What’s the best Starbucks holiday drink? How much sugar, caffeine is in spring drinks and other nutritional information

It’s time for Starbucks drinks. This year, the coffee chain is ringing in the holidays with new drinks, available in stores starting in November. While tried and true faves like Peppermint Mocha are back on the menu (this time, in a pink, green and red cup) there are also new additions with festive ingredients like cranberry and gingerbread.

There’s no doubt that Starbucks’ holiday drinks can be a fun part of the festive season — but with such unique drinks on menus across the country, you might be wondering what other are healthier than others. As nutritionist Chris Mohr tells Yahoo Life, it’s important to check the nutritional status of these drinks, as certain drinks “can be high in sugar, fat and calories,” which can lead to weight even affects your metabolic health – aka. your ability to maintain healthy levels of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol – if consumed regularly.

We’ve reviewed the ingredients and nutrition facts on the new offerings to find out what you want to know about these drinks and which ones are generally healthier.

Cran-Merry Orange product

Who says a holiday drink needs to be warm and cozy? Cran-Merry Orange Refresher – made with a mixture of white grapes, orange, cranberry and juice concentrate, with green coffee extracted for flavor – a normal amount and instead served on frozen. It’s also topped with freeze-dried cranberries.

It’s also a low-calorie option for most people, with 100 calories for a 16-ounce Grande. Those calories, however, mostly come from sugar – there are 20 grams per serving. (For comparison, the same amount of Coke has 52 grams of sugar.)

There is also a version of this drink on the menu that includes lemonade called Cran-Merry Orange Lemonade Refresher. This includes all the same ingredients as above, but mixed with lemonade, adds 31 grams of sugar and 140 calories for the same drink.

Lindsay Malone, a nutritionist and lecturer at Case Western Reserve University, tells Yahoo Life to be careful not to drink such drinks too often, as “sugar has no nutritional value and is a known driver. of many chronic diseases such as obesity, metabolic syndrome. and type 2 diabetes.”

There’s also the Cran-Merry Drink, an original refreshing recipe, shaken with coconut milk – a take on Starbucks’ Pink Cup. Although the sugar is only slightly higher than the original shake (23 grams this time) the addition of coconut milk makes this drink 140 calories, the same as lemonade.

Importantly, these refreshments also lack many beneficial nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Although cranberries are nutritious (such as vitamin C and E) they are very sweet in a drink, which means you won’t get most of these benefits. In addition, these drinks are completely free of protein, which helps to keep you full.

It should also be noted that these drinks contain caffeine – which may come as a surprise to people who don’t really associate soft drinks with stimulants. A Grande contains 55 mg of caffeine, much less than a Starbucks Caffe Americano espresso drink, which has about 225 mg. If you are concerned about caffeine, you may want to watch your intake.

Fresh Peppermint

This classic drink – a classic holiday drink – features espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint flavored syrup. It is also topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

A regular Grande-sized Peppermint Mocha has 440 calories, 54 grams of sugar and 16 grams of fat — the equivalent of “a small meal,” says Malone.

“Just black coffee has less than 15 calories and zero sugar, while peppermint mocha is closely related to peppermint milkshake,” Malone says. “Most people will not choose peppermint milk for breakfast when a coffee drink, dressed with sugar, cream and chocolate, seems to be a more appropriate choice.”

Caramel Brulee Latte

This dessert-like drink with milk, caramel brulèe sauce, espresso, whipped cream and caramel brulèe topping has 410 calories, 14 grams of fat and 48 grams of sugar, making it be a lighter option than Peppermint Mocha.

Chestnut Praline Latte

Chestnut Praline Latte is made with steamed milk, espresso and chestnut praline syrup, then topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with a powdered sugar topping. It has about 110 fewer calories than Peppermint Mocha, which comes in at 330, and less sugar, too, at 38 grams. It has about 14 grams of fat.

Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte

At just 150 calories, the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte is a lighter option than the hot coffee option above — and that’s because it uses almond milk instead of whole milk. This drink is also made with espresso and sugar-flavored syrup and contains about 25 grams of sugar and 3.5 grams of fat.

However, it is important to note that this latte may not fill you up as well as the other coffee drinks on this list. This drink has only 2 grams of protein, while Peppermint Mocha, for example, has 13 grams. Protein is the most satisfying macronutrient.

“Some people may choose almond milk over dairy milk to save calories but I recommend sticking to skim milk if you’re dairy-tolerant – you get 8 grams of protein per cup plus calcium , vitamin D and potassium,” Malone. that said.

Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

This iced drink combines oat milk, chai tea concentrate, gingerbread syrup and a topping made of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Because it contains oat milk, unlike Starbucks’ almond milk, it’s slightly higher in calories than the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte: It comes in at 310. It also has 25 grams of sugar and grams 3.5 of fat.

Importantly, however, this drink is also low in protein – just 2 grams – which means it may not leave you feeling particularly stressed.

Cold Holidays

Cool foam drinks at Starbucks consist of ice, brewed coffee and a sweet topping of cream with syrup and various additives. Here are the new features:

• Gingerbread Cream Cold Foam

• Peppermint Chocolate Cream Cold Foam

• Sugar Cookie Cream Cold Foam

• Chestnut Praline Cream Cold Foam

• Caramel Brulée Cream Cold Foam

Currently, specific nutritional information for beverages is not available. However, the Chocolate Cream Cold Brew has about 250 calories, 14 grams of fat and 28 grams of sugar. Since there is no added milk (just cream), these drinks are low in protein, with only 2 grams.

Important point

There’s no “healthy” Starbucks drink — and how you choose to incorporate it into your diet can make a difference in your overall nutrition, says Malone.

“Like most foods, there’s a lot of variation here where some holiday drinks like roasted coffee are safe, and on the other hand, you’re eating dessert for breakfast,” he says. .

Malone says making a daily trip to Starbucks for one of these holiday drinks is fine — but if you’re looking to be more nutritious, you might want to make your own drink. “Choosing less syrup taps or choosing sugar-free syrups is a great way to simplify Starbucks drinks,” Malone says. “You can also skip adding dipping sauces and choose low-fat dairy products such as fat-free and reduced-fat.”

The easiest way to do this, Malone says, is to order your drink “slim” — that way, he says, your barista will use “non-fat milk, no syrup sugar and skip toppings like whipped cream and chocolate shavings.”

Looking for a delicious drink to enjoy every day? Malone recommends “roasted coffee or a non-fat roast with pumpkin spice sprinkled on top.” After that, you can “keep the drinks fully refilled for meals that are enjoyed a few times a month.”