Starbucks passion tea lemonade is a refreshing summertime drink made with passion tango tea, lemonade, and a touch of sweetness. But like many Starbucks drinks, it does contain a notable amount of calories and sugar. So how many calories are actually in a Starbucks passion tea lemonade? Let’s take a closer look.
Nutrition Facts for Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade
The nutrition information for a 16 fluid ounce or Grande size passion tea lemonade from Starbucks is as follows:
| Calories | 190 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Sodium | 25 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Sugar | 44 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
As you can see, a 16 oz passion tea lemonade contains 190 calories. It has no fat, protein, or fiber. The calories come entirely from carbohydrates, specifically 44 grams of sugar.
Calorie and Nutrition Breakdown
Let’s break down those nutrition facts a bit more:
- 190 calories – That’s nearly 10% of a 2,000 calorie daily diet from just one drink.
- 44 grams of sugar – That’s over 11 teaspoons of added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar to no more than 25 grams or 6 teaspoons per day for women and 36 grams or 9 teaspoons for men.
- 48 grams of carbohydrates – All of those carbs come from the sugar and added lemonade.
- No protein or fat – So this drink isn’t offering any nutritional value beyond calories and carbs.
Clearly, while tasty, the passion tea lemonade is lacking from a nutritional standpoint. The high amount of sugar and calories make it more of a dessert drink than a healthy beverage.
Calories in Other Starbucks Tea Lemonade Drinks
For comparison, here are the nutrition facts for some of Starbucks’ other tea lemonade beverages in a 16 oz Grande size:
| Drink | Calories | Sugar (grams) |
| Black Tea Lemonade | 130 | 32 |
| Green Tea Lemonade | 100 | 25 |
| Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade | 70 | 18 |
| Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade | 140 | 35 |
The passion tea lemonade is on the higher end for calories and sugar compared to Starbucks’ other tea lemonades. The Black Tea and Peach Green Tea Lemonades also contain significant calories and sugar, while the unsweetened teas with lemonade are lowest in both.
Tips for a Healthier Starbucks Tea Lemonade
While already full of sugar, here are some ways to make your Starbucks tea lemonade a bit healthier:
- Size down – Choose a Tall or 12 oz size rather than the 16 oz Grande to cut 60-80 calories.
- Ask for less pumps of syrup – A Grande passion tea lemonade comes with 6 pumps of sweetener. Ask for just 2-3 pumps to reduce the sugar.
- Try unsweetened – Opt for an unsweetened tea with lemonade like the Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade for just 70 calories.
- Add no-calorie sweetener – Order your tea lemonade with a no-calorie sweetener like stevia or sugar-free vanilla syrup.
- Use non-fat lemonade – Request your drink be made with nonfat lemonade to eliminate 20 calories of fat per serving.
- Ask for light ice – More tea and less ice reduces dilution for more pronounced tea flavor.
Implementing some of these tweaks can help turn your passion tea lemonade into a more figure-friendly drink.
Calories in Other Starbucks Menu Items
To put the 190 calories in a Starbucks passion tea lemonade into perspective, here’s how it compares to some other popular Starbucks menu items:
| Menu Item | Calories (Grande 16 oz) |
| Caffè Latte | 190 |
| Iced Coffee | 5 |
| Cappuccino | 140 |
| Americano | 15 |
| iced chai tea latte | 230 |
| Cinnamon Dolce Latte | 330 |
| Caramel Macchiato | 250 |
| Iced Caramel Macchiato | 270 |
| White Chocolate Mocha | 420 |
| Pumpkin Spice Latte | 380 |
As you can see, the passion tea lemonade has around the same calories as a latte, but significantly less than the sweeter, more indulgent espresso and coffee-based beverages. The teas, lemonades, and brewed coffees tend to be lower in calories, while the lactose-free milk and added syrups boost calories in the specialty drinks.
Calories in Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade with Customizations
The nutrition information provided by Starbucks is for the standard recipe without any customizations. However, many customers modify their passion tea lemonade orders, which alters the calorie and nutrient counts. Here are some common customizations and how they affect the calorie content:
- With extra pumps of syrup: +20 calories per pump
- Made with half and half instead of lemonade: +80 calories
- With added vanilla sweet cream cold foam: +50 calories
- With soy milk instead of lemonade: +90 calories
- With an added shot of espresso: +5 calories
As you can see, adding extra syrup, dairy, soy milk, or foam significantly increases the calorie content. Choosing nonfat dairy, remaining with lemonade, and minimizing added syrup will keep your customized passion tea lemonade lower in calories.
Does Size Matter?
When it comes to Starbucks passion tea lemonade, size definitely makes a difference in terms of calories. Here’s how the calories change based on size:
| Size | Calories |
| Tall 12 oz | 130 |
| Grande 16 oz | 190 |
| Venti 24 oz | 260 |
| Trenta 30 oz | 320 |
As expected, the larger the size, the more calories the drink contains. Sticking with a Tall size can save you 60 or more calories compared to the larger Grande or Venti. For the lowest calorie option, choose the kid’s size of 12 oz or under.
