Starbucks Is Upgrading Their Iced Drinks With a Genius Trick

Black Iced Coffee

If you order a grande iced coffee plain with no Classic syrup, it'll be fewer than 5 calories with 0 grams of sugar. The iced coffee from Starbucks comes with the Classic syrup for added sweetness – the drink comes out to 80 calories and 20 grams of sugar with it included.

Iced Americano

Made with just espresso, cold water, and ice, a grande iced Americano from Starbucks totals 15 calories.

Unsweetened Cold Brew

With less than 5 calories and 0 grams of sugar, cold brew is a great ordering option that still has plenty of caffeine! The Starbucks cold brew is steeped for 20 hours and carries notes of chocolate and citrus. If you like your coffee creamier, just add a splash of your go-to milk.

Nitro Cold Brew

The Nitro Cold Brew from Starbucks is just their regular cold brew infused with nitrogen to create a satisfyingly creamy top layer of crema. A grande size has 5 calories or less and no sugar.

Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew

If you prefer your Starbucks on the sweeter side, this is the drink for you! The Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew is topped with vanilla sweet cream that makes the drink a lot creamier and subtly sweeter at the same time. This one clocks in at 70 calories and 4 grams of sugar.

Black Brewed Hot Coffee

A grande plain hot coffee from Starbucks has less than 5 calories, and depending on the featured brew, you'll still get some really yummy flavor notes in each sip.

Hot Americano

A grande plain hot Americano contains about 15 calories, and unlike a brewed hot coffee made with beans, it'll wake you up with strong espresso shots! The grande comes with 3 espresso shots by default, whereas a tall size has 2 and a venti size has 4.

Unsweetened Iced Tea

Starbucks has numerous teas at the ready. You can order iced black tea, iced green tea, and iced herbal teas like the Passion Tango. Unsweetened, each one is 0 calories, plus you can always add your own guilt-free sweetness with Splenda or Stevia.

Unsweetened Hot Tea

Like their range of iced teas, Starbucks' hot teas are available in a ton of varieties and flavors. You can order chai, earl grey, English breakfast, and mint teas hot, and they're so good! Each one, unsweetened measures up to be 0 calories. Add some sweetener and a splash of milk for somethin' a little extra.

Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso

This is by far one of my favorite low-calorie Starbucks drinks. It's sweet and smooth, but doesn't leave me feeling like I'll crash from the sugar afterward. A grande of the Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso has 120 calories and 12 grams of sugar.

Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

Instead of being flavored with brown sugar syrup, this bev gets a nutty dose of hazelnut syrup. For 150 calories and 16 grams of sugar, this low-cal option is worth the splurge.

Starbucks Refreshers

There are three different fruity flavors for the Starbucks Refreshers, and each one is generously low in calories for how flavorful they are! A grande size of the Strawberry Acai has 100 calories, the Mango Dragonfruit has 90 calories, and the Pineapple Passionfruit has 100 calories.

Nonfat Cappuccino

You can order this next option hot or iced, depending on your preferences. Filled primarily with milk foam, getting a cappuccino with nonfat milk significantly decreases the amount of calories from the standard recipe. Plus, yay for espresso!

Skinny Vanilla Latte

Any Starbucks drink that's "skinny" just means it's made with less syrup pumps than the original recipe, nonfat milk, and no whipped cream. You can order most Starbucks drinks "skinny," including lattes. Just note they might not be as sweet or as flavorful as the OG! The Skinny Vanilla Latte is a lighter, lower-cal version that still tastes yum.

Skinny Mocha

Available hot or iced, the "skinny" version of a Starbucks mocha is made with less syrup, nonfat milk, and no whip, which cuts the calories down by a long shot. Chocolatey and coffee-y – what more could you want?!

Flat White

Clocking in at 170 calories and 13 grams of sugar, flat whites are a nice treat that definitely rank lower from typical bevs in terms of calorie count. Whole milk and espresso have never been tastier!

