7 Best Starbucks drink for people with high cholesterol (Starbucks Heart-Friendly drink Options + More information)
Are you worried about your cholesterol level but can’t get enough of Starbucks’ amazing drinks? Check out our list of the best Starbucks drinks that are good for individuals with high cholesterol.
We have a colleague at work who is obsessed about Starbucks. But because of his high cholesterol levels he is forced to take Starbucks drinks in moderation. Especially those topped with whipped cream and have high caffein and sugar content.
There were many attempts to get him to quit coffee but we failed. So, instead, we tried finding better Starbucks drinks alternatives for him so he didn’t need to stop enjoying the delicious drinks that Starbucks has to offer.
Luckily, we found that Starbucks has a wide variety of drink choices including some amazing healthy options to choose from. In this article we’ll share with you the narrowed down the list of the best heart-friendly Starbucks drinks we discovered that you can enjoy without raising your cholesterol levels.
Table of Contents
Can I Drink Any Starbucks Drinks If I Have High Cholesterol?
No, you can’t. You need to be very wise when choosing your beverages at Starbucks. A lot of their options may have high caffeine, sugar, fat, and overall high-calorie content.
This may not be too good for your health.
That is why while ordering, it is best to stay away from the syrup flavor, whipped cream, whole milk. You can opt for drinks with little sugar, skim or plant-based milk, and low caffeine content.
These are the safest and healthiest types of drinks that will be good for your heart and cholesterol levels.
Is Starbucks Frappuccino High In Cholesterol?
Yes, the sugar-loaded blended drinks are believed to be high in cholesterol and not suitable for individuals with high cholesterol levels.
According to Eat This, one Venti Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino from Starbucks already contains 22% of your daily cholesterol intake.
In addition, that same Frappuccino contains a total of 590 calories with 17g of saturated fat and 75 grams of sugar.
While Frappuccino can be a tasty drink and a great way to indulge your sweet tooth and cravings, it does pose a threat to your heart and cholesterol levels. It is better to avoid them in general when deciding on a Starbucks drink.
How Much Cholesterol Is In A Starbucks Latte?
Yes, a Starbucks Latte may contain cholesterol. The amount, however, will vary based on factors the size of the latte and the content.
For example, a tall Starbucks Caffe Latte made with whole milk contains 30mg of cholesterol which is a significant amount. On the other hand, a tall Starbucks Nonfat caffe latte contains only 5mg while a Venti size of the same contains 10mg.
So, while ordering a Starbucks latte you may want to avoid the whole milk, stick to smaller quantities and if you must have milk, opt for skim or plant-based milk. A great option could be a tall-size Caffe latte with soy milk.
How We Choose The Best Starbucks Drink For High Cholesterol.
While picking out the best heart-friendly Starbucks drinks for this list we used the following criteria:
- Low cholesterol – when you already have high cholesterol you want to avoid taking anything that might further increase that level. That is why all the drinks listed below have zero cholesterol in them so you can enjoy them without any worries.
- Low caffeine – while caffein isn’t known to directly affect your cholesterol levels, it does affect your liver’s production of cholesterol. It is, therefore, safer to take zero or low caffeinated drinks, which is why most of the drinks listed below have below 50mg of caffeine per serving.
It is also best to avoid coffees or teas with additions like high-fat/whole milk, creamer, or whipped cream and added sugary flavors and syrups.
That is why the drinks listed below don’t require any of these additions and are also not overly sweet, making them the best all-rounded healthy drinks suitable for you even when you are on a low-calorie diet.
7 Best Starbucks Drinks For High Cholesterol.
Iced Passion Tango Tea.
A sip of this iced tea will make you feel like you are having a tropical vacation. It is made up of passion, hibiscus, lemongrass, apple juice, and a touch of cinnamon and licorice roots.
It is a refreshing, delicious drink that is completely sugar-free, caffeine-free, cholesterol-free, and has a low-calorie count. You could also have it as a lemonade which has added slightly tangy sweetness.
