The skinny on Starbucks

Ordering coffee at Starbucks can be challenging, what with the gazillion of choices available – a tall non-fat double-shot vanilla latte with whip, anyone?

Now the brewing baron is making ordering easier for perplexed patrons with its new “Skinny” platform. The new lingo – the word “skinny” – saves you from having to say nonfat Latte made with sugar-free syrup. So, instead of ordering a nonfat, sugar-free gingerbread latte, you can now order a skinny gingerbread latte.

The company also added a new sugar-free syrup flavor – mocha – to its existing selections of vanilla, hazelnut, caramel and cinnamon dolce.

Katie Thomson, a registered dietitian for Starbucks, says the move was prompted by customer demand for healthier options. But Starbucks’ new lingo seems more like wishful thinking in a cup. Swapping out a tall Cinnamon Dolce Latte (made with non-fat milk and no whip) with a tall Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte is a difference of just 70 calories. And even if you indulge in a drink a day, that’s still just 490 calories per week – it would take nearly two months before those daily drinks resulted in a gain of one pound.

If you want to skip the lattes altogether, might I suggest my favorite Starbucks drink? Order steamed soymilk, plain, no syrup. You will probably have to repeat this a few times to the baffled barista who, without fail, will not know how to ring the order up since it’s not on the menu. Sprinkle some vanilla powder into the drink and add a few packets of Splenda sweetener to taste and voila – pure heaven.

So, what’s your favorite Starbucks - or other coffeehouse - concoction?