Starbucks Addict

Hello. My name is Elyse, and I am a Starbucks addict.
How many of us can relate to this confession? Whether you’re an employee, a parent or a college student, like me, who is well acquainted with final papers and midterms, you may be one of the millions of humans on this planet who can’t even function in the morning without that quick fix of caffeine.
Now, when I say I’m a Starbucks addict, I mean it. I analyzed the coffee empire’s strengths and weaknesses for my final paper my freshman year (honestly, it was just a great excuse for me to visit Starbucks when I needed “inspiration” for my paper), and I spent the $40 gift card my dad bought me for St. Nick’s Day within a single semester.
There was even one time when a woman stopped me on the street and asked me where she could find the nearest hospital; I told her I had no idea and watched her frantically speed off. Two seconds later, a student asked me where she could find the closest Starbucks; I rattled off three locations.
Thankfully, Starbucks Coffee, Co. is familiar with coffee addicts, such as myself, and can provide temporary cures for cravings in the form of caffeinated beverages.
However, not all of these instant and roasted forms of therapy are healthy. That is why I have taken it upon myself to educate my fellow coffee fanatics about the nutritional values of three Starbucks beverages. The facts listed below all originate from the Starbucks website, www.starbucks.com.
First and foremost is the crème de le crème of my beloved beverages: the chai tea latte. Normally, I order a grande (or a medium) size chai tea latte, which consists of 16 ounces of deliciousness, with 2 percent milk. This luscious latte has a total of 260 calories, 60 of which are from fat, seven grams of total fat and four grams of saturated fat. It also has 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of sugar and 43 grams of carbohydrates. On the bright side, it has seven grams of protein, 4 percent Vitamin A, 2 percent iron and 25 percent of the calcium needed daily, at least this is what I like to keep reminding myself.
However, there is light to the end of this dark and decaffeinated tunnel. If I substitute 2 percent milk with nonfat milk, the total calories drop from 260 to 200; also, there are no fat calories or grams of fat! Furthermore, there are only 5 milligrams of cholesterol, and there’s a 4 percent increase in the amount of Vitamin A and an extra gram of protein.
This option is healthier than ordering your latte with soy milk. Nevertheless, both the carbohydrates and sugars increase by one gram with nonfat milk compared to ordering it with 2 percent.
Here’s a seasonal favorite for all of you frappuccino fans: the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Blended Crème. This fattening frapp not only taste like pumpkin, but it makes you look like one as well. If you order a grande frapp with whipped cream, you are ingesting 470 calories, 120 from fat, 13 grams of total fat and seven grams of saturated fat; according to fitday.com, that’s only 100 calories less than a slice of cheesecake. There are also 360 milligrams of sodium, 74 grams of carbohydrates and 63 grams of sugar.
However, there are 13 grams of protein, and the beverage makes up 15 percent of your daily amount of Vitamin A and 45 percent of your required intake of calcium for all of you optimists. To cut the total calories from 470 to 360, order the beverage without whipped cream.
For all of you who are currently fighting back tears as you reach for the scissors to cut up your Starbucks gift cards, don’t despair! Your Starbucks fixations can still be satisfied with the Strawberry Banana Vivanno Smoothie. This berry-filled beverage, when ordered with nonfat milk, has a total of 270 calories, 5 of which are from fat. There are also only 0.5 grams of total fat.
Even though there are 110 milligrams of sodium, 56 grams of carbohydrates and 41 grams of sugar, there are still seven grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein. Plus you receive 4 percent of your required amount of Vitamin A, 10 percent of your daily calcium and iron intake and 100% of your needed quantity of Vitamin C.
Now, please keep in mind that this article is not to bash Starbucks. I would be a dirty, rotten liar if I said I would never order another chai tea latte from there again (oh, I don’t even want to think about that happening). I just feel obligated to reach out to all of those who reach into their wallets everyday to pay for these $3.00 beverages.
If I didn’t mention your favorite beverage and you’re curious to discover its nutritional value, log onto www.starbucks.com/retail and click on the nutrition information button.
Be wise my fellow coffee enthusiasts. Be wise.
My name is Elyse, and I am a Starbucks addict.