This Starbucks copycat recipe is still as gooey and sweet as the OG. Using all fresh ingredients to make these bars will make them even better than the drive-thru! (via Brit + Co)

This seasonal drink doesn't have to be just for the holidays anymore! Simply follow the copycat recipe and adjust the sweetness, type of milk, and garnishes how you like 'em. (via Brit + Co)

Starbucks' egg bites will always be famous. Recreate the best flavor at home with under 10 ingredients! (viaBrit + Co)

The citrusy-sweet effect of this Starbucks copycat recipe will keep you company on sick days or cold winter nights. Plus, it's only 4 ingredients? Say less. (via Brit + Co)

Starbucks Lemon Loaf

There's no doubt that the lemon loaf is one of the best items on the Starbucks breakfast menu, but they can get pretty pricey once you start ordering them regularly. This copycat recipe yields a slice just as soft, sweet, and lemon-y! (via Brit + Co)

Now you can enjoy your go-to seasonal bev year-round! This caramel-infused Starbucks drink earns a dessert-y feel, which is perfect for pairing with bedtime. (via Brit + Co)

R.I.P. the original Eggnog Latte! Luckily, you can revive the now-discontinued drink right at home super easily with eggnog, espresso, and nutmeg. Add a splash of Baileys if you're feelin' fiesty! (via Brit + Co)

Gotta love some shaken espresso for on-the-go! Start your mornings off strong with this intensely-caffeinated iced coffee that won't cost $6 each time you drink it.(via A Virtual Vegan)

​One of our fave Starbucks hacks is asking for a splash of peach juice in our iced teas. As opposed to Starbucks' pre-made peach tea, this copycat recipe leverages ​fresh ​peaches for a ridiculously refreshing sip! (via Hello Little Home)

The best thing about this Starbucks copycat recipe is that you can easily customize what goes into them. Instead of the expected mix of mushrooms and spinach, try adding bacon, sausage, cheese, peppers, and more. (via Kathryn's Kitchen)

With this copycat cup, you'll first craft your very own pistachio syrup. It'll yield a ton of syrup that you can use for drinks in the future. It's a massive time-saver, plus it's tasty AF! (via Pink Owl Kitchen)

Make sure to brew an extra strong cup of espresso for this latte. The bitterness of the espresso strikes a not-too-sweet balance with the addition of brown sugar and cinnamon spice! It’s a more indulgent way to get your daily dose of caffeine. (via Diethood)

These muffins are addictive! But, like anything you get from Starbucks, the money you spend will rack up quick. Opt to make an entire batch at home to last you and the fam weeks – instead of minutes. (via Averie Cooks)

Use vanilla bean paste in this scone’s frosting for a punched-up dessert flavor. It’s one way to make your morning meal feel like a special treat! (viaCrazy For Crust)

PSL season doesn't have to end in October! Keep all things pumpkin goin' past fall time with this easy copycat recipe. It uses pumpkin puree to keep the flavor fresh and authentic. (via Vanilla and Bean)

You can have your strawberry Frappuccino and drink it too with this easy Starbucks copycat recipe. It’ll turn your post-gym smoothie into a healthy Frappuccino that only tastes like an indulgence! (via Desserts With Benefits)

This copycat S’mores Frappuccino recipe is like a quick camping trip... without all the bugs, dirt, and potentially inclement weather. Enjoy this chocolate-y drink in the comfort of your home, with ingredients you have in your pantry! (via Baking Beauty)

Not-too-sweet pumpkin scones get a double dose of vanilla icing in this Starbucks copycat recipe. One icing is plain and sweet, while the other packs a pumpkin-spiced punch. Now you can experience fall any time you want! (via Brown Eyed Baker)

This skinny vanilla iced coffee doesn’t require a trip to the store or Starbucks. It’s only three ingredients — coffee, your milk of choice, and vanilla extract. Yay, saving money! (via iFoodReal)

The key to recreating passion tea lemonade in your home is Tazo Passion Tea bags. From there, all you need is lemonade and a dash of vanilla extract. (via Cincy Shopper)

Jazzing up your chai with vanilla is such an easy idea. Plus, this make-at-home bev is only three ingredients and takes just over five minutes to make. Never wait for your name to be called out again. (via Mom Makes Dinner)

Recreating this Starbucks wrap at home lets you add more ingredients that the original might lack. Add extra feta cheese or spinach to satisfy your morning cravings! Best of all, you can really taste the difference in freshness with this Starbucks copycat recipe. (via The Big Man’s World)

