Simple Starbucks swap lowers calories of popular drink without affecting taste

Autumn is here, and for many it means the start of pumpkin spice season in Starbucks. The coffee shop chain first introduced this seasonal drink in selected stores back in 2003 before being more widely introduced in 2004. Since then, it's been a tell-tell sign that autumn is well and truly here.

However, what many might not realise is that the popular drink comes with additional calories and sugar compared to the brand's standard latte. While this might not be an issue for most people who enjoy it as a rare treat, it could be problematic for people with certain health problems or those wanting to lose weight.

However, one man named Matt has now shared his go-to tipto enjoy a pumpkin spice latte with fewer calories and less sugar by making a couple of adjustments to his order. But not to worry, it still comes with that comforting pumpkin flavour that makes it so good.

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Taking to TikTok, he told his viewers: "What if I told you the innocent Pumpkin Spice Latte you're grabbing on the way to work is actually 266 calories and over 30 grams of sugar, which is just crazy for coffee? You're drinking about 10% of your daily calories.

"What if I told you you can keep most of the flavour and get it down to 81 calories and only 10 grams of sugar?" he went on to say. "But the thing that's more criminal than the fact that it's got almost 300 calories is the fact that this cost £5.80. Almost £6 for a coffee!

"Now, it's popular for a reason," he said as he noted that it is a tasty coffee. However, he didn't think it was worth 'using up' almost 300 calories. "I could not imagine taking up so many of my daily calories by drinking one of these, just for me personally, anyway."

Instead, Matt went on to recommend his alternative Starbucks order that allows you to enjoy the seasonal pumpkin spice flavour but with less calories involved, saying it had about two thirds less calories than the original latte.

He went on to film himself order a tall Pumpkin Spice Latte, substituting the normal milk for almond milk. He then went on to ask to get it without any whipped cream, and to get one pump of the pumpkin spice syrup instead of the normal four pumps, as well as one pump of the sugar-free vanilla syrup.

While it might not seem like a big change, Matt claimed it was just as delicious as the original version of the latte, but only has 88 calories. However, viewers didn't seem to be as impressed.

Several people quickly took to the comment section of the video, as many claimed that the adjustments Matt had made to his coffee order wouldn't make the drink taste as nice.

"There is no point riding with one pump of pumpkin u don't get the flavour," one viewer criticised. Someone else wrote: "Just let us enjoy life, please."

Another person went on to say: "Nah, just have one a week instead of having it everyday and fully enjoy it instead of trying to convince yourself it tastes the same."

However, some viewers went on to share their own versions of a pumpkin spice latte with less calories, as one person shared: "Also highly recommend an iced americano, with one pump brown sugar and pumpkin cold foam!! Pretty low cals and 130 stars for gold members. hate my coffee too sweet!"