Smart Swaps: Healthier Ways to Enjoy Fall-Flavored Coffee Drinks

From Pumpkin Spiced Lattes to Salted Caramel Mochas, the beginning of fall means the start of specialty holiday beverages at many of our favorite coffee shops. While it can seem fun and festive to order one of these festive refreshments, you may not be aware that one drink contains more calories than a meal and more sugar than two or three glazed donuts. 

So before you place your next drink order, take a look at these tips for making your favorite fall drink order healthier.

How to Make Your Fall Drink Order Healthier 

While different coffee shops each have their own specialty fall flavors, there are some universal ways to cut back on the calories and sugar. 

1. Skip the whip. Depending on the size of your drink, whipped cream adds anywhere from 60-110 calories – that’s as much as one drink! Plus, those calories can also come with at least 6 grams of fat. Do your body a favor and just say no to whipped cream.
2. Stick with a 12-ounce (Tall). While 4 ounces may not sound like a big difference, those calories can add up fast! Depending on the beverage, going from 12-ounces to 16 ounces can add anywhere from 20 to 80 extra calories. Feel like you still need more caffeine, you can always order an extra shot of espresso into your 12-ounce beverage.
3. Choose a lower fat or fat-free milk. Whole fat milk not only adds a lot of calories, but it’s also high in fat. While fat-free milk will be the lowest in calories (and obviously fat), if your coffee shop offers 1% milk that’s a great choice. 1% milk is a good middle-ground between being lower in calories and fat while having a thicker texture and richer flavor than non-fat.
4. Ask if alternative milks are sweetened. While almond, soy, coconut, and oat milks each have pros and cons, many coffee shops use sweetened versions which can add significant calories and sugar to your beverage.

   And remember, “original” often means added sugar. If all the options are sweetened, almond milk is likely going to be the lowest in calories and sugar. Tip: The soy milk at Starbucks is not only sweetened, but it’s the vanilla sweetened – a.k.a even higher in sugar. Make sure to go with almond or coconut milk instead.
5. Decrease the number of pumps. In general, one pump of flavored syrup provides 20 calories and 5 grams of sugar.

   While it may not sound like much, those numbers add up fast, especially considering that at Starbucks, a Tall has 3 pumps (15 grams of sugar), a Grande has 4 (20 grams of sugar) and a Venti has 5-6 (25-30 grams of sugar). Most coffee shops offer half pumps, so try asking for 1 ½ to cut the sugar in half.

6. Go iced. If you don’t care about the temperature of your beverage, choosing iced over hot will also save you calories as some of the milk is replaced with ice.
7. Make it your indulgence for the week. While many of us would agree that eating a glazed donut every day isn’t the healthiest, we tend to forget that many of these specialty coffee drinks contain just as much if not more sugar and calories than that donut. If it just doesn’t feel like fall without your favorite drink, enjoy but then stick to healthier options the rest of the week.
8. Choose a flavored ground coffee or spiced tea instead. There are other ways to get your seasonal fix. Many coffee shops offer pumpkin-spiced ground coffee or spiced teas that are just as flavorful, but without the excess calories and sugar. Still want that latte? Most coffee shops can make an unsweetened tea latte by steeping a tea bag in a cup of steamed milk.

What about sugar-free syrups?

 

 

You’ll notice that I didn’t mention sugar-free syrups. While lower in sugar and calories, many of these syrups are packed with chemicals and food colorings.

Plus, the artificial sweeteners in them can actually taste sweeter than real sugar. Research suggests that consuming overly sweet artificial sweeteners on a regular basis may cause us to crave sugar even more.

How to Order a Healthier Pumpkin Spice Latte 

As almost every store has their own version of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, let’s take a look at how these swaps can affect the nutrition content. Of course, keep in mind that the actual nutrition values will vary by coffee shop. 

Nutrition for a Tall (12-ounce) with Whole Milk and Whipped Cream:

• 330 calories
• 15 grams of fat
• 9 grams of saturated fat
• 39 grams of sugar 

Healthy swaps: 

• No whip
• Non-fat or almond milk
• Only 1 pump of syrup

Nutrition for the healthified version (with dairy):

• 180 calories
• 0 grams of fat
• 0 grams of saturated fat
• 28 grams of sugar

Nutrition for the healthified version (dairy-free):

• 160 calories
• 4.5 grams of fat
• 0 grams of saturated fat
• 18 grams of sugar 

Even with the healthier swaps, 18-28 grams of sugar is still a lot. While it’s perfectly fine to indulge in a PSL every once and awhile, it’s best to find a healthier option to get your daily pumpkin-spice fix. 

3 Tips for Getting your Fall Coffee-Fix at Home 

1. DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte. Skip the line and save money by making your own PSL at home. There are many recipes online, but this recipe is one of my go-to’s.
2. Buy Flavored Coffee Beans. Many coffee companies come out with fall-inspired coffee beans this time of year. Look for ones that are roasted in spices or spiced oils and stay away from those with added sugars. We love the Trader Joes pumpkin spice coffee!
3. Add Cinnamon to your Coffee Beans. This is a trick I learned from a friend whose parents always add a dash of cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice!) to their coffee beans before they brew them. While it’s not for everyone, it’s an easy way to add a warm spiced flavor to your morning coffee.

Wondering how sugary your go-to coffee drink is? Use your Lose It! app to look up the nutrition stats on your favorite drink as well as possible healthier options.