Hot chocolates are classic – but there's no need to go spend $7 on a single drink when you have all you need to make one at home! Sugar, cocoa powder, water, salt, and oat milk make this sipper super easy. The marshmallows and shaved chocolate garnishes are optional, but we say go for it! (via Earthly Provisions)

As a Power of Women honoree, Mariska was recognized in regards to her work as an advocate for sexual assault survivors. She took the stage and used her platform to discuss rape and assault conviction reversals, shining a light on the recent overturned ruling in Harvey Weinstein's landmark NYC case. Here's what she said:

Today I want to talk about reversing convictions, and more specifically I want to talk to you about how impossible it is to reverse mine. It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that survivors matter. It is impossible to reverse my conviction that what happens to us matters, and that our society must respond to survivors with a more a compassionate, holistically, deeper, and more nuanced understanding of what healing means.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that after a trauma, survivors can reclaim lives of hope, of possibility, of audacious risk, beautiful intimacy, and glorious, glorious abundant joy. And I stand before you as evidence of that statement.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that we must listen to survivors as experts on what justice means. It is extraordinary how little their voices are consulted, let alone incorporated, in the process of deciding how to repair harm. Justice is not a one-size-fits-all journey.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that patriarchal impunity has to end. Patriarchal impunity is when a male-dominated system exempts perpetrators from punishment. Studies show that only 20% of all rape cases in the U.S. are reported to the police, and that between 5 and 0% of all rapes result in a guilty plea or a conviction. So why do 80% of victims not report? Because they're met with a system that grants impunity to perpetrators; a system that blames victims; a system that accepts only those victims who are experienced as "real" rape; a system that completely misunderstands the neurobiology of trauma, which causes behavior in women that doesn't fit the picture of how a "real victim" would act.

Is that change needed that victims should just pull themselves together? Just buck up and report anyway? No. No, it's the system that receives them that needs to change

It is impossible to reverse my conviction — and the conviction of my extraordinary team, The Joyful Heart — that the backlog of untested rape kits can be brought to zero; that the testing of all new kits must be mandated; that we need a statewide kit tracking system; and that survivors have the right to access the status of their kits.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that grammar — yes, grammar — that we use when we speak about rape must change. In the sentence, "A woman is raped," there's a crime and there's a victim, but there's no perpetrator. Where's the perpetrator? Where is he? Statistically, as we know, most likely he's walking free. He's so free that he doesn't even appear in the language about the crime that he committed. Is that not extraordinary? It's extraordinary that in the very grammar, the perpetrator goes free. Reintroducing perpetrators in the language of rape will make some very unwieldy grammar, but that's the nature of change. It's unwieldy, it's messy, it's uncomfortable, but it's necessary.

Hargitay continued on in her prolific speech to describe that rape shouldn't be considered a "crime of passion" because it's "not simply the next step in the trajectory of his passion" when a man takes a consensual hookup too far and assaults a woman against her will. She stated that it's "an exercise of power," doubling down that the language we use is important.

The speech went on to address that rape is both about power and control, as a "construct" that was "built, and assembled, and reinforced over time." She noted that there are people with these positions of power — and she specifically called out those in the entertainment industry — that could make a difference and aligned themselves to victims and survivors.

After this and some other remarks, Hargitay specifically called out the Weinstein conviction reversal. She said:

I do want to say something about the Harvey Weinstein conviction, specifically about the reason that it was overturned: too many women's voices. Too many women's voices were allowed to speak. Hallelujah! Amen! I can't imagine anything more beautiful than that. The Daily podcast episode talked about how it was so risky for the prosecution to have that many women testify. Risky to let women speak? You're damn right it is!

Too many women speaking brings change. Too many women speaking shakes the establishment. Too many women means we get listened to more, and people might actually hear what we have to say. Look what happened when women started saying just two words, right? Me too — just as an example — a tidal wave of change. Me too.

And then of course, there was the response: the Me Too Movement. The backlash. The examination of whether the changes that have come are lasting, or are even positive. Of course there's a backlash! What did they expect? For women to speak repeatedly, loudly, together, with a purpose — for there to be no backlash? The backlash is evidence of how powerful those voices were, how powerful those voices ARE.

Watch Mariska Hargitay's Full Speech Here

Turns out that your TV heroes really can be your IRL heroes after all. Long live Olivia Benson! Long live Mariska Hargitay!