3 Noom-Friendly Drinks & Meals At Starbucks

As someone who loves Starbucks but also uses Noom, it was important to me to find things that I could order that wouldn’t sabotage my results.

Although Noom encourages balance and flexibility with its calorie range and color categorization of foods, you still have to be intentional about the drinks and meals you order at Starbucks.

Below, I’ll teach you exactly what to look for when ordering at Starbucks and what to avoid.

• Read my complete review of Noom: Noom Review (My Unbiased Opinion As A Nutrition Coach).

Can You Eat At Starbucks On Noom?

Yes, you can eat at Starbucks while on Noom because Noom’s philosophy is that all foods can fit into your diet as long as you’re prioritizing nutrient-dense foods and adhering to your calorie range.

Starbucks is one of my favorite places to eat out while on Noom because there are plenty of delicious options that can work for any calorie range (…if you know what to look for).

Noom encourages users to eat more green and yellow foods (75% of your daily intake) than red foods (25% of your daily intake). So like any diet, you need to familiarize yourself with what foods fall within each category.  

Then, when you’re ordering from Starbucks, you can be mindful of your color balance throughout the day.  

For example, if you haven’t eaten many red foods throughout the day, then perhaps you can budget some higher calorie Starbucks options as a “treat”. 

However, if you’ve already consumed your daily budget of red foods, don’t worry, Starbucks still has plenty of green and yellow options as well.

• Read my complete Noom Fast Food Guide where I provide meal options at 6 different fast food restaurants.

How To Eat A Noom-Friendly Starbucks Meal?

Here are some tips for eating at Starbucks while following Noom: 

Tip #1: Stick To Lower Fat Milk For Drinks

If you’re ordering a drink at Starbucks while on Noom then I recommend ordering a lower-fat version by asking for skim milk or oat milk to keep the calories low, especially if you’re ordering food with your drink.

Having a lower-fat version of your favorite drink keeps the calories in check so that you have more wiggle room in your calorie range for things that will actually help keep you full.

For example, one cup of whole milk has approximately 150 calories, one cup of skim milk only has around 90 calories, and one cup of oat milk has around 80 calories.

Having a higher-fat drink won’t keep you full, so it’s best not to waste too many calories on a drink and put them toward a meal instead.

Tip #2: Opt For Lower Sugar Versions Of Drinks

Opt for sugar-free versions or half-sweet versions of your favorite drinks to keep calories low and avoid an energy crash later on.

Some drinks at Starbucks have over 50 grams of sugar, which is more than 200 calories (50 grams X 4 calories/gram) just from sugar. 

For example, a Grande Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino has 55 grams of sugar (220 calories from sugar) and the Venti size has 75 grams of sugar (300 calories forms sugar).

Sugar digests really quickly, so it won’t keep you full for very long and it will provide a very short-lived burst of energy that can leave you feeling lethargic afterward.

Rather than wasting calories on sugary drinks, it would be better to order sugar-free or lower-sugar versions and have a balanced meal.

Tip #3: Skip The Whip Cream

If you’re going to Starbucks intending to order a fancy drink, then I highly recommend that you skip the whip cream that comes with it. Skipping the whip will save you approximately 100 calories.

While 100 calories may not sound like much to some, it will add up over the course of the day; especially if you have a lower calorie range to work with while on Noom. 

The whip cream will also count as a red food and potentially put you over the recommended amount of red foods per day.

Tip #4: Choose A Smaller Size

If you have your heart set on a fancier drink that’s packed with flavor then it would be best to order a smaller size to reduce the impact on your calorie range.

For example if you wanted a Caramel Macchiato then you’d be better off ordering the tall version.

Choosing a smaller size reduces the calorie content of the drink making it more room-friendly and still allowing you to have the drink that you want.

That said, if you don’t mind altering the taste then you could order it with skim milk and sugar-free syrups and have a larger size.

Tip #5: Consider Passing On The Baked Goods

As delicious as the baked goods at Starbucks are, it’s best to keep them to a minimum while on Noom because they tend to be high in carbs and fats but low in protein. 

For example, one slice of Starbucks Banana Loaf has 360 calories, 49 grams of carbs, 17 grams of fat, and only 5 grams of protein.

If you have a higher calorie range based on your goals and have not surpassed your red food allowance, then you could include a baked good without compromising your results.

However, if you don’t have much wiggle room left in your calorie range or you’ve already consumed a number of red foods, then it’s best to pass up on the baked goods for lower-calorie menu items with more green and yellow foods.

Tip #6: Choose Lean Protein Sources

Lastly, look for menu items with lean protein sources like egg whites or turkey rather than fattier protein sources like sausage or bacon to keep calories low and reduce your consumption of red foods.

For example, the regular egg bites have 320 calories and 24 grams of fat, whereas the egg white bites have 170 calories and 8 grams of fat.

Menu items with leaner protein sources will keep you full for longer periods, which can help you adhere to your calorie range more easily.

Noom Starbucks Drinks

The most obvious Noom-Friendly drinks from Starbucks are:

• Brewed Coffee
• Black Americano
• Espresso Shots
• Tea

These drinks contain almost no calories. 

