Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte turned 20 last month.
It has survived ferocious political environments, painful global recessions, and countless diet trends. The P.S.L. still stands strong as a staple of the American diet, autumn after autumn, year after year.
Denying yourself the instant nostalgia of this sweet cinnamony treat for the sake of weight loss would be un-instinctual, even anti-cultural. Our brains and bodies are hard-wired at this point to see the first leaf fall and detour directly to Starbucks.
Thankfully, I’ve hacked the Starbucks system and found 4 macro-friendly fall drinks you can indulge in without losing progress on your weight loss journey. Here’s how to embrace your inner Fall girl, the healthy way.
The Slimmer P.S.L
Starbucks pioneered pumpkin. Before they unveiled their now-classic fall latte, pumpkin wasn’t part of America’s fall society. Today, grocery stores can barely keep up with the demand for more pumpkin.
Shelves are stacked with pumpkin beer, pumpkin coffee creamer, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice hummus, and pumpkin spice deodorant. Last year, pumpkin products accounted for $787 million in national sales.
Unfortunately, with 50 grams of sugar in a Grande, the P.S.L. original recipe isn’t a friend cheering you forward on your health journey. Here’s your slimmer solution.
Order
- Grande Blonde Roast coffee
- One pump of pumpkin sauce and two pumps of sugar-free vanilla
- Add steamed almond milk
- Add pumpkin spice topping
Stats
- Calories: 90
- Fat: 3 grams
- Cabrs: 13 grams
- Protein: 1.5 grams
The Fit Pumpkin Cold Foam
There’s something sumptuous about cold foam. Fluffy yet pourable, it seeps gradually and gloriously down through an iced coffee. Besides making your cup of joe look like a Van Gogh painting, cold foam brings the smooth and creamy texture of steamed milk to iced drinks.
This secret recipe is one of my favorites, especially in the first few weeks of fall. While we’re drumming our burgundy nails, waiting for the weather to wane, cold foam fall drinks stretch our patience.
It’s the perfect transition between seasons. Light pumpkin notes tell you that Halloween is just around the corner. But, in this recipe, cold brew takes center stage.
With two pumps of sugar-free vanilla, this drink certainly tastes like a treat. The role of vanilla in sweet drinks is like the role of salt in savory snacks: it enhances all the other flavors. Before your first sip, take a slow sniff. The aromas alone will give you that cozy fall feeling you’ve been craving.
Here’s how to order the fitter pumpkin cold foam.
Order
- Grande cold brew
- 2 pumps of sugar-free vanilla
- Light pumpkin cold foam on top (ask them to add only one pump of the pumpkin to the cold foam)
Stats
- Calories: 75
- Fat: 1.5 grams
- Carbs: 13 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
The Pumpkin Chai Cheater
The “chai” you order from your local cafe has a history that dates back thousands of years. Ancient masala chai is steeped in tales of royalty and herbal medicine. Folklore tells a story of a king who created the first chai drink 5,000 years ago to cleanse his body. What started as ayurvedic ambrosia is now an Americanized coffeehouse treat.
It’s the blend of rich spices—the cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves—that makes chai tea so appealing each fall. As the weather cools, this warming drink soothes and comforts.
Sadly, Starbucks’ recipe is slammed with sweeteners. 240 calories and 42 grams of sugar squeeze into one Grande Chai Latte. Don’t skip lunch to fit in your fall treat. Cheat the Starbucks system, and try this macro-friendly pumpkin chai drink instead.
Order
- Grande organic chai tea (not a chai tea latte)
- Steamed almond milk (half milk/half water)
- ½ a pump of pumpkin syrup
- Add 1-2 Splenda or other 0 calorie sweetener (or sugar free vanilla syrup)
Stats
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 2 grams
- Carbs: 8 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
The Light and Dirty Chai Tea Latte
While the warming spice blend called “masala chai” originated long ago in India, it wasn’t until the early 1900s when caffeine became a customary add-in.
During Britain’s colonization in India, the British East India Company was thriving, with tea from Assam, India being one of its biggest commodities. Tea consumption in India grew. Eventually, Indians adopted the British preparation of tea (black with milk and sugar) and added their warming blend of spices. Chai tea was born. What once brought cleansing health can now boost energy too.
Here in America, we see tea as coffee’s weaker little brother. The more milligrams of caffeine in our morning routine, the easier we can tick off our to-do lists.
Our devotion to coffee drove us to invent a new version of India’s daily staple. With 100 additional milligrams of caffeine, the Dirty Chai Tea Latte (made with 2 shots of espresso) can warm the heart and kick the body in gear simultaneously.
Here’s how to order it at Starbucks without slipping up on your health goals.
Order
- Grande iced chai tea latte
- Substitute almond milk
- 1 pump of chai and 3 pumps of sugar free vanilla
- 1-2 shots of espresso on top
Stats
- Calories: 80
- Fat: 3 grams
- Carbs: 10 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
Don’t Skip Starbucks or Sabotage Your Goals
Did you know that most American adults feel happiest in the fall? Pumpkins and hot cider are apparently the tickets to joy. Don’t skip the sweet joys of fall. Weight loss is a goal to help you live more, not a cage that keeps you from living fully.
These four macro-friendly Starbucks drinks will beckon in the coziest fall feelings without wrecking your weight loss progress. But you need my in-depth program to learn how to create a lifestyle for long-term weight loss.
Ditch the deprivation diets. I’ll come alongside you and help you repair your metabolism, optimize protein for weight loss, and learn how to build a healthy lifestyle.
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