to offer snack plates which include cheese and fruits.

Now, for the BOMBS!

Now, here is a list of what would be considered a BOMB of calories… enough to equal a meal for some. I only included this section for general educational purposes and are NOT the recommended choices. It should be noted that any drink in the Venti  and Iced Venti (24oz) size with 2% milk and whipped cream  would have a calorie range in the 500-700, therefore, the tall size will be listed here to compare to those healthier drinks listed above.

• The drink with the highest calories would be the iced peppermint white chocolate mocha coming in at 700 calories for a venti made with whole milk and whipped cream.
• The strawberries and cream Frappucino© surprisingly has 360 calories for the tall made with 2% milk and whipped cream.
• White hot chocolate is 380 calories and 15 g of fat for the tall made with 2% milk and whipped cream.

A suggestion for drinks: they are not meals, and if they are over 200 calories are probably not the best choice, please, take the time to get online and check out your favorite flavors, order smaller sizes if you MUST have your favorite drink and don’t forget the milk options and skipping the whipped cream can help too!! Happy drinking!

Nutrition information is available at Starbucks.com. Here’s a list of Starbucks drinks for under 200 calories.

Assistance provided by: Christina Wolfe

When trying to cut calories and eat healthier, your morning cup o’ joe doesn’t have to be that one thing you’re going to try to eliminate completely to try to cut calories. If you’re a coffee lover, can you realistically imagine a morning without coffee? Below are 5 simple swaps you can make in your morning coffee today, without affecting your morning cravings (and the people around you) while cutting calories at the same time.

1. Switch to non-fat lattes. You can easily cut calories by up to half while still getting your caffeine boost by switching from whole to non-fat lattes (122 calories).
2. Use a smaller coffee mug. Put away all those gigantic mugs that hold up to 2-3 cups to help with portion sizes and prevent drinking away your calories (unless it’s water of course!). The bigger the mug, the more cream and sugar you’ll add.
3. Milk in place of creamer. Non-dairy creamers are considered a “free food” because they are low in calories (less than 20 calories). However, replacing creamer with milk can help fill you up (protein) and provide you with the calcium you need.
4. Ice, Ice, Coffee. Try brewing a pitcher ahead of time and putting it in the refrigerator for a quick and easy coffee fix when you’re in a rush. 1 cup of black coffee only has 5 calories and adding ice gives the illusion you’re drinking more while staying hydrated.
5. Go Decaffeinated. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t necessarily need the caffeine boost and just love the taste of coffee, try switching to decaffeinated coffee which contains a little caffeine but not enough to cause side effects such as anxiety, dizziness, headaches and jitters.

How do you like your coffee? What healthier alternatives have you made recently that you’d like to share?

Research assistance provided by Monica Lobo, RD.

There are always long lines in Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and other coffee shops – especially in the mornings. People line up to get a cup of coffee or tea to become energized and fully wake themselves up. After all, the caffeine in coffee can increase your energy and alleviate fatigue by stimulating your brain. So, whether it’s staying up late studying for a final, working on last minute details on an important presentation for work, or even just the daily cup of coffee in the morning – caffeine plays a central role in a coffee lover’s life.

So, how much is too much caffeine? Most people drink about two to four cups of brewed coffee a day, which is about 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine. Heavy daily caffeine intake is about four to seven cups of brewed coffee – that’s 500 to 600 milligrams of caffeine a day! For comparison purpose, a 16oz brewed coffee from Dunkin Donuts yields about 140 to 200 mg of caffeine while an 8 oz generic brewed coffee yields between 95 to 200 mg of caffeine. How many cups of coffee from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks do you drink a day?

Here are some symptoms of excessive caffeine usage:

• You feel nervous, restless, irritated and/or anxious easily

• You have muscle tremors, fast/irregular heartbeat, headaches, and/or insomnia/sleep deprivation

Using caffeine to energize yourself because of sleep deprivation may become an undesirable cycle. You drink coffee to stay awake at night to finish work. What resulted was that you couldn’t fall asleep because the caffeine is still in your system. When you wake up the next morning, you don’t feel rested and so you buy coffee before going to school or work because you need that “energy boost”. Then the cycle repeats. Oy vey! Read on to get tips on changing caffeine habits:

Start by keeping count of how many cups of coffee you drink per day. Pay more attention to the amount you consumed as you wait in line to buy coffee. Reduce the caffeine gradually as this can help reduce the withdrawal symptoms. You can try decaffeinated coffee or even decaffeinated tea! In addition, add more hours of sleep to your schedule. Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep per night to feel fully rested the next morning! If possible, try to avoid coffee at least eight hours before you go to bed. Otherwise, you’d just lie in bed wishing you can fall asleep! Do you know that even though caffeine is not stored in your body, it may take around 12 hours for it to leave your system?

What do you think about the effects caffeine have?

By Mitzi Dulan with research assistance from Rachel Yam