It’s here! This year, pumpkin spice took over earlier than ever with Starbucks’ August 27 release of the fan-favorite seasonal menu items.
Though pumpkin spice everything is clearly a hit among customers, this artificially flavored fad doesn’t warrant the same excitement for your dietitian.
Unfortunately, these menu items (whether it be coffee, doughnuts or muffins) are loaded with sugar. Consuming them in the morning tends to result in a midday energy crash. For example, a 16 oz. “grande” pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks packs a whopping 50 g of sugar. The new pumpkin spice cold brew is not far behind at 31 g of sugar per grande. Yikes!
This season, skip the excess sugar with these RD-approved ways to get your pumpkin spice fix without the guilt!
1. Hack your pumpkin spice order
Making substitutions at coffee shops is super easy. If you’re a Starbucks fan, order your grande pumpkin spice cold brew with just one pump of pumpkin syrup to cut almost 75 percent of the added sugars.
2. Create a pumpkin spice copycat
While pumpkin-flavored foods have a bad reputation, pure pumpkin packs a super healthy punch. A cup of canned pumpkin provides 30 percent of your daily fiber needs. Try this recipe at home – we think you’ll like it a latte (see what we did there!).
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups milk of choice
2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
Directions: In saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients until warm. Divide into two mugs and serve.
3. Take it to go
Here are a few more better-for-you pumpkin spice products to enjoy in moderation:
- Siggi’s Pumpkin & Spice yogurt (140 kcals; 15 g protein; 11 g sugar)
- Nature’s Path Pumpkin-N-Spice chewy granola bars (200 kcals; 3 g protein; 10 g sugar)
- Purely Elizabeth Pumpkin Cinnamon Ancient Grain Granola (140 kcals; 4 g protein; 5 g sugar)
- Pumpkin Spice RX Bar (210 kcals; 12 g protein; 14 g sugar)