My Clean Keto Starbucks Guide!

I made a little cheat sheet for my challenge group for going to Starbucks. Sometimes we want a little something other than BPC or black coffee! I see so many “Keto” Starbucks drinks that are loaded with either calories or sweeteners that aren’t the best option for those looking to maintain ketosis and lose weight. And while a food isn’t necessarily keto or not keto in and of itself, some food are more likely to negatively impact for blood ketone levels and glucose levels which will directly impact weight loss and ketosis. I track my macros and calories. I do this because I know for my body to be at a certain level of ketosis that I personally feel best at I need a higher fat:protein ratio. I also want to maintain my weight so I know I need a set amount of calories a day. When I was losing weight I had a different set of calories because I needed a deficit. So tracking macros means that I need to incorporate foods that are nutrient dense as well as low glycemic so that they don’t affect my progress.

So how does this apply to Starbucks?

Well one of the most infamous keto drinks is the keto pink drink! But many times I see it and it is very light pink. Which means there is a significant amount of heavy cream- usually 6+ Tbsp of cream in a venti to get it light pink! That’s 300 Calories and 6g if net carbs! And while heavy cream is perfectly fine and a nice source of fat this drink has almost no micronutrients at all and is a poor option to use more than 1/4 of my daily carbs on and that amount of calories. This is why I like to either pour my own cream or ask for VERY LIGHT heavy cream. Second, is the amount of sugar free syrups I see people using at Starbucks to make their “keto” drink. But what some of you may not realize is they have sucralose in them and some also have maltodextrin and trace amounts of SUGAR. Sucralose CAN have an effect on your blood sugar and insulin levels especially in those with insulin resistance. And when you have people putting 3+ pumps per drink  you are going to be at a higher risk of affecting your ketone and blood glucose levels. Especially when using the syrups that are NOT 0g of carbs. Just 1 pump of Cinnamon Dolce is about 1g of carbs. This is a syrup many think of as a freebie not knowing that it not only has carbs but also TRACE amounts of sugar.

What about vanilla sugar free syrup? It’s another popular syrup at Starbucks that unfortunately is NOT the best only when keto. Let’s look at the ingredients below. Maltodextrin (which is known for causing blood glucose spikes. And also sucralose again.  

So what am I saying? Am I trying to be the keto police and take away your beloved caffeinated savior? NO! I am trying to make sure you are aware of what you are consuming. Because more often then not people think because someone online said its keto it’s basically a freebie. And unfortunately that is often not true. We need to make informed decisions about what we are eating and drinking. I have seen MANY people’s weight loss stall due to these sugar free syrups and its worth noting that sucralose CAN cause spikes in blood glucose and should really be limited if not avoided for better options! Instead bring your own flavored stevia drops or sugar free syrups that use low glycemic sweeteners. Or even an extract! I will often have them add a packet of monkfruit and then add some vanilla extract or caramel extract that I keep in the car.