The ketogenic diet, or keto, has gained immense popularity in recent years. This high-fat, low-carb diet requires careful consideration of food and beverage choices, especially when eating out. Starbucks, a ubiquitous coffeehouse, presents both challenges and opportunities for keto dieters. This article provides a detailed guide to navigating the Starbucks menu while adhering to a ketogenic lifestyle, drawing upon expert advice and practical tips.
Understanding the Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is similar to the Atkins diet in that it drastically limits high-carb foods, such as grains, starches, sugary items, most fruits, some vegetables, and legumes. Instead, it emphasizes high-fat foods like meat, fish, eggs, butter, cream, cheese, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. The goal is to shift the body's primary fuel source from glucose to ketones, a state known as ketosis.
General Tips for Keto at Starbucks
Before diving into specific menu items, it's crucial to understand some general rules for ordering keto-friendly drinks at Starbucks. Here are some key considerations:
- Milk Alternatives: Regular milk (whole, 2%, and nonfat) is high in natural carbs and sugar, making it unsuitable for keto. Starbucks uses 2% milk as the default, but offers alternatives.
- Heavy Cream: The best keto-friendly milk option is heavy cream due to its high-fat, low-carb ratio. Use it in small amounts, like a splash, rather than as the base for a latte.
- Sugar-Free Syrups: Starbucks offers sugar-free syrups in flavors like vanilla, cinnamon dolce, and caramel. These are low in carbs but contain artificial sweeteners like sucralose and maltodextrin. Each pump has about 1 gram of carbs.
- Avoid Sweeteners: Most Starbucks drinks come sweetened with flavored syrups or liquid sweetener. Be mindful of these hidden sugars and request your drink unsweetened.
- Toppings and Add-ins: All of Starbucks’ sauces, toppings, drizzles, and cold foams contain sugar. Additionally, their chai base and matcha powder contain sugar. Specialty flavored drinks like Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Cinnamon Dolce Lattes, Caramel Macchiatos, or Caffe Mochas are off-limits because the flavor syrups for all of these drinks contain sugar.
- "No Classic": When ordering, specify "no classic," referring to Starbucks' sugary sweetener added to many drinks.
- Customization is Key: Don't hesitate to customize your drink to be keto-friendly. Ask for heavy cream or a mix of heavy cream and water as a milk substitute. Remove sweeteners or replace them with sugar-free syrup. Also, skip the whipped cream.
Keto-Friendly Starbucks Drinks
Here are several keto-friendly drink options at Starbucks, along with specific ordering instructions and estimated carb counts:
Brewed Coffee and Espresso
- Caffe Americano: A simple combination of espresso and hot water, a Caffe Americano is a naturally low-carb choice. For an iced version, order an Iced Caffe Americano with espresso and cold water, then iced.
- Espresso Con Panna: This consists of a shot of espresso topped with a dollop of whipped cream. The small amount of whipped cream shouldn’t significantly impact the carb count.
- Espresso Macchiato: Made with added steamed milk to create a layer of milk foam, the small amount of dairy in an espresso macchiato shouldn’t affect the carb count substantially.
- Cold Brew Coffee: Brewed cold, this coffee is smoother and less acidic than hot-brewed coffee.
- Iced Black Coffee: Be sure to specify "no classic" when ordering, as it typically comes with four pumps of syrup.
Customized Coffee Drinks
- Venti Iced Coffee (or Cold Brew) with Sugar-Free Syrup and Heavy Cream: Order a venti iced coffee or cold brew with no classic syrup. Add half sugar-free vanilla and half sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup, and a splash of heavy cream. A venti typically has 7 pumps of syrup, so adjust accordingly.
- How to Order: "Can I have a Venti Cold Brew (or iced coffee), no classic, with half sugar-free vanilla and half sugar-free cinnamon dolce and a splash of heavy cream?"
- Carb Count: Coffee and sugar-free sweetener have zero carbs; heavy cream has about 1 carb per ounce.
- Venti Misto with Heavy Cream and Sugar-Free Vanilla: A misto is coffee with steamed milk (or in this case, heavy cream). Order a venti misto with heavy cream instead of milk and sugar-free vanilla.
- How to Order: "Can I have a Venti Misto, no classic, with heavy cream and sugar-free vanilla?"
- Carb Count: Coffee and sugar-free sweetener have zero carbs; heavy cream has about 1 carb per ounce.
- Venti Cold Brew Blended with Heavy Cream and Sugar-Free Vanilla: This is a keto-friendly alternative to a Frappuccino. Order a venti cold brew blended with heavy cream, sugar-free vanilla, no classic, and no base. Add whipped cream for a treat (2g carbs per serving).
- How to Order: "Can I have a Venti cold brew blended, no classic, no base, with heavy cream and sugar-free vanilla? Add whip."