Mint Majesty Tea.
For a hot drink option, you can try Mint Majesty tea. Right from its name, this is a delicious herbal tea that you can enjoy all year round. It is made up of a combination of mint and lemongrass, to give you a wonderful and unique flavor.
To add to it, it is completely healthy with zero caffeine, added sugar, and cholesterol, plus a very low-calorie count.
Peach Tranquility Tea.
Another delicious hot beverage option to enjoy all year is the Peach Tranquility tea. As the name suggests, a sip of this tea and you’ll feel relaxed.
It is made up of a unique combination of sweet peaches and candied pineapple paired with rose hips and lemon verbena along with the calming effects of the chamomile blossoms.
Like the two options above, this beverage also does not contain any caffeine, added sugar, or cholesterol, and also has a low-calorie count. It’s especially the perfect drink for a cool springtime or a nice summer evening.
Ice Green Tea
This is another refreshing and healthy cold beverage option. It has just the right touch of sweetness and has zero cholesterol. It does, however, have a bit of caffeine, although very little.
The grande size has 25mg of caffeine, but it is still a low-calorie drink and shouldn’t affect your cholesterol level too much if taken in moderation.
If you want something a little sweeter, then you can order it as Iced Green Tea with Strawberry base, although you may need to make that order physically in the store since the app doesn’t seem to have that option.
Another great alternative is to order the Iced tea with strawberry puree, that is, if you don’t mind the chunks.
Hot Chocolate.
This is a classic drink and an all-round favorite for anyone. Luckily for you, you can also enjoy this delicious chocolatey goodness without worrying about your cholesterol level.
The classic Starbucks host chocolate has zero cholesterol, especially if you skip out on the whipped cream, syrup flavor, and sauce. Don’t worry, the beverage will still be sweet without all the glitters they add to it.
Plus, it only has 25mg of caffeine in a tall size and minimal calorie count. It’s the perfect go-to, especially during winter.
Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher.
As the name suggests this drink option is refreshing and 100% cholesterol-free. It is a delicious combination of blackberry, fruit juice, green coffee extract, and hibiscus, whose flowery hints prevent it from being overly sweet.
It is the drink with the highest caffeine level, but only 35mg and on the plus side, it only has 50 calories. So, you get to enjoy that caffein energy-boost effect without worrying about raising your cholesterol.
Black Coffee.
We’ve added this beverage to the list, for those of you, who simply must have their daily fix of coffee. But make sure you limit it to just one per day.
It has zero cholesterol and without the added syrups and cream, it also has low calories. Still don’t forget coffee does still indirectly affect the level of cholesterol in your body if not taken in moderation.
Our advice would be to order a short or tall half-caf black coffee, considering a venti contain almost the allowed amount of caffein a regular healthy adult should take per day.
Informative Section.
What is the healthiest drink from Starbucks?
The healthiest drink at Starbucks would have to be the Mint Majesty tea. The hot beverage is a healthy herbal tea with zero calories, no caffeine, and no cholesterol.
Is there cholesterol in Starbucks coffee?
No, Starbucks coffee and coffee, in general, do not contain cholesterol. It does, however, contain two chemical compounds, namely kahweol and cafestol that can raise the level by affecting the liver’s production of cholesterol.
That is why one needs to be cautious about how much coffee one takes.
What is the best drink to lower cholesterol?
There are plenty of healthy drinks that can improve your cholesterol level, they include, oat drinks, green tea, plant-milk or berry smoothies, cocoa drinks among others.
Are there any healthy Starbucks drinks?
Yes, aside from the ones listed in this article there are over 15 healthy drink options on the Starbucks menu.
You can also customize a healthy drink by using sugar-free syrup flavors and skim/non-fat/plant-based milk instead of whole milk.
Is there anything healthy at Starbucks?
Yes, there are plenty of healthy options for food and drink on the Starbucks menu item, from the healthiest Mint Majesty hot tea to the classic whole-grain oatmeal cookies.