Pumpkin Spice Latte: The Healthier Way

Pumpkin Spice EVERY-thing season is here! Fall is the time to enjoy some of your favorite pumpkin treats, but I’m here to tell you today: Pumpkin Spice season doesn’t have to ruin your plans for healthy eating!   Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts of the popular Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. According to the Starbucks website, if you order the grande (16oz) PSL with no alterations, you will be drinking 380 calories, 14g fat (including 8g saturated fat!), and 50g sugar!! Wow, that’s a lot. But the good thing about Starbucks is the ability to customize your order.  

Customize your Pumpkin Spice Latte

To make your PSL a healthier option, you can make several simple changes. First ordering with skim milk will save you a few calories, half of the fat grams, bringing it down to 330 calories, 7g fat (4.5g saturated fat!), and 51g sugar. Wait, what? More sugar? Yes. A lot of times, lower calorie foods have to use additives to reduce the calories, which in turn, could affect other aspects of the make-up.   Okay, what else can I do? Easy! Remove the whipped cream topping. Oh, so delicious, but removing whipped cream and using nonfat milk, your pumpkin spice lattes will have 260 calories, 0g fat (0g saturated fat!), and 49g sugar.   That’s still a lot of sugar grams. So where is all of that sugar coming from? The pumpkin flavoring Starbucks pumps in there! According to the nutrition facts, a grande nonfat latte has only 130 calories and 18g sugar. That is 130 calories of pumpkin spice flavoring in your drink!  

Two Pumps, Please

Did you know that a grande drink gets 4 pumps of pumpkin spice syrup? Another simple solution is to order your drink with fewer pumps. I’ve found that ordering only 2 pumps of syrup actually tastes better because my body isn’t used to that sugar overload anymore. Plus, it’s saving my body a lot of extra calories and sugar! This trick can be used on any flavoring at Starbucks too. So, next time you order a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks, try ordering a nonfat version, no whip and only 2 pumps of flavoring. It will make your drink 195 calories, 0g fat, and only 15.5g sugar – a much healthier option for your pumpkin spice coffee treat! Happy Fall, y’all!