Most of you know that Starbucks will froth heavy whipping cream for you if you ask them, they even have an “Atkins Latte” that is made with espresso, heavy whipping cream and sugar free vanilla syrup. If you haven’t tried it yet it is great, but I would recommend telling them to only use about half the normal cream, because they will give you half the cup of cream if you let them which is probably more carbs than most want, I always get a Miso, which is the same as a latte but made with coffee and espresso and less cream…

Anyway, I have recently given up coffee for a while, and I was wondering what to do at my morning hang-out with my friends…I love hot tea but it just seemed so boring by itself all the time, but I have discovered two ways you can create your own special tea drinks at Starbucks that are really awesome.

Most of the Starbucks carry Tazo tea. My favorite is the decaffeinated Tazo Chai. You can create your own chai latte with it if you ask for steamed heavy whipping cream and sugar free syrup with the hot tea. The key is to let it steep awhile (at least five minutes) and they should use at least two bags for a grande or venti. It is a bit cheaper than coffee, I think I paid $2.10 for my tea latte this morning, instead of the $3.75 I always pay for the vanilla latte.

Also another thing is their black iced tea and their passion iced tea, both are awesome with sugar free vanilla syrup. Just be sure to tell them NOT to sweeten it, but to use the sugar free vanilla syrup instead.

I have found that I can hang-out still with my pals there in the morning and not feel deprived or stuck with just a plain cup of coffee or hot tea, it’s great!.

Kellie

Go for the Americano, either hot or iced. It is espresso mixed with water or ice. You can add your own cream and also add sugar free syrup. It's kind of like a latte but not as *milky* tasting. More flavor to the espresso part.
~sue

Mmmm! I always get the Americano with SF Vanilla or Hazelnut syrup (whatever sounds good that day). On the kiosks they always have whole milk and I add some of that plus some Splenda.

Kelrivas-that is so good to know about the teas! I regularly drink the tea unsweetened with some Splenda but with SF Vanilla syrup it sounds much better!

My problem is that I never know exactly what to ask for and I feel like I am sounding really stupid! That is why I always stick to the same things. It is good to have some variety.

Plus, it is nice that on their website they list nutritional content for the drinks. Unfortunatly, you cannot add things (like SF syrup, whole milk, cream, etc.) so you get the WHOLE picture. I just know from past experience and I eyeball my amounts and usually, I would say, I overestimate my carb counts.

Are you sure it's heavy cream?

Every starbucks around here will make a breve which is a latte with steamed half and half instead of milk. The employees will sometimes call it cream or creamer, but it's not heavy cream.

You have to specify “heavy whipping cream” to get the real stuff. They do have it because that is what they top the drinks with and there is no sugar in their liquid whipping cream before they put it in the pressurized cream dispenser. If you just ask for breve they will use half and half so be sure to ask.

BTW those on South Beach can make it with skim milk, they have that as well, but it’s a more carbs.

A cup of real heavy whipping cream has six carbs. I only ask them to put in about a half a cup, which is about 2-3 espresso shots, the Starbucks close by me are always really good about measuring, if they put 2/3 coffee it leaves only 1/3 of the container for cream (they normally do the shots of espresso and then fill the rest of the way up with cream). They also have a really cool little espresso sample paper cup that you can ask for them to put the cream “on the side” so you can control it yourself. I have done this when I was in induction and I really had to count every carb.

Don’t feel silly asking for it right…you are paying for the service and most are happy to provide it, and once they get to know you they will ask…for me it is “Hi Kellie, do you want the decaf Atkins latte or the decaf chai with steam cream and sf syrup today?”

I have tried the Americano a few times as well when I want it iced…YUMMY!

Kellie

If I ever find myself at a Starbucks, I order a latte' made with unsweetened soy milk and sugarfree flavoring.

I used to get a breve with heavy cream...but then I discovered I can't have milk products.......I really shouldn't have much soy either, so I don't order such a drink often......

I'm not exactly cheap but I never got how expensives coffees are in Starbucks. No wonder I once saw a shirt with the logo that said "Fourbucks Coffee" heh

Me too!! Everybody else already seems to know what they want before they get in there. I'm looking at the board and I start getting overwhelmed!!

That is why I have NEVER been to Starbucks. I get way too intimidated!

What ever happened to regular old black coffee?

It may be more of a Wisconsin thing, since I have problems finding it outside of the state, but I've seen Starbucks that carry Water Joe in their bottled drinks section. It's just caffeinated pure artisan spring water. 0 carbs, and it won't raise your cholesterol like coffee will.

Wow...your Starbucks has unsweetened Soy milk? The brand Starbucks uses is the Silk Soy vanilla flavor which has tons of sugar. I wish they would all start offering unsweetened Soy.

so can you go into ANY starschmucks and ask for an Atkins latte, and have them know what it its, or do you have to train them first?

I live in southern california where low carb is really cool here so I did not have to train them, they told ME what it was called, however you may have to explain it to your Starbucks crew a few times. I never have had trouble in our area just saying "Atkins latte with sf vanilla please".

Kellie

Water.

so I say
" grande full fat latte"
or ..what?
grande whip cream latte, half full, extra shot?