There’s nothing better to get your morning started or to pick you up in the afternoon than a caffeine buzz. So the Lunch Ladies decided to sample the wares at that castle of caffeine, Starbucks, because there’s one on every corner.
Obviously, everyone has different tastes (including the two Lunch Ladies), and people can get emotionally attached to how they drink their coffee and tea, which is probably why Starbucks provides dozens of options for milk, sweetener, temperature and flavorings. Kimberly prefers creamy with no sugar, while Gretchen likes it sweet.CHAI TEA LATTE with nonfat milk
Price: $3.35
Portion size: 16 oz., or “grande”
Looks/smell: Smelled sweet and spicy with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Texture/taste: It was an unusual but welcoming taste of black tea sweetened with honey and flavored with vanilla and exotic spices. While we mostly reviewed coffee drinks, this was a surprisingly delicious hot beverage that tasted more like a treat than a caffeine injection.
Kimberly: I’m not a fan of sweet caffeine drinks, but the heavy spices, black tea and honey combination made this beverage irresistible. It’s too sweet for me to drink before work, but it would make a fabulous afternoon pick-me-up.
Gretchen: Despite my fear of milky tea, this was really good. Perhaps my taste buds have grown up. However, it’s a couple of Weight Watcher Points above my usual – a grande non-fat, sugar-free vanilla latte.
Score: 5 lunch bags (out of five)
PER SERVING: Cal 230; Fat 0 g; Fiber 0 g; Carb 51g; Protein 8 g; Weight Watcher Winning Points: 5

VANILLA LATTE with nonfat milk
Price: $3.45
Portion size: 16 oz., or “grande”
Looks/smell: Smelled like vanilla and coffee.
Texture/taste: A latte is a drink made with espresso and steamed milk. This one had a heavy vanilla taste that masked the coffee’s true flavor.
Kimberly: It was too sweet for me, and the vanilla tasted more like cheap Halloween candy and less like real vanilla.
Gretchen: I like my coffee sweet, and this definitely fit the bill – it didn’t need any extra sweetener added. However, the sugar-free vanilla syrup is just as good.
Score: 3 lunch bags
PER SERVING: Cal 200; Fat 0 g; Fiber 0 g; Carb 38; Protein 12 g; Weight Watcher Winning Points: 4

CAFFE LATTE with nonfat milk.
Price: $3.15
Portion size: 16 oz., or “grande”
Looks/smell: Smelled heavenly, but what coffee drink doesn’t?
Texture/taste: Bold coffee flavor mellowed by the non-fat steamed milk. This should be the industry standard for all lattes.
Kimberly: This is my favorite of the Starbucks drinks. It was a lovely melding of bitter coffee and comforting milk capped with a dense cap of foam. On a Monday morning, it will set you free.
Gretchen: Good, but it needed lots of Equal (or sugar-free syrup).
Now, let me say a few words about foam. Usually I don’t experience the foam because I’m sipping through the plastic lid. However, Kimberly and I removed the lids so we could pour half into another cup to share. And hello, foam – what fun! Next time, my latte is going topless.
Score: 5 lunch bags
PER SERVING: Cal 160; Fat 0 g; Fiber 0 g; Carb 24; Protein 16 g; Weight Watcher Winning Points: 3

CAFFE MOCHA with nonfat milk and no whipped cream.
Price: $3.45
Portion size: 16 oz., or “grande”
Looks/smell: The only thing better than the smell of coffee is the smell of chocolate and coffee.
Texture/taste: Some things just belong together: strawberries and cream, wine and cheese and, of course, chocolate and coffee. This drink is a complementary blend of both flavors without one dominating the other. We did not get the whipped cream on top because, well, that would ruin it.
Kimberly: Love it! Normally I don’t like dark or bitter chocolate, but it was perfect with Starbucks’ 0 bold brew. Everyone should try this drink at least once.
Gretchen: I can think of another perfect pairing: coffee and cigarettes. Or beer and cigarettes. Or beer and pizza. Of course, Mom and Dad, I don’t partake of any of those – especially not the pizza.
Score: 4 lunch bags
PER SERVING: Cal 230; Fat 2 g; Fiber 2 g; Carb 43; Protein 14 g; Weight Watcher Winning Points: 5

CARAMEL MACCHIATO with nonfat milk and no whipped cream
Price: $3.60
Portion size: 16 oz., or “grande”
Looks/smell: Smelled like caramel and vanilla.
Texture/taste: This is a very sweet drink that is not for coffee purists. However, it feels very “Italian bistro” to say “caramel macchiato.”
Kimberly: This was my least favorite of all the drinks because the sweetness was overwhelming. I felt like I was drinking a few drops of coffee in my cup of flavored sugar.
Gretchen: Fabulous! Of course, by this point, I was riding a pretty big caffeine high.
Score: 3 lunch bags
PER SERVING: Cal 220; Fat 1 g; Fiber 0 g; Carb 40; Protein 13 g; Weight Watcher Winning Points: 4 (almost to the 5-point line)

CAPPUCCINO with non-fat milk
Price: $3.15
Portion size: 16 oz., or “grande”
Looks/smell: Nice contrast between the white foam and the dark coffee.
Texture/taste: A cappuccino is espresso topped with foamed milk. It tasted similar to a latte but with more of a kick.
Kimberly: It was a delicious coffee drink, but I prefer the latte. The low calories are appealing, though.
Gretchen: After I dumped several packets of Equal in, I loved it! I don’t think it would count as a “milk serving,”though.
Score: 5 lunch bags
PER SERVING: Cal 100; Fat 0 g; Fiber 0 g; Carb 14; Protein 9 g; Weight Watcher Winning Points: 2

MISTO with soymilk
Price: $2.50
Portion size: 16 oz., or “grande”
Looks/smell: The soymilk really stands out.
Texture/taste: It tasted like a cup of coffee with soymilk. There was nothing particularly special about this drink. It was a bit boring.
Kimberly: I love soymilk, but I didn’t care for it in my misto. It gave it a weird, unfamiliar taste.
Gretchen: I ended up with soymilk burps.
Score: 2 lunch bags
PER SERVING: Cal 110; Fat 3 g; Fiber 0 g; Carb 15; Protein 6 g; Weight Watcher Winning Points: 2

ESPRESSO
Price: $1.45
Portion size: 1 oz.
Looks/smell: The dark beverage looked festive in its tiny little cup.
Texture/taste: Espresso, according to Starbucks, is coffee’s purest, sweetest, most intense form. It tasted like rich coffee without the bitterness.
Kimberly: While I like the full flavor of coffee, I was skeptical about espresso because it just seemed too scary. But it was quite enjoyable. I’m now inspired to order a Ristretto, which is a short pull of espresso capturing only the sweetest part.
Gretchen: “Rich coffee without the bitterness?” Are you kidding me, Kimberly? I couldn’t handle it. Guess I’m just too wimpy for espresso.
Score: 3 lunch bags
PER SERVING: Cal 5; Fat 0 g; Fiber 0 g; Carb 1; Protein 0 g; Weight Watcher Winning Points: 0

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