Morning.  Afternoon.  Light hours.  A Starbucks pick-me-up is a great way to get a second wind of energy.  But, if you’re like me, sometimes the idea of indulging in a 460 calorie Starbucks snack (thank you, blueberry scone) can make me think twice about cruising through a Starbucks drive-thru.

Luckily, over the weekend, I was enlightened by a friend on the Starbucks menu items that are actually not so high in calories.

Consider getting your favorite drink in ‘skinny.’

Starbucks unveiled ‘skinny’ drinks back in 2010.  Simply put, asking for any beverage in ‘skinny’ means your drink will be made with nonfat milk, sugar-free syrup, and no whipped cream (as applicable).  Your tall white chocolate mocha goes from being 500 calories, to 350 calories when ordered in ‘skinny.’

How about tea, please?

In general, tea has less calories than coffee, especially when you don’t sweeten it.  To save on calories at Starbucks, try a grande sweetened iced green tea (a mere 80 calories), a venti Tazo black shaken iced tea lemonade – sweetened (a nice 190 calories), or a Tazo green tea iced (for zero calories).

Order your lighter Starbuck drinks for less with discount Starbucks gift cards.  For every $25 gift card you order, you can use the savings to order a healthy beverage for free.

Increased Starbucks Savings Tips

Register your discount Starbucks gift cards at Starbucks.com to earn added discounts on drinks and baked good and to get a free beverage of any size on your birthday.  When you register your Starbucks gift card you also receive an added layer of protection in the event that your gift card is lost or stolen.