The Simple Sweetener Swap That'll Make Your Basic Starbucks Drink A Tad Healthier

Try as you might to cut your sugar intake, there are some things that are hard to abandon — the occasional sweet treat after a hard day, grabbing a donut or croissant for breakfast, or swinging by Starbucks for a pick-me-up. If you're finding it difficult not to consume as much sugar, just know that swapping it for honey in your Starbucks drink can be the healthier choice.

We'd be remiss to not point out that honey technically has more calories than sugar — about 5 more per teaspoon, to be precise. However, if you're not focused on just counting calories, you'll find that the benefits of honey are far greater. Honey is rife with antioxidants like polyphenols, which fight off chronic illnesses. It also has traces of minerals and vitamins B and C. Plus, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, honey is known to banish coughs and soothe sore throats.

Although it does contain more calories than sugar, honey tastes sweeter, so you may find that you need less of it in your beverage. This can be particularly helpful for people who need to keep an eye on their blood sugar level, as honey won't make it rise as sharply as sugar does. A dash of honey in your coffee won't change your life monumentally, but with the bit of good it does, it's a great way to make your Starbucks order a little healthier.

The coffee giant is pretty relaxed with allowing customers to customize drinks as they see fit, but there's a whole category of popular Starbucks drinks that won't work with the honey swap method. Flavored lattes, like the pistachio or blond vanilla latte, come with syrups that contain sugar, and without them, the drink wouldn't be properly flavored. However, there are plenty of drinks that can be made with honey as a sweetener, without sacrificing taste.

Plain drinks like a cappuccino, cortado, flat white, or caffe americano can easily be made a little healthier by opting for a dash of honey instead of sugar. To make things a little healthier, you can opt for a lower-calorie milk option instead of whole milk.

Plenty of the Starbucks tea drinks can be elevated with a spoon or two of honey. The chain's traditional matcha latte contains classic syrup, but you can order the drink without it, opting for honey instead. Not only does the switch amp up the nutritional benefits of matcha, but the smooth earthiness of the condiment pairs wonderfully with grassy matcha. The London fog latte can also get a delicious boost with honey. When ordering, switch out the standard vanilla syrup for the sugar-free version and supplement it with honey packets.