How to Enjoy a Happier (and Healthier) Holiday Starbucks Drink...

Let's be real.

I. Love. Starbucks.

Cassie Jo and I both do. In fact, we are in there so much that we have grown to become friends with our local baristas at the Starbucks on Baylor campus. I laughingly joke (but I'm kind of serious) that I am closer friends with the Starbucks baristas than I am with many girls in my own sorority pledge class... My usual drink is a plain-jane iced coffee with some almond milk so that I can make my daily trips a little more "weight-friendly," but as the holiday season approaches, that's a little bit harder to do...

So, I took it upon myself to come up with and test out some alternative holiday drinking options! And now, I'm sharing them with you!! Please feel free to try them out and let me know if they spread the holiday cheer for you as well!!



1. For the Pumpkin Lovers:
Order a Grande or Venti iced coffee with nonfat milk (or Almond Milk for the dairy-sensitive like me!). Have them add one or two pumps of pumpkin spice to the coffee... The pumpkin spice dissolves into the coffee and is in the essence of every sip, but is not over powering and too sugary! Plus, it's got a lot less calories than the typical 5-6 pumps they put into a pumpkin spice latte! YUM!!!

2. For the Chocolate Lovers:
I usually like my coffee on ice, but on a cold day, I'd rather drink it warm, but when I do, I can't take the taste of just regular coffee, so I like to have a little mocha in there!
... SO, I order a Grande coffee with Almond Milk (or nonfat) and ask for one pump of mocha! The chocolate essence is there with each sip, but once again, isn't overpowering!!

3. For the Toffee Lovers:
Follow the steps for number 2, but do the new Toffee Mocha flavor! Once again, the emphasis is on the one to two pumps... the more you add, the more calories you add... (I know, it's not rocket science!)

4. And for those who don't care about the calories:

--For the Peppermint Lovers:
This one is great if you want something more refreshing... Get a nonfat Peppermint Mocha latte ON ICE! ***Oh my gosh... it's AMAZING!***

--For the ULTIMATE HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE!!
Order the new Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate!! (For those who NEED caffeine (like me) add a shot of espresso in there! (Caution: This is DANGEROUSLY addicting!)