Paleo is one of the most popular lifestyle diets in America, and many have adopted it in recent years. Very similar to Whole30, paleo is thought to be a more natural way of eating that reflects how our ancestors nourished themselves as hunters and gatherers.
A paleo diet (also known as the caveman diet or the Stone Age diet) focuses on foods like lean meats, fish, and eggs, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Meanwhile it either limits or completely avoids things like grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, and processed food additives.
That list of no-gos admittedly makes it tough to eat out or order food and drink from somewhere like Starbucks, where sugar, dairy, and additive ingredients are par for the course. But it’s not impossible! So if you follow a paleo diet, what can you order at Starbucks that’s paleo-friendly? Let’s dig into the complete list.

Paleo-friendly food choices on the Starbucks menu
Because many of the ingredients in Starbucks food items are off-limits, it’s a little tricky to find paleo-friendly meals there (as is the case with a Whole30 diet). Many of the food offerings at Starbucks are either packaged or pre-made meals, and unfortunately dairy and grains are two very common ingredients when it comes to their food choices.
That said, while most of Starbucks’s meals aren’t permissible on a paleo diet, there are still a few things on the menu that make for paleo-friendly snack items (some that require slight modifications or removals).
One caveat about the paleo diet is that there are slightly different versions of it out there – some choose to be more strict with what foods to consume and avoid, while others limit rather than completely eliminate certain foods. There are a few gray areas – like dairy, highly starchy vegetables, and sugary fruits. Some choose to limit grains and legumes rather than avoid them entirely, and some allow grass-fed dairy products like certain yogurts and cheeses. In the end, it comes down to which guidelines best fit your lifestyle or health needs.
For the purpose of this list, we’ve based the items on what’s traditionally allowed and avoided, but know that modifications exist to make items paleo-friendly depending on what type of guidelines you follow. Here’s the complete list of paleo food items on the current Starbucks menu.
Food Items | Necessary Modifications |
Fresh Fruit | |
Peter Rabbit Organics Strawberry Banana | |
That’s It Bar [Apple + Blueberry, Apple + Mango] | |
Avocado Spread | |
Justin’s Classic Almond Butter | |
Eggs & Gouda Protein Box | Remove cheese (if preferred), crackers, and peanut butter |
Eggs & Cheddar Protein Box | Remove cheese (if preferred), bread, and peanut butter |
Cheese & Fruit Protein Box | Remove cheese (if preferred) and crackers |
Paleo-friendly drink choices at Starbucks
If you’re on a paleo diet, there’s a little more available to you in terms of beverages at Starbucks. Luckily coffee and teas are fair game on the paleo diet, as long as there aren’t any added sweeteners or hidden ingredients, so things like espresso and cold brew make for a paleo-friendly pick-me-up.
That opens up some options for both hot drinks and iced drinks, since you can order almost any Starbucks coffee or tea black or unsweetened. Where you’ll run into problems is with any signature drinks or milk-based beverages such as lattes, cappuccinos, frappuccinos, and macchiatos.
Unfortunately all of the above is off-limits because they contain dairy and/or sugar, and since all of Starbucks plant-based milk alternatives include added sugar as well, you won’t be able to substitute the dairy for a paleo-friendly milk. While that limits your options at a craft coffee house like Starbucks, there are still plenty of drinks you can order.
Here are all of the paleo-friendly beverages currently on the Starbucks menu, along with any necessary modifications.
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 | |
Black Tea [Earl Grey, Royal English Breakfast] | |
Green Tea [Emperor’s Clouds & Mist, Jade Citrus Mint] | |
Herbal Tea [Mint Majesty] | |
Chai Tea | |
Steamed Apple Juice | |
Cold Drinks | Necessary Modifications |
Iced Coffee | Order unsweetened |
Cold Brew | |
Nitro Cold Brew | |
Iced Caffè Americano | |
Iced Espresso | |
Iced Black Tea | Order unsweetened |
Iced Green Tea | Order unsweetened |
Iced Passion Tango Tea | Order unsweetened |
Yes, you can drink any Starbucks coffee (brewed coffee, espresso, cold brew, etc.) if you follow a paleo diet. Most Starbucks teas are also paleo as well, with the exception of a couple that contain sugar. Just be sure to order anything black or unsweetened to avoid added sugars.
No, while many brands of coconut milk are paleo-friendly, the coconut milk that Starbucks uses in their drinks is not. Starbucks coconut milk is sweetened and contains other additive ingredients that aren’t allowable on a paleo diet; the same is true of all other alternative milks that Starbucks offers (almond milk, oat milk, and soy milk).
Unfortunately, sugar-free does not mean that Starbucks flavored syrups are paleo-friendly. Paleo diets avoid artificial sweeteners, and these sugar-free syrups are made with ingredients like sucralose and maltodextrin which are not paleo-friendly.