One of the many reasons Starbucks is so beloved throughout America is because its large menu is easily customizable and caters to many different diets and lifestyles, whether you’re looking for low-calorie options, gluten-free options, or vegan options.
One of those diets that you may or may not be familiar with is the DASH diet, which is very similar to the Mediterranean diet. It’s become a popular approach to eating in the last decade or so, especially for those targeting healthy blood pressure or cholesterol levels because it’s designed to help lower blood pressure (DASH actually stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).
So what does this heart-healthy diet consist of? It’s a flexible plant-focused, low-salt diet that balances food groups like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, nuts and seeds, and heart-healthy fats. Meanwhile, it limits (rather than completely eliminates) added salt, sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol, and highly saturated fats.
That means that if you’re a fan of Starbucks, you’re in luck – there’s still plenty you can enjoy on the menu. So what are your food and drink options at this favorite coffee chain if you follow the DASH diet? We’ve compiled a complete list of everything you can order.
DASH diet food options on the Starbucks menu
While the DASH diet allows for the consumption of many different foods, ordering food at a quick-service chain like Starbucks does get a bit tricky because packaged and ready-made meals tend to pack in a lot of sodium, saturated fats, added sugars, or other processed additives. Since those are things you want to avoid as much as possible on the DASH diet, that does rule out many of the meal items at Starbucks, such as salty breakfast sandwiches and bakery sweets.
While the DASH diet doesn’t completely eliminate these things, for the purpose of this list we’ve ruled out anything high in sodium, added sugar, or saturated fat – leaving you with the better-choice food items that you can feel good about ordering. Here’s how we’ve defined those amounts:
- Low sodium: 140 mg or less per serving
- Low sugar: 5 g or less of added sugars
- Low fat: 1.5 g or less of saturated fat
Here’s a complete list of all the breakfast, lunch, and snack items on the current Starbucks menu that follows the DASH diet’s general guidelines.
| Breakfast + Bakery Items | Necessary Modifications |
| Rolled & Steel-Cut Oatmeal [Classic, Blueberry] | Topping: nut medley or fresh fruit (avoid brown sugar or agave) |
| Avocado Spread | |
| Snack Items | Necessary Modifications |
| Fresh Fruit | |
| Peter Rabbit Organics Strawberry Banana | |
| That’s It Bar [Apple + Blueberry, Apple + Mango] | |
| This Bar Saves Lives [Madagascar Vanilla Almond & Honey] |
DASH diet drink options at Starbucks
Because the DASH diet allows for low-fat dairy products and it’s easy to customize drinks at Starbucks, that definitely opens up your options when it comes to Starbucks beverages! So if you’re on the DASH diet, it’s just a matter of choosing the coffee, tea, and signature beverages that limit your sodium and sugar intake, and then subbing the milk for a DASH-friendly choice.
Certain drinks that rely on full-fat dairy (like items with cold foam or sweet cream) or sugar-based drinks that can’t be modified to be sugar-free (like mochas and Starbucks Refreshers) are off limits. However, there’s plenty you can customize from the menu to meet DASH diet requirements.
When it comes to milk substitutes, your best bet on the DASH diet will be the nonfat (or skim) milk at Starbucks. While 2% milk is technically allowable, that’ll come with more fat than skim, and while almond milk is the best choice of the plant-based options, that’ll come with 5g of added sugars. Skim milk will do the best job of limiting both fat and sugar.
A lot of Starbucks signature and flavored drinks come sweetened with pumps of their various flavored syrups. However, they do offer sugar-free syrups that you can sub instead. These use artificial sweeteners which will lower your sugar intake, but are probably something that should be consumed in moderation on the DASH diet. Just keep in mind that sugar-free syrups are only made in a few select flavors, and availability may differ depending on your location.
When you order something skinny at Starbucks, your barista will automatically customize the drink with skim milk, remove any whipped cream, and sub in a sugar-free syrup if available – so your go-to move to avoid fat and added sugar is to order your drink skinny!
Here’s the complete list of hot and cold drinks you can order at Starbucks that fall in line with the DASH diet, along with any necessary modifications (including specific sizes that will keep sodium levels within a healthy range).
| Hot Drinks | Necessary Modifications |
| Brewed Coffee [Featured Blonde Roast, Featured Dark Roast, Medium-Roast Pike Place, Decaf Pike Place, Veranda Blends, Caffé Verona Blends, Clover® Starbucks Reserve® Blends] | |
| Caffè Americano | |
| Espresso | |
| Espresso Macchiato | Order skinny |
| Caffè Misto | Order skinny |
| Cappuccino | Order skinny |
| Flat White | Order skinny |
| Caffè Latte | Order skinny, size tall |
| Cinnamon Dolce Latte | Order skinny, size tall |
| Oleato Caffè Latte with Oatmilk* | Order skinny |
| Starbucks Reserve® Latte* | Order skinny, size tall |
| Blonde Vanilla Latte | Order skinny, size tall |
| Caramel Macchiato | Order skinny, size tall, no caramel sauce |
| Chai Tea | |
| Black Tea [Earl Grey, Royal English Breakfast] | |
| Teavana® London Fog Tea Latte | Order skinny |
| Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte | Order skinny |
| Green Tea [Emperor’s Clouds & Mist, Jade Citrus Mint] | |
| Herbal Tea [Mint Majesty, Peach Tranquility] | |
| Steamed Apple Juice | |
| Steamed Milk | Nonfat milk, size short |
| Vanilla Creme | Order skinny, size tall |
| Cold Drinks | |
| Iced Coffee | Order unsweetened or sub stevia |
| Iced Coffee with Milk | Nonfat milk, order unsweetened |
| Iced Espresso | |
| Cold Brew | |
| Nitro Cold Brew | |
| Cold Brew Coffee with Milk | Nonfat milk |
| Iced Caffè Americano | |
| Iced Espresso | |
| Iced Shaken Espresso | Order skinny |
| Iced Flat White | Order skinny |
| Iced Caffè Latte | Order skinny |
| Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte | Order skinny |
| Starbucks Reserve® Iced Latte* | Order skinny, size tall |
| Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte | Order skinny |
| Coffee Frappuccino | Sub nonfat milk, no frappuccino roast pumps, no whipped cream, size tall |
| Espresso Frappuccino | Sub nonfat milk, no frappuccino roast pumps, no whipped cream, size tall |
| Iced Tea [Black, Green, Peach Green, Passion Tango] | Order unsweetened or sub stevia |
| Iced London Fog Tea Latte | Order skinny |
| Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte | Order skinny |
When you order a drink “skinny” at Starbucks, your drink will be made with following modifications: nonfat milk, no whipped cream, and sugar-free syrup (if available).
Yes, caffeine is generally safe for those with high blood pressure – so it’s more a matter of what you add to your coffee or beverage. You can enjoy Starbucks on a heart-healthy or DASH diet as long as you choose drinks that are low in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat.
Unless you order something black or that’s only made with dairy milk, most Starbucks beverages will come with added sugar in the form of sweeteners or flavored syrups. To avoid added sugars, sub in sugar-free syrups wherever possible, and avoid any plant-based milks as all of Starbucks milk alternatives are made with added sugars.
