What Are Some Clean Keto Starbucks Drinks?

While there are a number of Starbucks drinks that can fit your macros what you consume and what your body does with those ingredients are two very different things. Coffee all by itself is keto when you consider its macronutrients. However when you take into account the stimulating effects of caffeine and how it can increase blood sugar you might begin to understand what I’m talking about. Caffeine doesn’t have any carbohydrate macros yet it still affects blood sugar when you ingest it. I’ll be transparent for a minute and tell you that I’m writing this article because it’s a popular search topic. When people search for keto coffee drinks at Starbucks I know they’re not trying to decide between Pike Place or an Americano. You want a mocha-schmocha something or other. The issue with these keto coffee drinks is that the macros look good when you order them but what happens in your body when you ingest a sugar-free flavored beverage? Keep reading for the clean keto drinks I approve of at Starbucks.

Finding Starbucks Drinks That Are Keto Approved

At first glance, you might think that a cup of coffee that only contains coffee and whole milk or heavy cream would fit into your keto diet. Looking at the Starbucks menu Cafe Misto and Cappuccino initially stand out as potential keto coffee drinks. On the Starbucks website, the default recipe for both of these drinks is 2% milk and milk foam. A 12 oz cappuccino made with 2% milk has 10 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of those are sugar. When I changed the milk used on the website the nutrition facts didn’t update. Using my go-to calculator Cronometer, I discovered that if you switch to whole milk a 12 oz cappuccino still has 9 grams of carbs with 8 of those as sugar.

What if you switched to coconut milk? Coconut milk is typically touted as full of healthy fat. Get this, a 12 oz cappuccino made with coconut milk has 11 grams of carbohydrates and 9 of them are sugar. A 12 oz caffe latte has 15 grams of carbohydrates when it’s made with whole milk. Even if you swapped the milk with heavy cream, assuming 12 oz of heavy cream, that’s still 9.7 grams of carbohydrates.

As far as milk goes at Starbucks, almond milk looks like the low-carb winner. A 12 oz cappuccino made with almond milk has 7 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber which gives you a net carb total of 6 grams, 4 grams as sugar. For some people, 6 grams of carbohydrates is far too many to blow on a 12 oz cup of coffee. If you ordered an almond milk-based drink once or twice a month it’s not likely going to ruin your keto diet. However, if you order this thinking it’s keto coffee at Starbucks multiple times a day or week, then it begins to add up.

Now let’s be real. Who orders a tall 12 oz coffee at Starbucks? Most coffee lovers like myself order a grande or venti. If you try to keep your daily carbohydrate consumption under 50 grams you’re likely getting most of them from dairy in your coffee if you order them made, as is. For those trying to consume 20 grams of carbohydrates or less, you might want to skip milk altogether or do 1/2 heavy cream and 1/2 water. Alternately, a few tablespoons of heavy cream (mentioned further down) is likely ok in your keto Starbucks drink.

The Problem With Sugar Free Flavor Syrups

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener. While it doesn’t contain any carbohydrates what your body does with it would make you think otherwise. The problem with any alternative sweetener is that your body releases insulin the moment something sweet touches your tongue. Insulin is released, sugar never arrives, blood sugar drops, and then it activates hunger signals and the body’s fight or flight response. When the sympathetic, fight or flight, portion of the nervous system is activated, cortisol is released which in turn causes the body to release glucose into the blood. Science has shown that artificial sweeteners like sucralose predispose someone to develop type 2 diabetes. [1]

Ingestion of these artificial sweeteners (AS) results in the release of insulin from pancreas which is mistaken for glucose (due to their sweet taste). This increases the levels of insulin in blood eventually leading to decreased receptor activity due to insulin resistance.

Effect of artificial sweeteners on insulin resistance among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients

On the surface, something might look like a keto-approved Starbucks drink, but it’s likely not. If you want to see how your body handles Sucralose conduct a personal experiment with a blood glucose and/or ketone meter. What are your fasting numbers? After you have your keto Starbucks drink test your numbers 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 2 hours afterward. THAT is the best way to know if your Starbucks drink is keto-approved for you.

In another study, they discovered liver and kidney damage in mice who were fed Sucralose and stevia. [2] Does this mean that you can never add flavor syrups to keto coffee? Honestly, it depends on you and what your goals are. If you want keto coffee at Starbucks I simply want you to know what’s what. There are many people who believe that keto doesn’t work for them and more often than not it can be attributed to dirty vs clean keto.

