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Starbucks begins the summer with two new seasonal cold drink options just in time for the heat wave. The company introduced the Pineapple Passion fruit Refresher and the Paradise Drink to its menu on Tuesday.
The tastes of pineapple and passion fruit are combined with actual chopped pineapple chunks in the Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher. The Paradise Drink is nearly identical to the refresher, with the addition of coconut milk, which gives the beverage smoothness while maintaining it dairy-free.
We have to wonder: are these cool drinks healthy choices that can be ordered all summer long, or are they better left for an occasional treat? Starbucks describes their new beverages as “summer essentials,” but we have to wonder if that’s really the case.
The nutritional information for a tall, 12-ounce Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher is as follows:
80 caloric
0 grams of saturated fat and 0 grams of total fat
10 milligrams of salt, 15 grams of sugar, 18 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of protein
35 mg. of caffeine
This beverage is within our advised ranges for calories, fat, and salt, but it has a fair amount of added sugar. For men and women, the American Heart Association advises against consuming more than 36 grams or 25 grams of added sugar per day, respectively. This beverage would have around 60% of the daily added sugar allowance for women.
The majority of Americans get the most of their added sugar from sweetened beverages, which account for around 24% of consumption. Additionally, because sugar-sweetened beverages digest quickly, your blood sugar levels can experience sudden spikes and crashes, according to Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, nutrition editor at EatingWell.
“Consuming too much added sugar can cause inflammation, weight gain, and an increased risk of developing diabetes, so enjoy this drink only occasionally and choose a lower-sugar beverage on most days so you can more easily regulate the amount of sugar added.”
Since the Starbucks refreshers are already mixed, there is no way to make a low-sugar version of your drink. When you need a caffeine hit, the refresher is wonderful, but you can prepare a healthier pineapple drink at home. Try our new Pineapple-Cilantro Agua Fresca recipe, where the agave syrup may be simply replaced with a sugar substitute.
The Starbucks Paradise Drink’s nutritional comparison is as follows:
the 110 calories
total fat of 2 grams
Fat saturated at 1.5 grams.
salt 50 milligrams and 21 grams of carbohydrates
Sugar, 18 grams
0 g of protein
35 mg. of caffeine
Although this beverage has more sodium, calories, and fat than the Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher, it still meets our standards for low sodium intake. By substituting almond milk for the coconut milk in this beverage, the quantity of sugar in the final product would be reduced. It’s similar to the refresher in that it tastes more like dessert than coffee in the morning.
Try our Whipped Frozen Lemonade, which contains coconut milk among its components and 5 less grams of sugar than the Paradise beverage, if you’re searching for a creamy beverage to keep you cool this summer.
Although these new Starbucks beverages are great as a treat every now and then, it would probably be best if you avoided including them in your regular diet due to their high added sugar content. Whatever beverage you decide to order, Starbucks has a wide selection of cool drinks that you can sip this summer to get you through the day (including the recently released Chocolate Cream Cold Brew). This weekend, unwind and treat yourself to a refreshing drink to enjoy the summer air, whether you buy it through a drive-through or brew it at home.
Pineapple Passionfruit Starbucks Refreshers® Beverage