4 Nutrition Hacks to Make Your Starbucks Order Healthier

It’s no joke that Starbucks’ Smoked Butterscotch Frappuccino is a nutritional train wreck. With 440 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 65 grams of sugar in a grande size, this is a drink that you should avoid at all costs. Thankfully, there are plenty of healthier drinks on the menu, such as the Caffè Misto. In fact, Starbucks claims to offer over 87,000 possible drink combinations, most of which require a little creativity and serious inside knowledge to order. (Ever heard of a Tall, Half-Caff, Soy Latte At 120 Degrees?) With Starbucks’ expansive menu comes plenty of clever ways to save big on calories, fat, and excess sugar. We’ve pulled together four smart menu hacks and easy tweaks to help you make a healthy and informed choice.

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Order your drink “skinny,” and your barista knows to hold the whipped cream and use sugar-free syrup and non-fat milk. If anything, it’s a surefire way to slash calories, fat, and sugar from virtually any drink on Starbucks’ menu.

Unbeknownst to many, Starbucks’ milk and cream station also stocks cocoa powder, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and vanilla powder. Try a few shakes for an instant (and free!) flavor boost to a plain coffee, Americano, or tea.

The off-menu French press option is a brilliant solution if you’re planning to hang around, either by yourself or with friends. The coffee is freshly brewed, and the French press technique gives it a fuller, more complex flavor than regular drip coffee.

While not always advertised, any hot drink can be ordered in an 8 ounce “short” size. This is a great way to enjoy the drinks you love (yes, we mean that spiced, fall-flavored drink with a cult following) while regulating portion size and slashing calories, fat, and sugar.