’Tis the season for Starbucks seasonal drinks. This year, the coffee chain is ringing in the holidays with new beverages, which are available in stores starting November. While tried-and-true faves like the 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 time of year — but with such unique beverages on menus nationwide, you may be wondering if some are healthier than others. As dietitian Chris Mohr tells Yahoo Life, it’s important to examine the nutritional profile of these drinks, as these seasonal specials “can be high in sugars, fat and calories,” which may lead to weight gain and even negatively impact your metabolic health — aka your ability to maintain optimal levels of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol — if they are consumed on a regular basis.
We examined the ingredients and nutrition facts in the new offerings to determine what you may want to know about these drinks and whether there’s one that’s the healthiest overall.
Cran-Merry Orange Refresher
This iced drink combines oat milk, chai tea concentrate, gingerbread syrup and a spiced topping made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Since it contains oat milk, as opposed to Starbucks’ almond beverage, it’s a bit higher in calories than the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte: It clocks in at 310. It also contains 25 grams of sugar and 3.5 grams of fat.
Importantly, though, this drink also contains minimal protein — just 2 grams — meaning it may not leave you particularly satiated.
Holiday Cold Foams
Cold foam drinks at Starbucks contain ice, brewed coffee and a sweet cream topping that is flavored with different syrups and additives. The new flavors are:
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Gingerbread Cream Cold Foam
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Peppermint Chocolate Cream Cold Foam
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Sugar Cookie Cream Cold Foam
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Chestnut Praline Cream Cold Foam
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Caramel Brulée Cream Cold Foam
At the moment, the specific nutrition facts for these beverages are not available. However, the Chocolate Cream Cold Brew contains roughly 250 calories, 14 grams of fat and 28 grams of sugar. Since there’s no milk added (only cream), these beverages are low in protein, at just 2 grams.
The bottom line
There’s no one “healthiest” Starbucks holiday beverage — and how you choose to incorporate these into your diet can make the difference in your overall nutrition, says Malone.
“Like most foods, there is a spectrum here where some holiday drinks like flavored brewed coffee are pretty harmless, and on the other end of the spectrum, you are essentially consuming a dessert for breakfast,” she says.
Malone says making a daily Starbucks run for one of these holiday beverages is OK — but if you’re looking to be nutritionally smart, you may want to customize your beverage. “Choosing fewer pumps of syrup or opting for the sugar-free syrups are a great way to lighten up Starbucks drinks,” Malone says. “You can also forego added drizzled sauces and choose lower fat milk products like fat-free and reduced-fat.”
The easiest way to do this, Malone notes, is to order your drink “skinny” — that way, she says, your barista will use “non-fat milk, sugar-free syrup and skip the toppings like whipped cream and chocolate shavings.”
Want a fun beverage you can enjoy every day? Malone recommends “flavored brewed coffee or a non-fat latte with pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top.” You can then “save the fully loaded drinks for a treat enjoyed a few times a month.”
