Starbucks Lite, Anyone?
Starbucks lattes will be going on a diet beginning in ’08. The “skinny latte” will be fat-free and made with sugar-free syrup. A 12oz (tall) will register only 90 calories compared to 260 in a comparable white chocolate mocha - non-fat (no whip).
I think this could work for them - IF it tastes comparable to its more caloric counterpart. Being sugar-free, they are using one or more artificial sweeteners, which doesn't always jibe with peoples’ taste buds or their apprehensions over the health concerns of artificial sweetener (whether rational or not).
Whether this new offering will be helpful to the weight-conscious consumer is a matter of circumstance. For instance…
- If your new year’s resolution is to shed pounds, it is best to eliminate or drastically reduce calorie-containing drinks. Grab a tall Sumatra - black.
- If your new year’s resolution is to shed pounds AND you are a latte junkie accustomed to a daily indulgence of the 260 cal variety – this may be an option of compromise. If you do the math, assuming a 5-latte/week pace, you save about 850 calories per week, which equates to about 1 pound of fat per month. This is of course assuming the law of thermodynamics is an exact science (which it isn’t) and also assuming you aren’t grabbing a 370 calorie apple Danish with a mocha swirl as well (you know, because you’re saving sooo many calories with your skinny latte). But I digress…
- If your new year’s resolution is to remain healthy and you like the original mochas – keep drinking them. Just be sure the rest of your dietary choices are pretty good and you exercise regularly
- If your new year’s resolution is to save money… what the heck are you doing at Starbucks?
As for me, I plan to sample the franken-latte err…. the “modified diet beverage” when it comes out. If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think.
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Lattes are $5 espresso flavored milk.
Just order a espresso shot in a regular cup and go pour the free milk in it! Geez! Oh I forgot you guys pay for the steam. Excuse my ignorance, sorry :-P
ReplyWhen I go to Starbucks (which I'll admit is 2-3 times a month at most) I always order my lattes like that. They use the Torani sugar-free syrups which are sweetened with Splenda, so if you have a problem with that sweetener then this is definitely not for you. I find that the regular lattes are too sweet for me. The "skinny" ones don't taste artificial at all to me.
ReplyI really hate Starbucks' coffee. It's always way too strong, too bitter, and just tastes nasty. Whenever I do go there, I only get plain coffee with a bit of skim milk and Splenda (this would be because I am a cheapass and I can't justify paying more than I have to for a beverage).
ReplyI'm not sure I follow this. When I order a latte--no matter what coffee shop I'm ordering from--my latte comes to me unsweetened. If I ordered a latte and received a sweetened drink, I'd send it back because that's not what I asked for. I can put in my own sweetener...not that I do. Bleah.
I can't imagine that the people who like white chocolate mochas with lots of whipped cream or whatever are going to switch to the "skinny latte." They enjoy drinking a big dessert, so why would they switch to something that's basically a cup of sweetened milky espresso?
Replyi can't live without my daily starbucks. i need the caffeine jolt to make me feel normal and i've come to associate starbucks coffee's strong flavor with its caffeine efficacy. but i haven't had any of their specialty drinks in years. i always get regular coffee and i add skim milk and sweet n low. i avoid the fancy drinks because 1) they're obscenely expensive and 2) they're insanely fattening. i don't understand why people would want to pay more money to put empty calories into their bodies.
ReplySince I agree with Spectra on the taste of Starbucks coffee--I think it tastes burnt--I'd say that at Starbucks it has more to do with trying to get the darn thing to taste good. Fat and sugar do that very well.
More to the point is why people still think they need to go to Starbucks when--in my opinion, at least--better coffee is easy to procure and is definitely cheaper to brew at home. I know that some people don't have the time or can't brew coffee at home, but for those who can...are we really that convenience driven?
ReplyI make my own coffee at home, it taste great, it's fast, it's easy and it's freakin' cheap. But people like what they like..oh and some people are that convenience driven.
ReplyOk, I'm a Starbucks junkie. However, I incorporate it into my diet. I love going to Starbucks for an hour or two to read and sip on a mocha.
I usually get a non-fat or 2% mocha with no whip. I think that hovers between 170-200 cals. However, I'm also getting the milk/protein/calcium in my diet which is important. So, it's kinda like drinking a chocolate milk. Not so bad--as long as you're making room for it in your diet.
I actually have grown to love their coffee, and now all other coffees taste watery to me. (Sucks for me I guess, lol). However, the caffeine is a lot for me, so I have to watch how much I have it (or order half-caf)
ReplyI despise artificial sweeteners in my coffee but don't want all the calories that come with the regular syrup. My way around this is to ask for half the usual serving of syrup. Starbucks drinks are too sweet for me anyway and halving the amount of syrup lets the coffee flavor shine through. And of course, I always get it with skim milk. I'm not sure how many calories this saves me, but I feel guilt free as I sip.
ReplyI rarely buy coffee away from home, but I certainly wouldn't spend money on artificially sweetened coffee! Ick.
ReplyI drink a Grande Soy Sugar-Free Vanilla Latte Mon-Fri AM, after my workout, and they are delicious! I do feel less guilty, and I dont get that sleepy feeling later from the sugar.
ReplyWhat this article is missing is the need for intense exercise above all.
ReplySheetz gas stations now offer gourmet coffee for less than Starbucks.
ReplyI drink a Medium size Sugar Free French Vanilla Soy Latte approx. 3 xs per week......I'm wondering if anyone knows how many calories that one is? I am very petite and work out so I don't have a weight issue! Thanks!!
ReplyEVERYTHING ELSE YOU SPEND MONEY ON IS PHONY SO WHY NOT COFFEE IT IS A PHONY WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN DARLING SO GO WITH THE FLOW, NOW DONT YOU BE A PHONY DEARIE
ReplyUgh, I hate Starbucks coffee! Lattes and whatnot don't tempt me, so I'm okay there. I'll have an occasional Tim Horton's coffee (marginally better than Starbucks) but I still take cream in it. I'm not giving up my cream. I drink coffee at home daily, but I use evaporated milk in it; it's got the consistency of cream, but less calories and fat.
ReplyI am a college student so I live on Starbucks coffee. I found out a great alternative to the white mocha. Try a white mocha americano... it cuts the milk and it still tastes like milk is in it! It's less caloric, cheaper and pretty amazing =]
ReplyI made a slight error, I meant to say an "iced white mocha americano," make sure it's iced =]
Reply