This morning my husband sent me this picture from Anchorage, where he’s on a quick business trip. While normally this would not be noteworthy photo material, since spending time this year in an even smaller (island) town in southeast Alaska for Jeff’s work, I haven’t laid eyes on a Starbucks in three months. Wow!
And am I allowed to say I haven’t missed it? I enjoy going to the few local coffee shops here. Although, I admit, I wish there was more than one place in this town that had wi-fi. Whether you are pro big-business or a stalwart supporter of Small Business Saturday, there is something to be said for the familiar. For knowing what to expect.
And for most of us, that includes at least an occasional (if not super-frequent) trip to Starbucks. In fact, where we moved from in Arizona, we wouldn’t know when the seasons change were it not for the seasonal menu changes at Starbucks. It’s a million degrees outside but the peppermint mochas are back. It must be winter!
So if you’re holiday shopping and errand-running includes a stopover at the local “Bucks,” snag these tips that can make the difference this winter between a nourishing nosh or an extra layer of, um, insulation.
- Starbucks actually has great healthy food choices—you just have to look beyond the pastry case! Try their Spinach and Feta Breakfast Wrap for under 300 calories.
- It’s now easier than ever to do your own detective work. Starbucks is making all their food and beverage choices’ nutritional information available right on the menu. Shoot for less than 600 calories for a meal, 200 calories for a snack (including drink), or 150 calories for a bevvie.
- Skip the whip. Whipped cream offers nothing redeeming, and the sugar goes straight to fat storage (let alone the effects it has on your energy levels in the short-term and premature aging in the long-term).
- Request either skim or soy milk to deliver lower-cal creamy drinkability.
- Beware of the flavor trap. Each pump of syrup whops about 40 calories and 10 grams of sugar per pop, and some drinks use as many as 6 pumps! That’s two and a half times the daily sugar limit recommended by the World Health Organization. And that’s already much more sugar than I recommend to clients looking to lose weight.
- Use cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor plain coffees and lattes. (Or carry a few stevia packets in your briefcase or purse to stir in!)
- Certain drinks, like the Shaked Iced Passion Tango Tea and (my favorite) Green Tea Latte, automatically come sweetened unless you specifically ask for it unsweetened. If you’re unsure, ask!
Most of us will still enjoy these familiar treats with just a few tweaks—and the payoff on the scale will be well worth it!
