Starbucks unveiled its new summer menu this week, including three new drinks: Summer Berry Refreshment, Summer Berry Lemonade Refreshment and Summer Skies dairy-free drink.
A reversal? The three new drinks are Starbucks‘ version of boba or bubble tea and feature “juicy raspberry-flavored pearls,” inspired by popular East Asian beverages.
“We started with pieces of fruit, but we wanted something even bolder,” Simon Vuong, beverage developer for Starbucks, said in a statement. “So we thought, ‘Let’s put fruit-flavored pearls in a drink and try it.’ It’s very fun the way it delivers the flavor when it pops in your mouth.”
The new boba-inspired drinks may be a fun way to quench your summer thirst — but how healthy are these new Starbucks options? Three registered dietitians have reviewed the nutrition and ingredient information for these drinks – here’s what they think.
Starbucks Summer-Berry drinks are similar to other Starbucks refreshing or non-dairy drinks: A sweetened Summer-Berry base (a blend of raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavors) is poured over ice or mixed with lemonade or coconut milk.
The standout ingredient in these new drinks — and what sets them apart from other Starbucks refreshments — is the addition of raspberry-flavored pearls made from a mixture of water, sugar, calcium lactate, sodium alginate and vegetable juice concentrate, among other things.
These flavored pearls are inspired by the “bubbles” in bubble tea. According to Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapytraditional bubble tea pearls are made from tapioca, which is a starch extracted from cassava, a root vegetable.
While tapioca-based pearls can cause some gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation, Starbucks pearls are less likely to cause those side effects, Keatley said. Health. However, “it’s still wise to enjoy them in moderation because of the potential for sugar content and other digestive issues,” he added.
The three bubble tea-inspired drinks are high in sugar and carbs, but lack fat, fiber or protein. Here’s the nutritional breakdown for each drink (16 ounces):
Summer-Berry Starbucks Refreshing Drink:
- Calories: 110
- Fat: 0 grams
- Saturated fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 27 grams
- Sugars: 25 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Caffeine: 50 grams
Summer Berry Lemonade Starbucks Refreshing Drink:
- Calories: 160
- Fat: 0 grams
- Saturated fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 39 grams
- Sugars: 37 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Caffeine: 50 grams
Summer Skies Drink Starbucks Refreshing drink:
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 2.5 grams
- Saturated fat: 2.5 grams
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Sugars: 29 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 0 grams
- Caffeine: 50 grams
Experts agree that these new drinks aren’t the worst things you can order at Starbucks — but they’re not necessarily the healthiest drinks.
“These bubbles are loaded with sugar and have minimal nutritional benefits,” Kerry Gans, RDregistered dietitian nutritionist and book author Small Change Diet, said Health.
Jessica Cording, RDregistered dietitian, health coach and book author The Little Book of Game Changers agrees: “(These drinks) definitely fall into the pleasure category,” she told Health, adding that because these drinks are high in sugar with little or no fat or protein, they can potentially cause blood sugar to spike and then crash .
But it’s not all bad. Gans praised the spirulina concentrate that appears in the drinks to give them their bold blue color. “Spirulina may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial to our health,” she said. “However, it is uncertain how much the teas contain to provide any benefit.”
And a quick note from Gans about the fruit-flavored pearls: “The bubbles should be chewed — not swallowed — as they can potentially be a choking hazard.” Kording added that people with swallowing problems and young children should stay away from the pearls.
Overall, registered dietitians think these drinks are good in moderation. “(They) can have their place as something that a person enjoys from time to time,” Cording said.
If you decide to enjoy one of these drinks, Kitley said it’s important to look at their addition in the context of your overall diet. “Although the drink is high in sugar, it fits into a wider range of dietary indulgences when enjoyed in moderation,” he said. “It does not contain artificial colors and uses some natural ingredients, which is commendable.” It’s all about balance and enjoying such treats in the context of a well-rounded diet.”
If you want to be extra careful when drinking these beverages, Kitley recommends looking at what else you’re consuming each day. “For those who are particularly fond of bubble tea,” he said, “choosing a day when your overall sugar intake is lower can help accommodate this indulgence without compromising your nutritional goals.