However, if you’re like me and you want a fancier drink when you go to Starbucks then here are some options to consider that you may not have known are Noom-friendly:

1. Brown Sugar Oat Americano

The brown sugar oat americano combines brown sugar syrup, cinnamon powder, steamed oat milk, and espresso to make a delicious coffee. 

This coffee is noom-friendly because it’s made with oat milk, which makes it lower in fat and calories. It can also easily be ordered “half sweet” for those who need it even lower in calories.

How To Order It

• Grande Brown Sugar Oat Americano

How This Performs In Noom

•  160 Calories

This entry can be found in Noom’s database but is not broken down to green, yellow, or red foods, it simply tracks the calories. I recommend you log it this way rather than trying to log it based on individual ingredients.

2. Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refresher

If you’re looking for a cold refreshing drink that’s noom-friendly then the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher is the perfect option. 

A Grande (medium size) only has 90 calories, which is easy for nearly everyone to fit into their calorie budget. Those who have more wiggle room could even go for a Venti (large size), which has 130 calories.

How To Order It

• Grande Mango Dragonfruit Refresher

How This Performs In Noom

•  90 Calories

This entry can be found in Noom’s database and is considered a green food!

3. Honey Almond Flat White

One of my personal favorite Noom-friendly drink options at Starbucks is the Honey Almond Flat White which is half Americano and half steamed almond milk with honey syrup. It’s creamy, delicious, and caffeinated so it’s the perfect pick-me-up.

If you really wanted to cut back on calories you could order a regular flat white with almond milk and omit the honey syrup but personally, I think the flavor is worth the extra 60-ish calories.

How To Order It

• Tall Honey Almond Flat White

How This Performs In Noom

•  120 Calories

This entry can be found in Noom’s database and is also considered a green food.

Noom Starbucks Meals

The top 3 meals from Starbucks while on Noom are:

1. Spinach, Feta, & Egg White Wrap + Apple Chips

The egg white wrap from Starbucks is a great noom-friendly option that is high in protein and fiber with some micronutrients as well. 

Pairing the wrap with apple chips helps to increase the number of nutrients in the meal and will provide you with more energy.

How To Order It

• Spinach, Feta, & Egg White Wrap with a bag of Apple Chips

How This Performs In Noom

•  327 Calories, 32% green foods, 39% yellow foods, 29% red foods 

Green Foods: Egg Whites, Spinach, Tomato
Yellow Foods: Whole Wheat Wrap
Red Foods: Cream Cheese, Apple Chips

2. Reduced Fat Breakfast Sandwich + Flat White

The reduced-fat breakfast sandwich plus flat white combo is my go-to Starbucks order while on Noom because it is a healthier, lower-calorie version of a typical breakfast sandwich and coffee combo.

This sandwich and coffee combo would be the perfect pre-workout meal for those working out in the morning because it is low in fat, has caffeine for alertness, carbs for energy, and protein to encourage muscle retention.

How To Order It

• Bacon-Style Turkey Breakfast Sandwich and a Grande Flat White made with Skim Milk.

How This Performs In Noom

•  279 Calories, 83% green foods, 6% yellow foods, 11% red foods

Green Foods: Egg Whites, Whole Wheat English Muffin, Skim Milk
Yellow Foods: Low Fat Cheese
Red Foods: Turkey Bacon

3. Egg White Egg Bites + Oatmeal

If you’re looking for a hearty breakfast at Starbucks while on Noom, then the egg bite and oatmeal combo is the one for you. Loaded with protein and fiber, this is the perfect meal to keep you full for longer periods of time.

Feel free to pair this with a black coffee if you need a caffeine pick-me-up.

How To Order It

• Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Bites and Oatmeal with Stevia

How This Performs In Noom

•  398 Calories, 33% green foods, 67 % yellow foods, 0% red foods

Green Foods: Egg Whites, Spinach, Red Pepper
Yellow Foods: Low Fat Cheese, Oats
Red Foods: N/A

Meals To Avoid At Starbucks

Although there are menu items that you can order at Starbucks while on Noom, there are also some menu items and combos that I suggest you steer clear of.

The meals to avoid are:

• Baked Goods & High Sugar Drinks. Baked goods by themselves will be high in carbs and fats and very low in protein, and sugary drinks are also high in carbs and probably fat as well depending on the type of milk that you choose.
  
  These two menu items in combination will not keep you full for very long but will be a significant number of calories consumed. 

• Sausage Breakfast Sandwich. This menu item is high in red foods with no trace of green foods, so it’s high in calories and has very few vitamins and minerals to offer.
  
  It’s also very high in fat but too low in protein, so it won’t keep you full as long as other options that are higher in protein. 

• Double Smoked Bacon Breakfast Sandwich. Although a slightly better option than the sausage breakfast sandwich because it’s slightly lower in fat and higher in protein, it’s still not the best option. 
  
  This breakfast sandwich has 500 calories (nearly half of them from fat), which could be reasonable depending on how much wiggle room you have in your calorie range. 
  
  If you wanted to add a coffee (that’s not just a plain black coffee) alongside your breakfast sandwich then you’d be adding even more calories to your order.

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