Best Low-Sugar Starbucks Drinks for Weight Loss

For many of us, Starbucks has become an integral part of our daily routines. However, many people do not know the negative impact some of these drinks can have on our health.

The truth is that while coffee and tea can be part of a healthy diet, many Starbucks drinks are loaded with hidden sugars, fats, and calories.

For example, one tall mocha frappuccino from Starbucks has 250 calories, 35 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of fat! Compare this with 28 grams of sugar in a chocolate bar.

Best Starbucks Drink Orders Under 10 Grams of Sugar and 120 Calories 

 Now that you have a better idea of how to personalize your Starbucks order to achieve an overall low-sugar, low-calorie drink, I am going to share my top low-sugar drinks, including the nutritional content for each. 

All nutrition information was obtained from Starbucks.

For the Cold Coffee Lovers 

Because cold coffee is popular in every season, especially in the summer, I have gathered the top cold drink orders that won’t have a negative impact on your health.

Tall Nitro Cold Brew 

For those of you who love a straightforward, cold coffee without any milk or toppings, nitro cold brew is for you! One tall nitro cold brew has  0 grams of sugar, 5 calories, and 0 grams of fat.

Tall Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew 

If you are a vanilla lover, the vanilla sweet cream cold brew may be the perfect option.One order of a  tall vanilla sweet cream cold brew has 9 grams of sugar, 90 calories, and 5 grams of fat. 

Tall Iced Toasted Vanilla Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

For our oat milk fans, the tall iced toasted vanilla oat milk shaken espresso is a perfect choice. This drink has an indulgent, nutty taste, and contains only 8 grams of sugar, 100 calories, and 3.5 grams of fat.

Tall Iced Brown Sugar Oat-milk Shaken Espresso

For oat milk fans who like a hint of brown sugar and cinnamon instead of vanilla, this shaken drink is your order! This drink only has 9 grams of sugar, 100 calories, and 2.5 grams of fat.

Tall Iced Caffe Americano

This drink consists of espresso shots with a nice cream layer, served over ice- and it has 0 grams of sugar, 10 calories, and 0 grams of fat.

Tall Iced Flat White

The perfect espresso- whole milk, cold drink that is not excessively strong nor creamy! This drink only has 8 grams of sugar, 110 calories, and 6 grams of fat.

For the Hot Coffee Lovers

Some people like their coffee hot, even when the temperatures rise outside. If you are a hot coffee lover, here is a list of the top hot coffee orders that will keep you and your sugar levels happy. 

Tall Caffè Americano

For those who take hot coffee seriously, this drink is essentially espresso shots with hot water, resulting t in a beautiful crema-top surface. A tall caffè Americano coffee drink has 0 grams of sugar, 10 calories, and 0 grams of fat.

Tall Cappuccino 

If you’re looking for a classic hot coffee order that adds a perfectly mixed amount of milk, the tall cappuccino is for you. This drink has 9 grams of sugar, 100 calories, and 4 grams of fat.

Drink it as is or flavor it with stevia or sugar-free syrup. The most common option available is vanilla.

Tall Caffè Misto

The caffè misto is like a latte with a twist!  It uses freshly brewed drip coffee (rather than espresso) in combination with steamed milk. One tall caffè misto has 8 grams of sugar, 80 calories, and 3 grams of fat.

Tall Espresso con Panna (with light whipped cream)

Want to spice up your typical Espresso order and add a lovely layer of light whipped cream? This coffee is for you! One order of this drink at Starbucks has 0 grams of sugar, 35 calories, and 2.5 grams of fat.

Tall Decaf Pike Place Roast 

Looking for a satisfying, low-caffeine coffee option? This light, chocolatey, nutty-flavored coffee has 0 grams of sugar, 5 calories, and 0 grams of fat.

Tall Green Apron Blend Coffee

For graham crackers and orange fanatics, this coffee checks all your boxes and has 0 grams of sugar, 0 calories, and 0 grams of fat.

Espresso Macchiato

Italian-styled coffees are always a good idea! This beautiful blend of espresso and steamed milk, foamy layer has 0 grams of sugar, 15 calories, and 0 grams of fat.

Short Flat White

A perfectly portioned espresso drink with enough creaminess and just the right flavor, this drink only has 9 grams of sugar, 110 calories, and 5 grams of fat.

Short Cafe Latte

Latte lovers, this drink will give you your latte fix without all the extra grams of sugar! It only has 9 grams of sugar, 100 calories, and 3.5 grams of fat. 

For the Tea Lovers

Tea lovers rejoice! There are plenty of delicious and nutritious tea options available at Starbucks that can satisfy your cravings while keeping your sugar and calorie intake low.

Tall Chai Tea 

Chai Tea:  This black tea with a wonderful blend of cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and ginger is a fantastic option at Starbucks at 0 grams of sugar, 0 calories, and 0 grams of fat.

Tall Mint Majesty Tea

If you’re looking for a fresh mint, lemony flavor, the Mint Majesty Tea at Starbucks is your drink!It has 0 grams of sugar, 0 calories, and 0 grams of fat. 

Tall Iced Passion Tango Tea 

In case you want to cool down on a hot day, I leave you here with some iced tea options. 

The tall iced passion tango tea is a refreshing choice without all the sugar and calories, In fact, it has 0 grams of sugar, 0 calories, and 0 grams of fat.

Tall Matcha Green Tea Latte

Attention all matcha and almond milk fans: This is your perfect summer drink to sip on,  with 0 grams of sugar, 70 calories, and 3 grams of fat.

Tall Iced Green Tea

If you love a green tea moment with hints of mint, lemongrass and lemon verbena, hurry over to Starbucks for this drink. It has 0 grams of sugar, 0 calories, and 0 grams of fat!

Tall Iced Black Tea

Black tea is always a good idea- and Starbucks’ tall iced black tea drink has 0 grams of sugar, 0 calories, and 0 fat. Enjoy all the flavors without taking in all the excess sugar!

5 Tips on Ordering Low-Sugar Drinks at Starbucks

We can automatically achieve a healthier order at Starbucks by paying attention to just a few helpful tips: 

1. Pay attention to the sugar in your drink order.  Consider trying a healthier sugar alternative, such as Stevia or  Splenda. By using these sweeteners, you can dramatically reduce the amount of sugar, which means less calories in your drink.
2. When adding syrups to your order, opt for sugar-free pumps. 
3. If you want regular syrups, ask for only one pump of syrup. 
4. Choose a smaller-sized cup order.
5. Review Starbucks Nutrition Facts Menu

Ordering a tall versus a grande or venti can dramatically cut the grams of sugar in your drink. Thus, opting for the smaller drink size can allow you to indulge in your favorite drink while still practicing portion control.

The Bottom Line

While Starbucks can be delicious, there are many high-sugar, high-calorie drink orders that may hinder your weight loss and health journey.

With that said, there is no need to eliminate your Starbucks run if that is what brings you joy. 

Now that you have learned the ultimate tips to achieve the perfect low-sugar, low-calorie order, you can indulge in what you love while still maintaining a healthy diet.

Enjoy! 

If you want to read more about how to lower how much sugar you eat. Read how to detox from sugar.

This blog post was written by Talia Ciklik and edited by Dr. Su-Nui Escobar, DCN, RDN, FAND.