Comparing Hot vs. Iced Passion Tea Lemonade
Starbucks serves both hot and iced versions of the passion tea lemonade. Is one lower in calories than the other? Let’s compare the two:
| Beverage | Calories (Grande/16 oz) |
| Hot Passion Tea Lemonade | 140 |
| Iced Passion Tea Lemonade | 190 |
The hot passion tea lemonade contains 50 fewer calories than the iced version. However, they both contain the same amount of sugar. The difference in calories comes from the hot drink using water instead of lemonade as the base.
Passion Tea vs. Passion Tea Lemonade Calories
Ordering your passion tango tea as a hot brewed tea or iced tea rather than adding lemonade also reduces the calorie content. Here is the passion tea nutrition info:
| Beverage | Calories (Grande/16 oz) |
| Passion Tango Tea | 0 |
| Iced Passion Tango Tea | 10 |
With no added sugars or lemonade, both the hot and iced passion tango teas contain minimal calories on their own. The 10 calories in the iced tea come from the liquid cane sugar added to cold beverages. Skipping the lemonade removes around 180 calories from your drink!
Low Calorie Starbucks Tea Lemonade Options
If you love tea lemonades but want to keep your calorie intake low, here are some good options under 100 calories:
- Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade – 70 calories
- Iced Green Tea Lemonade – 100 calories
- Hot Passion Tea Lemonade – 140 calories
- Iced Black Tea Lemonade – 130 calories
- Iced Peach Green Tea – 60 calories
Choosing an unsweetened tea base and minimal pumps of syrup keeps these tasty tea lemonades lower in calories. The peach green iced tea lemonade is especially low at just 60 calories for 16 oz.
Higher Calorie Starbucks Tea Lemonade Drinks
On the opposite end of the spectrum, here are some Starbucks tea lemonades with substantially higher calorie counts:
- Iced London Fog Tea Latte – 290 calories
- Iced Chai Tea Latte – 230 calories
- Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte – 190 calories
- Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade – 140 calories
- Iced Passion Tea Lemonade with Coconut Milk – 260 calories
The added dairy from the lattes, as well as the coconut milk and increased sweetener all boost the calories. To keep these indulgent drinks somewhat lower in calories, opt for nonfat milk and less syrup.
Low Calorie Drinks to Order at Starbucks
If you’re trying to watch your calorie intake, here are some of the lowest calorie Starbucks beverage options besides plain tea and coffee:
- Iced Coffee – 5 calories
- Cold Brew Iced Coffee – 10 calories
- Nitro Cold Brew – 10 calories
- Cappuccino – 45 calories
- Caffe Americano – 15 calories
- Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte – 100 calories
- Iced Skinny Vanilla Latte – 120 calories
- Iced Passion Tango Tea – 0-10 calories
- Iced Coffee with Sugar Free Vanilla – 35 calories
Sticking with simple brewed coffee and tea beverages and using sugar free flavoring keeps the calorie count low. Avoiding blended drinks, cream, creamers, and sugary syrups also helps.
High Calorie Starbucks Drinks to Avoid
On the opposite end of the spectrum, here are some of Starbucks’ highest calorie beverage options to avoid if watching your waistline:
- White Chocolate Mocha – 550 calories
- White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino – 510 calories
- Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino – 530 calories
- Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino – 410 calories
- Java Chip Frappuccino – 490 calories
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte – 470 calories
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew – 330 calories
- Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha – 530 calories
- Eggnog Latte – 450 calories
- Salted Caramel Mocha – 470 calories
Blended, creamy, and ultra-sweet drinks like Frappuccinos and mochas provide little nutrition and pack the calories. Opting for skim milk, less syrup, and smaller sizes can improve the nutrient profile.
Healthiest Low Calorie Starbucks Orders
If you want maximum nutrition along with minimum calories at Starbucks, here are some of the healthiest low calorie orders:
- Iced coffee with soy milk and sugar free vanilla
- Cold brew with nonfat milk and stevia
- Skinny Caffe Latte made with nonfat milk
- Teavana Iced Green Tea
- Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade
- Hot coffee with cinnamon
- Cappuccino with nonfat milk
- Cold Brew with Sweet Cream Foam
Choosing unsweetened coffee and tea drinks, adding dairy-free milks or just a splash of nonfat dairy, and using no-calorie sweeteners keeps the calories down while providing antioxidants and hydration.
Tips for Ordering Lower Calorie Drinks at Starbucks
Here are some tips to help you customize your Starbucks order for fewer calories:
- Opt for small Tall or Grande sizes
- Choose brewed coffee or plain tea as the base
- Add just a splash of nonfat milk or dairy-free milk
- Minimize syrups and sweeteners
- Use sugar-free syrups or stevia to sweeten
- Request only light whipped cream or whipped topping
- Avoid blended Frappuccinos and sweetened creamers
- Ask for sauces and dressings on the side
- Substitute lemonade for sugary juice or milk
With a few simple customizations, you can still enjoy your Starbucks fix while maintaining your healthy diet and calorie goals.
Conclusion
Starbucks passion tea lemonade contains a significant 190 calories and 44 grams of sugar in a 16 oz Grande serving. While tasty, the high sugar content makes it more of an occasional treat. Choosing unsweetened teas, smaller sizes, less syrup, and lowfat dairy additions can reduce the calories in this and other Starbucks beverages. Being mindful of your customizations and focusing on simple brewed coffees and teas are the best ways to keep your Starbucks orders figure-friendly.
