If Starbucks is a part of your routine, the idea of having to give it up for nine months probably sounds terrible. I get it. And you’re not alone. Many people can’t imagine giving up their daily visits to the famous international coffeehouse chain. Nearly 60 million people visit Starbucks locations around the world each week.
Pregnant people are often told they have to give up their coffee altogether. Certain high-risk individuals may benefit from caffeine avoidance during pregnancy, but most people are a-okay to enjoy a daily cup of joe. The current general consensus is to limit caffeine consumption during pregnancy to no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, although less may be better when possible. One cup (8 fl oz) of regular coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine. Check out my post” “Is coffee ok during pregnancy?” to learn more.
Starbucks offers an extensive menu of drinks that includes caffeinated, non-caffeinated, and customizable drinks. To help navigate ordering at your next coffee run, I’m sharing a round-up of Starbucks drinks that are safe for pregnant women who continue drinking limited amounts of caffeine during pregnancy. From 25 mg to 200 mg, I’ve got you covered on caffeine options while pregnant.
Note: While the following drinks are pregnancy safe for most individuals, they should still be consumed in moderation!
10 Starbucks Drinks For Pregnant Women
Hot Or Iced Tea
Starbucks has an impressive number of teas to choose from. Some tea varieties contain lower amounts of caffeine than a cup of coffee. This can help you stay below the recommended limit. In fact, tea is one of the best drinks for pregnant women.
Green tea is popular because it offers numerous health benefits and small amounts of caffeine. Some of the other teas available at Starbucks include:
- Black tea
- Chai tea
- Passion Tango tea
- Earl Grey tea
- Matcha tea
- Mint Majesty tea
- Peach Tranquility tea
*Keep in mind that options like Chai tea, Matcha, and Black tea contain caffeine. There are about 95 mg of caffeine in a Grande Chai Tea Latte.
Refreshers
Starbucks Refreshers are cold, fruity drinks that contain small amounts of caffeine. A tall refresher has around 35 mg of caffeine. Flavor options include Mango Dragonfruit, Pineapple Passionfruit, Strawberry Acai, and the famous Pink Drink (Strawberry Acai with coconut milk).
However, I recommend being mindful of the sugar amount in these drinks. A grande size of the Strawberry Acai Refresher has about 21 grams of sugar.
Decaf And Half-Caf Coffee
Contrary to popular belief, decaf coffee isn’t completely caffeine-free. A cup of decaf coffee usually has about 10-15 mg of caffeine. This is still significantly less than a regular cup of coffee, though!
If you want the flavor of regular coffee but less caffeine, decaf or half-caf is an excellent option. Add full-fat or non-dairy milk to make a delicious cup of pregnancy-safe coffee.
Espresso
A solo espresso contains 75 mg of caffeine. This means a double espresso, or two shots, contains 150 mg of caffeine. That’s still 50 mg, below the recommended limit of up to 200 mg of caffeine for pregnant people. Espresso can be served as an iced option, too.
Iced Coffee
If iced coffee is your go-to Starbucks drink when scorching summer temperatures come around, you’re in luck. You can still enjoy many ice-cold coffee beverages during pregnancy. Not all iced coffee is created equal, as you might have guessed.
Pass on ordering a Grande or Venti Starbucks Reserve Cold Brew coffee, as these contain more caffeine than the recommended limit. Skip the Nitro coffee altogether, too. Even the tall size of the Nitro Cold Brew has over 200 mg of caffeine, and a grande clocks in at 280 mg of caffeine.
Fortunately, the tall (120 mg of caffeine) and grande (165 mg) cups of regular iced coffee come in at less than 200 mg. Request one or fewer pumps of syrup. Decaf iced coffee is also an option, of course!
Cappuccino
If you prefer cappuccinos, you don’t have to give this one up during your pregnancy, either. A grande cappuccino with 2% milk has 150 mg of caffeine, keeping you under the recommended limit of up to 200 mg of caffeine per day.
Plus, like other coffee drinks at Starbucks, you can also choose a “tall” or “short” size Cappuccino to reduce the caffeine content further. A tall Cappuccino has 75 mg of caffeine.
Caffe Americano
An Americano is a more diluted version of an espresso. This means the ingredients are just water and brewed espresso. A tall Starbucks Caffe Americano has about 150 mg of caffeine. Please be sure to stick with a tall or short Americano, as a grande has three shots of espresso and about 225 mg of caffeine.
You can also order Caffe Americanos as decaf coffees to limit your caffeine intake. The Iced Caffe Americano is another option if you prefer cold coffee drinks.
Mochas
Mochas are an option if you’re craving a sweet Starbucks drink. Mochas contain chocolate, espresso, and steamed milk. Think of mochas as a latte mixed with a bit of hot chocolate. Mochas are higher in caffeine than other options on this list, but even a venti-size mocha has less than 200 mg of caffeine.
One of Starbucks’s more popular mocha drinks is the White Chocolate Mocha. A Grande White Chocolate Mocha has 150 mg of caffeine. Mochas can contain a lot of added sugar. Request one with one pump of white chocolate mocha sauce, no vanilla syrup, and no whipped cream to reduce the sugar content, or use it as your sweet treat for the day!
Latte
A latte is another coffee drink on the sweeter side that you can enjoy during pregnancy with a few modifications. Starbucks offers a ton of different lattes that you can order, either hot or iced, including the caramel latte, cinnamon dolce latte, and the blonde vanilla latte. A caramel macchiato can also be safe in moderation.
The Caramel Brulee Latte is super popular. The grande size has 150 mg of caffeine. To reduce the sugar in lattes, request one pump of sauce/syrup and light or no topping. Some lattes have added vanilla syrup, which you can modify or opt out of.
Caffe Misto
The Caffe Misto is another pregnancy-safe Starbucks drink made of half-steamed milk and half-brewed coffee. A grande size will keep you under the recommended 200 mg mark with 150 mg of caffeine.
The sugar content in a Grande Caffe Misto will vary depending on the type of milk that you choose. The Caffe Misto is much lower in sugar than many other Starbucks options, though. Dairy milk is always a great option since it has the most nutrients, but you should pick whichever milk you enjoy the most.
Sticking to these pregnancy-safe drinks means you don’t have to give up your regular Starbucks trip while expecting.
Pregnant women make a lot of sacrifices for the sake of and love for their growing babies. Fortunately, your regular trip to Starbucks doesn’t have to be one of them. You can enjoy numerous pregnancy-safe drinks at any stage of your pregnancy. Be mindful of total caffeine consumption and added sugars at Starbucks.
For more tips on what foods to eat (and which to avoid) during pregnancy, check out the blog and sign up for The Prenatal Nutrition Library. Signing up will unlock access to HUNDREDS of preconception and pregnancy nutrition guides with evidence-based information so you can eat confidently during pregnancy. The TPNL app is free to download in any app store so that you can take a peek inside!