- Carb Count: Coffee and sugar-free sweetener have zero carbs; heavy cream has about 1 carb per ounce; Starbucks whipped cream has 2 carbs per serving.
- Venti Americano with Sugar-Free Vanilla and Heavy Cream: Order a venti Americano (or iced Americano) with 3 pumps of sugar-free vanilla and a splash of heavy cream.
- How to Order: "Can I have a Venti Americano (or iced Americano), no classic, with 3 pumps of sugar-free vanilla and a splash of heavy cream?"
- Carb Count: Starbucks Espresso has 2g of carbs, sugar-free sweetener has zero carbs, and heavy cream has about 1 carb per ounce.
Tea Beverages
- Hot or Iced Green Tea: A simple and refreshing choice with zero carbs, calories, and fat. It does contain caffeine.
- Hot or Iced Peach Tranquility Tea: Another zero-carb option that is caffeine-free, making it suitable for later in the day.
- Customized Tea Drinks:
- The White Drink: Order an unsweetened iced Peach Citrus Tea with no classic, a splash of heavy cream, sugar-free vanilla syrup, no water, and light ice.
- The Pink Drink: Order an unsweetened iced Passion Tea with no classic, no lemonade (just to be safe), a splash of heavy cream, sugar-free vanilla syrup, and light ice.
- Carb Count: Unsweetened tea has 0 carbs, sugar-free sweetener has zero carbs, and heavy cream has about 1 carb per ounce.
- London Fog (Keto-Friendly): Be sure to ask for the tea bag, not Chai tea syrup. This step is crucial to cut down on carbs for this drink.
- Passion Tango Tea (Keto Pink Drink): Ask for a grande Passion Tango, iced. You can customize it with different flavors.
Drinks to Avoid
- Lattes: Lattes are primarily milk (or cream, in keto versions). Ordering a latte with heavy cream would result in a very high-calorie drink.
- Starbucks Almond Milk and Coconut Milk: Starbucks versions contain added sugar and are not keto-friendly.
- Matcha Beverages: The matcha powder Starbucks uses is mixed with sugar, so you can’t order an unsweetened version.
- Chai Latte Beverages: The Starbucks chai pump contains added sugar.
Keto Starbucks Food Options
While most food items at Starbucks are off-limits due to high carb content, there are a few options to consider:
Read also: Healthy Starbucks Drinks
- Eggs & Cheese Protein Box: Stick to the eggs and cheese only.
- Cheese & Fruit Protein Box: Consume only the cheese.
- Bacon and Gruyere Egg Bites: These have 2g of sugar, 20g of fat, and 9g of carbs.
- Moon Cheese: Crispy pieces of cheese that can be eaten like chips.
- Cheese Tray: A mix of meats and cheeses, but be mindful of the cost and quality.
The Keto Pink Drink Recipe
The Starbucks pink drink is a popular choice, but the original version is high in carbs. Here's a keto-friendly version you can make at home:
Ingredients:
- Fruit tea bags (passionfruit and strawberry)
- Sugar-free sweetener (allulose or monk fruit)
- Heavy cream
- Coconut milk (unsweetened)
- Pink food coloring (optional)
- Frozen cherries or cranberry juice (optional)
- Boiling water
Instructions:
- Steep the tea: In a small bowl, add the tea bags and sweetener. Pour boiling water over it and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Add milk and cream: In a large jug, add ice. Pour the sweetened tea mixture, followed by heavy cream and coconut milk. Whisk until combined.
- Serve: Add pink food coloring if desired.
- Adjustments:
- Make a strong tea by using a very concentrated and full-flavored fruit tea.
- Adjust the sweetness by adding more sweetener as needed.
- For a less sweet tea, use half fruit tea and half green tea.
- Add more strawberries for extra flavor.
Storage Instructions:
- To store: Keep the pink drink refrigerated at all times.
- To freeze: Pour the drink into a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Considerations Regarding Artificial Sweeteners
Starbucks' sugar-free syrups contain artificial sweeteners like sucralose and maltodextrin. While these are lower in carbs than regular sugar, some individuals prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners altogether. If you're concerned, consider bringing your own keto-friendly sweetener, such as stevia drops.
Ordering Keto at Other Coffee Shops: Dutch Bros
If you find yourself at a Dutch Bros Coffee location, you'll have even more keto-friendly options. Dutch Bros offers a wider variety of sugar-free flavors, including white chocolate, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, chocolate macadamia nut, hazelnut, Irish cream, peppermint, coconut, raspberry, and strawberry. You can also order a Keto Cold Brew (cold brew and heavy cream) or a Keto Americano.
Read also: Starbucks Keto Drinks & Snacks
Read also: Refreshing Keto Pink Drink