Healthy Summer Starbucks: What to Sip and What to Skip

Whether it's on the way to work or on the way back from your child's soccer practice, hitting up Starbucks often seems like a necessity to get you through the rest of your day. With thermometers rising higher and higher by the hour, those icy Frappuccinos® seem pretty tempting... but how many calories have they blended in there? Before you buy, check out our list below to find out if you should sip it or skip it.

1. Iced coffee, unsweetened: At only 5 calories and 5 milligrams of sodium, this grande drink is a great option if you're in major need of a pick-me-up, with 190 milligrams of caffeine. Do you take milk in your coffee? For the skinniest version, choose nonfat milk, and you'll have a 25-calorie drink. Add sweetener and you're up to about 100 calories.

Verdict: SIP

2. Strawberry Lemon Limeade Granita: This lemonade blended with shaved ice is sweet and delicious, but high on the calories, coming in at 170 calories. However, it's not just the calories that make this drink so dangerous—it's the sugar! 41 grams of sugar grace this summer drink, so we think it's safe to avoid completely.

Verdict: SKIP

3. Teavana® Shaken Iced Black Tea Lemonade: It's hot outside, and all you want is something cool to drink! This drink is perfect. A 16-oz unsweetened order of this black tea lemonade only comes in at 45 calories and 12 grams of sugar, which is significantly lower than the other iced drinks at Starbucks.

Verdict: SIP

4. Iced Caffé Mocha: Even without whipped cream and the healthiest milk option (nonfat) this grande beverage is still 200 calories, making it a drink to skip instead of sip! Instead, go with an Iced Caffe Latte. With nonfat milk, that grande drink is only 90 calories.

5. Strawberry Acai Starbucks Refreshers™ Beverage: This lightly caffeinated summer drink is only 90 calories, since it's mostly water and flavoring. The floating bits of strawberry add a pleasant touch without adding calories.

6. Iced White Chocolate Mocha: Even with nonfat milk and no whipped cream, this grande drink still contains 310 calories. It's one of the tastiest cold beverages on the menu, but is it worth the calories? We think not.

Verdict: SKIP

7. Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino®: Lose the whip and use nonfat milk to get this grande-sized drink down to 230 calories. We'd usually recommend getting a strawberry smoothie instead, but even their nonfat milk version has 290 calories. You're better off skipping this entirely and making your own at home.

>> Recipe: Strawberry Pineapple Protein Smoothie

8. Green Tea Frappucino®: A blend of matcha, green tea, milk and ice, this is refreshing summer drink isn't as healthy as it seems! Even with nonfat milk and no whip, you'll still be sucking down 280 calories and 63 whopping grams of sugar. Even the Iced Green Tea contains 240 calories when made with nonfat milk.

>> Read more: What's the Deal with Matcha?

9. Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino®: Even when you've taken away the whipped cream and you've swapped in the nonfat milk, this frap is still 390 calories. Tasty, but way too many calories to be worth it. This is another one to skip.

10. Flat White: This drink barely makes the cut at 130 calories for a 16 oz. using non-fat milk. (Avoid whole milk in any drink you order if you're looking to cut calories!) It's subtle, with a much lower sugar count than the other hot drinks at Starbucks.

11. Iced Caramelized Honey Latte: This Starbucks newbie is totally delicious, and totally something you should avoid. Even with non-fat milk, this 16 oz. drink comes to 250 calories, which is way too many if you're looking to shed a few pounds.

Moral of the story, most drinks at Starbucks, especially the frozen ones, are packed with calories and sugar. Your best bet is to cool off with an iced coffee. Don't see your favorite cold drink on this list? You can find the nutritional values for every drink on Starbucks' website!

>> Read more: Get The Skinny On Your Favorite Coffee House Drinks