Is Starbucks Almond Milk Sweet? (all you must know)
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Starbucks is the coffee of choice for millions of people around the world, and the company’s ingredient choices are constantly changing as tastes and food trends evolve. This includes a wider range of milk alternatives.
But in addition to being dairy-free, is Starbucks’ almond milk sweetened? It’s a delightful addition to any drink, but will it be sweetened? Here’s what you need to know!
Will Starbucks almond milk be sweetened in 2022?
Starbucks almond milk is sweetened, a feature common to most almond milks as of 2022. The sweetener seems to simply add sugar, adding about 3 grams of sugar to the entire drink, so it doesn’t add a lot of sugar. In fact, Starbucks’ almond milk has the lowest sugar content of all milk options.
To learn more about the sugar content of Starbucks almond milk, compared to all other milk options, the presence or absence of carrageenan, and whether almond milk is Keto-friendly, keep reading!
Does Starbucks almond milk have sugar?
Starbucks almond milk does contain sugar, between three and four grams, depending on the size of the drink you get.
PopSugar investigated the ingredients in Starbucks almond milk and came up with this list:
- filtered water
- almond
- sugar
- Tricalcium Phosphate
- Sunflower Lecithin
- sea salt
- Xanthan Gum
- Guar Gum
- Vitamin A
- palmitate
- Vitamin D2
It does seem to have a lot of ingredients, compared to all natural almond milk that consists of just almonds and water.
But this list is very close to the almond milk you’ll find in a grocery store freezer.
If you know anything about ingredient labels, you’ll know that they’re also listed in quantitative order.
Therefore, the ingredients at the top make up the bulk of the product. Thank goodness these are almonds, water and sugar.
Also consider how little sugar there is in Starbucks almond milk, which means there are fewer other scary-looking (albeit common) ingredients out there.
Let’s see how the sugar content compares to Starbucks’ other milk options.
While some people may prefer to add completely unsweetened milk to their drinks, this won’t be a fulfillable order at Starbucks.
That’s because almond milk actually contains the least amount of sugar of any milk option the chain offers.
In fact, two percent, full-fat, and soy milk all contain 14 grams of sugar.
However, coconut milk is slightly lower in sugar at 9 percent, but still has 5 or 6 grams more sugar than almond milk.
So the choice is clear: While no one of Starbucks’ milk-based beverages can avoid sugar, you can opt for almond milk to keep it to a minimum.
Does Starbucks almond milk have carrageenan?
Thankfully, Starbucks almond milk does not contain carrageenan.
You might be wondering, what’s so bad about carrageenan?
Well, the natural thickener comes from a type of red seaweed called Irish moss, which is used in various foods to improve texture.
It doesn’t sound that bad, except that it has been linked to colon damage, internal bleeding and even cancer.
However, some in the scientific community have refuted these findings, insisting that the additive is not bad at all.
Whatever the case may be, Starbucks drinkers need not worry, as this controversial ingredient is absent from the coffee chain’s almond milk.
Is Starbucks Almond Milk Keto Friendly?
A ketogenic diet can be difficult to maintain when you eat out, but luckily, if you follow this diet, you won’t have to give up your Starbucks.
That’s because almond milk is very keto-friendly, although not entirely (ideally) free of sugar and carbs.
But the authors of Green and Keto recommend an almond milk latte that you can also dress up with sugar-free syrup.
Which Starbucks milks are unsweetened?
None of the milk options Starbucks offers its customers are unsweetened.
They all contain at least three to four grams of sugar, and in all options except almond milk, they’re well over four grams.
However, if you’re looking for a sugar-free drink, consider a regular coffee sweetened with Stevia or Splenda, or a regular espresso drink like an Americano.
Sugar is hard to escape at Starbucks, with items such as Frappuccinos weighing upwards of 50 grams.
Plus, if you want to avoid giant sugar bombs in Starbucks drinks, almond milk is your best bet, with just three or four grams of sugar per serving.
What is the healthiest milk at Starbucks?
News magazine Parade praised Starbucks’ almond milk as the healthiest milk the chain offers, with just 7.5 calories per ounce.
Not only is it relatively low in calories, but it’s also low in sugar.
However, the second best milk is skim milk, which has only 12 calories per ounce.
To learn more about Starbucks, you can also read our posts on Starbucks ingredients, what oat milk Starbucks uses, and how Starbucks makes Bulletproof coffee.
in conclusion
While Starbucks’ almond milk does contain sweeteners in the form of sugar, it’s still the healthiest option for your lattes, mochas, and frappuccinos.
Plus, with just 3 or 4 grams of sugar per serving, Starbucks almond milk is also a great option for those following the Keto diet.
