What is the healthiest Starbucks Christmas drink? How much sugar and caffeine is contained in the seasonal drinks and other nutritional information

'Tis the season for seasonal Starbucks drinks. This year, the coffee chain is ringing in the holidays with new drinks, available in stores starting in November. While tried-and-true favorites like the Peppermint Mocha are back on the menu (this time in a pink, green, and red cup), there are also new additions with festive ingredients like cranberries and gingerbread.

There's no doubt that Starbucks holiday drinks can be a fun part of the festive time of year – but with such unique drinks on menus nationwide, you might be wondering if some are healthier than others. As nutritionist Chris Mohr explains to Yahoo Life, it's important to examine the nutritional profile of these drinks because these seasonal specialties “can be high in sugar, fat, and calories,” which can lead to weight gain and even negatively impact your metabolic health can improve your ability to maintain optimal blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels – when taken regularly.

We examined the ingredients and nutritional values ​​of the new offerings to find out what you want to know about these drinks and whether there's one that's the healthiest overall.

Cran Merry Orange Refresher

Who says a holiday drink has to be warm and cozy? The Cran-Merry Orange Refresher — which is made with a blend of white grape, orange, cranberry and juice concentrates, plus green coffee extract for flavor — bucks that trend and is served over ice instead. Additionally, it is garnished with freeze-dried cranberries.

At 100 calories for a 16-ounce grande, it's also the lowest calorie option of the bunch. However, these calories mostly come from sugar – there are 20 grams per serving. (For comparison: the same amount of cola contains 52 grams of sugar.)

There is also a version of this drink on the menu that contains lemonade, the Cran-Merry Orange Lemonade Refresher. It contains the same ingredients as above, but is mixed with soda, bringing the sugar content to 31 grams and calories to 140 for a drink of the same size.

Lindsay Malone, nutritionist and lecturer at Case Western Reserve University, tells Yahoo Life that we should be careful about drinking such drinks regularly because “sugar has no nutritional value and is a well-documented trigger of many common chronic diseases such as obesity and metabolic syndrome .” and type 2 diabetes.”

Then there's the Cran-Merry Drink, the original refreshing recipe shaken with coconut milk – a twist on Starbucks' legendary Pink Drink. Although the sugar content is only slightly higher than the original soft drink (23 grams this time), the addition of the coconut milk means the drink has 140 calories, the same as the soda version.

Importantly, these soft drinks also do not contain many beneficial nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Although cranberries have some nutritional benefits (such as vitamins C and E), they are more of a garnish in the drink, meaning you don't get much of those benefits. Plus, these drinks are completely protein-free, which helps keep you full.

It should also be noted that these drinks contain caffeine – which might surprise people who don't necessarily associate these refreshing drinks with the stimulant. One Grande contains 55 mg of caffeine, which is significantly less than the Starbucks Caffe Americano espresso drink, which contains about 225 mg. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you should monitor your intake.

Peppermint Mocha

This classic drink—a holiday staple—features espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce, and peppermint-flavored syrup. It is also garnished with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

The standard Grande-sized peppermint mocha contains 440 calories, 54 grams of sugar and 16 grams of fat — the equivalent of a “small meal,” says Malone.

“Regular black coffee has less than 15 calories and no sugar, while the peppermint mocha is more akin to a peppermint milkshake,” says Malone. “Most people wouldn't choose a peppermint milkshake for breakfast, while a coffee drink, even flavored with sugar, cream and chocolate, seems a more appropriate choice.”

Caramel Brulée Latte

This dessert-like drink, which contains milk, caramel brulée sauce, espresso, whipped cream and caramel brulée topping, has 410 calories, 14 grams of fat and 48 grams of sugar, making it just a slightly lighter option than the peppermint one. Mocha.

Chestnut praline latte

The chestnut praline latte is made with steamed milk, espresso and chestnut praline syrup and then topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with a spiced icing. It has around 110 calories less than the peppermint mocha (330) and, at 38 grams, also less sugar. It has about the same amount of fat at 14 grams.

Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte

At just 150 calories, the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte is a much lighter choice than the hot coffee options above — and that's partly due to the use of an almond drink instead of whole milk. The drink is also made with espresso and cookie-flavored sugar syrup and contains about 25 grams of sugar and 3.5 grams of fat.

However, keep in mind that this latte may not be as filling as the other coffee drinks on this list. The drink only has 2 grams of protein, while the Peppermint Mocha, for example, contains 13 grams. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient.

“Some people may choose almond milk instead of milk to save calories, but I would recommend sticking with fat-free milk if you can tolerate dairy – you'll get about 8 grams of protein per cup, as well as calcium, vitamin D and potassium,” says Malone says.

Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai

This iced drink combines oat milk, chai tea concentrate, gingerbread syrup and a spice topping of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Because it contains oat milk, unlike Starbucks' almond drink, it has slightly more calories than the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte: It clocks in at 310. It also contains 25 grams of sugar and 3.5 grams of fat.

Importantly, however, this drink also contains minimal protein – just 2 grams – meaning it may not fill you up particularly well.

Cold foams for the holidays

Cold foam drinks at Starbucks consist of ice, brewed coffee and a sweet cream topping flavored with various syrups and additives. The new flavors are:

• Gingerbread cream cold foam

• Peppermint chocolate cream cold foam

• Sugar Cookie Cream Cold Foam

• Chestnut praline cream cold foam

• Caramel brulée creme cold foam

There is currently no specific nutritional information for these drinks. However, the Chocolate Cream Cold Brew contains about 250 calories, 14 grams of fat and 28 grams of sugar. Because no milk is added (just cream), these drinks are low in protein at just 2 grams.

The end result

There's no “healthiest” Starbucks holiday drink — and how you incorporate them into your diet can make a difference in your overall diet, says Malone.

“Like most foods, there's a spectrum where some holiday drinks like flavored coffee are pretty harmless, and at the other end of the spectrum you're essentially eating dessert for breakfast,” she says.

Malone says it's fine to purchase one of these holiday drinks every day at Starbucks — but if you want to be diet-conscious, you may want to customize your drink. “Choosing fewer syrup pumps or opting for sugar-free syrups is a great way to lighten up Starbucks drinks,” says Malone. “You can also avoid added drizzled sauces and opt for low-fat dairy products such as fat-free and reduced-fat dairy products.”

The easiest way to do this, according to Malone, is to order your drink “skinny”—that way, she says, your barista will use “low-fat milk, sugar-free syrup, and avoid toppings like whipped cream and chocolate shavings.”

Want a fun drink you can enjoy every day? Malone recommends “flavored brewed coffee or a fat-free latte with pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top.” You can then “save the fully loaded drinks for a treat that you enjoy a few times a month.”