The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes

Starbucks is a reliable companion no matter the season, whether it’s the cozy pumpkin spice scents of autumn or the refreshing cold brews of summertime.

Most drinks you get at coffee chains like Starbucks come loaded with calories and sugar, making these delicious drinks not the healthiest of choices. There are, however, plenty of low-carb substitutions and creations for you to try. All are low-calorie and low-carb and won’t leave you worrying about your blood sugars or your favorite jeans fitting.

Here are some of the most intriguing diabetes-friendly drinks I found at Starbucks:

• Sugar-Free Snickerdoodle – This is made by tweaking a Sugar-Free Vanilla Latte by adding one pump of Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dulce syrup. You can add 1-2 Splenda sugar-free sweetener if you need.
• Caramel Macchiato – This is a favorite of many but is still loaded with calories and sugar since it contains milk and caramel sauce. Try it cold and swap out the milk for almond milk and hold the sauce. It is still rich with flavor and will get you energized!
• Cinnamon Dolce Latte – These are delicious and the cinnamon is a great spice to add flavor without adding in any carbs. Ask for an Americano with ½ water and ½ steamed heavy cream and a few pumps of sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup.
• Frappuccino – These can be easily transformed into a low-carb drink by avoiding their classic syrup and replacing it with sugar-free and 3 pumps of heavy whipping cream, blended Frappuccino style.
• Ombre Pink Drink – The popular drink of the moment is the Ombre Pink Drink which contains their Strawberry Acai Drink, coconut milk and freeze-dried strawberries, all of which contain sugar. To lighten up the carbs, opt for whipping cream, passion tango ice tea and four pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup.

Also, here are some seasonal drinks to consider:

• Pumpkin Spice Latte – I think people get over their summer blues with just the thought of ordering their first Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Just opt for almond milk, hold the whipped cream and ask for one pump of their pre-sweetened pumpkin-flavored syrup.
• Hot Peppermint Kiss – This is Starbuck’s Peppermint hot tea with 2 pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup making it a sweet and minty alleviate.
• Peppermint Mocha – This creation is a delicious seasonal treat but make sure to order it with almond milk, no whipped cream, and only one pump of their peppermint-flavored syrup to keep this gem blood sugar friendly. I will leave it up to you on whether you add the dark chocolate curls!

If you prefer tea to coffee, there are still plenty of ways to get creative! Many sugar-free options are just waiting to be turned into a low-carb creation, whether it’s Black Tea, Green Tea or Passion Fruit Tea. Here are a few such options:

• Passion Fruit Tea Drink – This one is very popular in the diabetes community. Be sure to try sugar-free vanilla syrup in Passion Fruit Iced Tea for a refreshing and tasty treat.
• Low-Carb London Fog – A London fog is typically a combination of Earl Grey tea, steamed milk and vanilla syrup. Replace the milk with whipping cream and use sugar-free vanilla to create this low carb goodness.
• Low-Carb Chai Tea Latte – The original Chai Latte is made from milk, water and chai tea concentrate which has added sugar and honey. You can easily turn this into a low-carb treat by using their brewed chai tea bags, heavy whipping cream and sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup.

Living with diabetes makes us more aware of what we are eating and drinking. Thanks to these low-carb tweaks, we can enjoy while not worrying about our blood sugars.

Have you discovered any great low-carb drinks at Starbucks recently? Share and comment below!

Learn more on how to go keto at Starbucks!

Diabetes Daily

The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes