What almond milk does Starbucks use?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “What almond milk does Starbucks use?” with an in-depth analysis of the almond milk offered by Starbucks. Moreover, we are going to discuss the calorie content of a cup of Starbucks coffee with different variants of milk added to it.

So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.

What almond milk does Starbucks use?

The almond milk that is offered by Starbucks is unflavored, thus, it gives the choice to the customers that they can set its flavor according to their own preference. The almond milk used in Starbucks is made by using filtered water, almonds, and sugar. Moreover, it also contains Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Vitamin A, Vitamin D2, and Palmitate.

From 2011 to 2012, almond milk sales grew 59.8%, while traditional milk sales fell 0.7%. This trend has continued: almond milk sales in 2015 were 7.5% higher than in 2014, which, over five years, led to a total increase in sales of over 250% and over $894 million in total sales. Traditional milk sales in the United States saw a slight increase of 3.1% from 2013 to 2014, but, by 2015, sales had declined another 7% (1).

It is also worth mentioning that almond milk is the healthiest option that you can get into your coffee while at Starbucks. A 16 oz cup of coffee with almond milk added to it contains only about 7 grams of sugar and provides you with only 130 calories.

 Apart from all this almond milk itself is highly nutritious and provides a lot of health benefits. 

Being rich in Vitamin E, almond milk protects your body against free radicals (2). Almond milk contains a high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids. Moreover, it has a balanced composition in terms of proteins, fats, fiber and vitamins and minerals (3). 

Thereby it plays an important role in making the skin healthier and promoting eye health. As no milk or milk products are used in its formulation so it does not have lactose, whey protein, or casein protein present in it which makes it suitable for people with lactose intolerance, milk allergies (3). 

As it is a plant-based milk variant, therefore, it can also be utilized by vegans and vegetarians. 

How many calories a cup of coffee with whole milk provides?

While talking about the whole milk, it contains about 3.7% fat. Moreover, a 16 oz cup of coffee with whole milk (grande) contains about 25 grams of sugar and approximately 320 calories per cup (6). 

While there are only 2 calories in 8 ounces of brewed coffee, the same volume of whole milk contains 149 calories. The calories in a cup of coffee with milk will depend on how much coffee and how much milk you pour in the cup (4). 

Now, that’s some whopping amount of calories and if you are on a diet or want to opt for something healthy, you should not go for the whole milk in your coffee. But if you are only concerned about the taste and do not care about the calories, then you can go ahead with ordering your frappuccino with whole milk. 

How many calories a cup of coffee with soy milk provides?

The coffee with soy milk added to it not only has 27 grams of sugar added to it but it also provides you with 270 calories per 16 oz cup. 

Each 100 grams of soy milk contains 95 calories in average and 3.5 g of carbohydrates. That means, in 453 g (16 oz) of plain soy milk there are 430 calories. The calorie amount of the coffee with soy milk cup depends on the volumes of coffee and soy milk used (5). 

No doubt that the taste profile of soy milk is great with that subtle hint of vanilla but it is totally up to you if you wanna go for it or not.

Moreover, as no milk or milk products are used in its formulation so it does not have lactose, whey protein, or casein protein present in it which makes it suitable for people with lactose intolerance, milk allergies.

Other FAQs about Milk which you may be interested in.

Why does Lactaid milk last longer?

Why does lactose-free milk taste sweeter?

How many calories a cup of coffee with nonfat milk provides?

While talking about non-fat milk, it has its calorie count lower than other variants of cow milk. So a 16 oz cup of coffee containing non-fat milk has 26 grams of sugar added to it and provides about 180 calories. 

There are 83 calories in 8 oz of skim milk (4). In comparison to whole milk, non-fat milk or fat reduced milk contains no fat (or less fat), but the amount of sugar does not change greatly. It generally increases, because the fat is removed (6).

So if you are too diet conscious but at the same time want a treat for your tastebuds, you can enjoy a cup of coffee with nonfat milk added to it. 

How many calories a cup of coffee with 2% milk provides?

If your Starbucks coffee has 2% milk added to it, then your 16 oz coffee cup provides you with 260 calories and 25 grams of sugar (6). Thus it provides low calories as compared to whole milk coffee. Moreover, the 2% milk contains 2% fat in its formulation.

There are 122 calories in 8 oz of 2% milk (4), while there are 102 calories in 1% milk (6).

How many calories a cup of coffee with coconut milk provides?

If you are a vegan or a vegetarian and want something plant-based then Starbucks has coconut milk for you. A 16 oz cup of coffee with coconut milk added to it has 17 grams of sugar and provides you with 180 calories. 

There are on average 48 calories in 100 g of coconut milk. The majority of these calories come from saturated fats as coconut milk contains practically no proteins and as low as 0.75 g of carbohydrates compared to 4–5 g of fats (5). 

Coconut milk is a good source of vitamin D and vitamin B12. But when it comes to the protein content of coconut milk it provides only 1 gram of protein per cup and it is also low in calcium.  

As no milk or milk products are used in its formulation so it does not have lactose, whey protein, or casein protein present in it which makes it suitable for people with lactose intolerance, milk allergies.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the question “What almond milk does Starbucks use?” with an in-depth analysis of the almond milk offered by Starbucks. Moreover, we discussed the calorie content of a cup of Starbucks coffee with different variants of milk added to it.

Citations

  1. Pierre, Michelle St. Changes in Canadians’ preferences for milk and dairy products. Canadian Minister of Industry: Ottawa, ON, Canada, 2017, 1-9.
  2. Hamid, A. A., et al. Antioxidants: Its medicinal and pharmacological applications. Afr J pure appl chem, 2010, 4, 142-151.
  3. Al Tamimi, Jozaa Zaidan. Effects of almond Milk on body measurements and blood pressure. Food Nutr Sci, 2016,  7, 466.
  4. Smith, Travis A. Taxing caloric sweetened beverages: potential effects on beverage consumption, calorie intake, and obesity. DIANE Publishing, 2010.
  5. Vanga, Sai Kranthi, and Vijaya Raghavan. How well do plant based alternatives fare nutritionally compared to cow’s milk?. J food sci technol, 2018, 55, 10-20.
  6. Milk. The Nutrition Source. University of Harvard.

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