What is clean keto? Clean keto focuses on more than just macros. As I showed you above, just because something says it doesn’t contain many carbohydrates doesn’t mean that’s what happens to your biochemistry after you ingest it. Starbucks doesn’t have the market cornered on sugar-free syrup, coffee beans, and milk; these things are likely true no matter what coffee shop you visit.

For the reasons I’ve just outlined about alternative sweeteners I’m not going to suggest them for your keto coffee drink. One, it’s not clean keto and I want you to be successful in your efforts. Also, I can’t in good conscience say that Starbucks drinks are keto approved when they contain ingredients I don’t believe support your goals. If you want keto coffee at Starbucks check out my favorites below:

The Keto Coffee Drinks I Order

Pike Place With Light Heavy Cream

I’m one of those crazy people who enjoy the taste of black coffee so my drink orders are usually pretty simple. When I don’t want to wait for the barista to make espresso, or I notice they’re really busy, I simply order a Pike Place with light heavy cream. One tablespoon of heavy cream has 0.4 grams of carbohydrates. Pike Place coffee is typically already made and ready to go. All they have to do it put it in a cup and add a splash of cream. I know light heavy cream sounds like an oxymoron. I like a splash of heavy cream but if I don’t say light heavy cream they put too much in and it borders on a latte. A simple cup of coffee is also easier on the wallet than drinks made with espresso. If you like cream in your coffee this is a Starbucks drink I’d approve for your keto diet.

Decaf Americano

When I’m at home I drink decaffeinated organic coffee. If you don’t know my story I have autoimmune issues so I’m a bit “special” in that regard. I’ve found that not only does caffeine make me feel cold, my hands and feet end up feeling icy. Here’s the real kicker though, if I have too much caffeine my fingertips go numb. This is why I actually prefer decaffeinated coffee but most coffee shops, including Starbucks, don’t typically have decaffeinated coffee brewed all day long. I know I’ve confused some baristas with my decaffeinated Americano order. Most people equate espresso with a heavy dose of caffeine and while that’s true you can also make espresso with decaffeinated coffee. What I like most about an Americano is it’s the hottest coffee drink you can order. I order it straight up without anything added. Simply a black decaffeinated Americano. Of course, you could add a splash of heavy cream if that’s your thing.

Changes I’d Like To See For More Keto Approved Drinks On The Starbucks Menu

Cleaner Dairy

When it comes to keto-approved coffee many coffee shops are behind in what they could offer their customers. I was surprised to learn that Starbucks even offered heavy cream as an option. The only issue I have is that it’s not likely organic cream from pasture-raised cows. All of the things that can make dairy dirty are found in the fat. While heavy cream isn’t the worst thing on the menu it also doesn’t fully support a clean keto diet. Pasture-raised cows are better for the environment (carbon negative). Pasture-raised dairy is rich in anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats whereas grain-fed dairy (even if it’s organic) contains more inflammatory omega 6 fats than omega 3s. When dairy isn’t organic it can also contain antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones, and herbicides. As I write this I know that Starbucks is considering a move towards plant-based milk. Not only is this a disaster for the environment they also don’t adequately support human health.

Add More Fat To The Menu

The only place locally where I can order a true fat coffee, Bulletproof coffee, is at Whole Foods. When you blend coffee with butter and MCT oil it tastes like a latte. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) are one of the fats found in coconut oil, butter, and palm oil. They’re a quick energy source that supports a clean keto diet. MCTs are easily digested and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Typical fats are made of long-chain triglycerides so they take longer to metabolize. MCTs can enter the mitochondria without the presence of carnitine, unlike longer triglycerides. What would support a clean keto diet better than a dose of healthy fat in your coffee that your body could use quickly?

Organic Coffee

I’m the canary in the coal mine. If I drink too much coffee that isn’t organic, even if it’s decaf, it makes me dizzy. Dizzy as in, I went to the doctor thinking I had a brain tumor or something. Of course, they told me to drink more water but I knew that wasn’t it. When I switched to organic coffee, whether it’s decaf or caffeinated, it doesn’t make me feel dizzy. Did you know that commercial coffee growers apply 250 pounds of chemical fertilizer per acre? The US government does not have maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides used on coffee beans. A recent search of the Global MRL database listed 42 pesticides that are used on coffee.

[1] https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/885945

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33132722/

Originally posted on April 8, 2021 @ 11:04

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