What should I order at Starbucks for high protein?
A venti Iced Protein Matcha carries the most protein on the menu, 50 g for 420 calories. For food, the Bacon, Sausage & Egg Wrap tops the list at 27 g for 640 calories, and a Bacon & Gruyère Egg Bites box gives 19 g for 300.
Key takeaways
- Starbucks is now the rare chain where the drinks menu beats the food menu on protein: the protein lattes and protein matchas run from 14 g in a short to 50 g in a venti.
- A venti Iced Protein Matcha is the highest protein single order on the menu, 50 g for 420 calories.
- The best protein for the fewest calories is the Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte: a tall is 22 g for 150 calories, a grande 29 g for 200.
- On the food side nothing reaches 30 g. The Bacon, Sausage & Egg Wrap leads at 27 g, and most breakfast sandwiches land between 17 and 21 g.
- Iced and hot versions of the same drink are not the same order. A venti iced holds 24 fl oz against 20 fl oz hot, so the iced venti carries noticeably more protein.
Starbucks is the one chain on this list where the answer is a drink rather than a plate. The protein lattes and protein matchas carry more protein than anything in the food case, and a venti holds more of them than the food does calories.
The highest protein orders
Every drink below is built on the same protein cold foam, so the numbers scale with the cup rather than with the flavour.
50 g proteinIced Protein Matchaventi, 24 fl oz, 420 kcal
40 g proteinIced Vanilla Protein Latteventi, 24 fl oz, 390 kcal
40 g proteinIced Caramel Protein Latteventi, 24 fl oz, 400 kcal
28 g proteinProtein Matcha, hotgrande, 16 fl oz, 300 kcal
27 g proteinVanilla Protein Latte, hotgrande, 16 fl oz, 310 kcal
23 g proteinIced Banana Protein Cream Matchagrande, 16 fl oz, 400 kcal
The last one is worth separating out. The protein cream drinks put the protein in the foam on top rather than through the whole cup, so they land around 17 to 23 g while a protein latte of the same size lands near 30.
Size does most of the work here, and the hot and iced cups are not the same size at the top of the range.
| Short, 8 fl oz | Tall, 12 fl oz | Grande, 16 fl oz | Venti | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla Protein Latte, hot | 14 g | 23 g | 27 g | 29 g |
| Iced Vanilla Protein Latte | not sold | 22 g | 29 g | 40 g |
| Protein Matcha, hot | 14 g | 22 g | 28 g | 31 g |
| Iced Protein Matcha | not sold | 18 g | 31 g | 50 g |
The highest protein food
27 g proteinBacon, Sausage & Egg Wrap1 wrap, 640 kcal
25 g proteinHam & Swiss on Baguette1 sandwich, 510 kcal
21 g proteinDouble-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich1 sandwich, 500 kcal
21 g proteinEgg, Pesto & Mozzarella Sandwich1 sandwich, 390 kcal
21 g proteinImpossible Breakfast Sandwich1 sandwich, 420 kcal
20 g proteinChicken Bacon Protein Pocket1 pocket, 310 kcal
19 g proteinBacon & Gruyère Egg Bites1 box, 300 kcal
18 g proteinSausage, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich1 sandwich, 480 kcal
The chilled shelf is worth a look too, and it does not photograph well enough to sit in the grid above: an Apples & Cheese Trio Protein Box is 22 g of protein for 470 calories, and the Cheese Trio Protein Box is 20 g for 520.
Nothing in the food case reaches 30 g, which is the number a lot of people aim at for a single meal. If that is the target, the practical answer at Starbucks is a sandwich plus a protein drink, or one venti drink on its own.
High protein, low calorie: better for a smaller appetite
- 29 g proteinIced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Lattegrande, 200 kcal
20 g proteinSpinach, Feta & Egg White Wrap1 wrap, 290 kcal- 18 g proteinIced Protein Matchatall, 150 kcal
18 g proteinEllenos Muesli Yogurt, no added sugar1 pot, 280 kcal
17 g proteinTurkey Bacon, Cheddar & Egg White Sandwich1 sandwich, 260 kcal
12 g proteinEgg White & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Bites1 box, 170 kcal
The sugar-free protein lattes are the standout here, and by a wide margin. A tall gives 22 g for 150 calories, which no food item on the menu comes close to.
Swap this for that
- Swap the grande Vanilla Protein Cream Cold Brew for the grande Iced Vanilla Protein Latte: +12 g protein for 30 fewer calories.
- Swap the Sausage, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich for the Turkey Bacon, Cheddar & Egg White Sandwich: nearly the same protein for 220 fewer calories.
- Swap the grande Iced Vanilla Protein Latte for the grande Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte: the same 29 g of protein for 70 fewer calories.
- Order the iced venti rather than the hot one when protein is the point: the cup is 24 fl oz instead of 20, which is worth about 11 g.
If McDonald's is more often on your route, the McDonald's high protein menu works the same way, and Panera is the better stop when you want a half portion rather than a whole one.
If you are managing a GLP-1 prescription and unsure how a 50 g drink or a heavier order fits your plan for the day, that is a question for your prescriber or dietitian rather than a menu page.
More questions about Fast food
What's the highest protein item at Starbucks?
A venti Iced Protein Matcha, at 50 g of protein for 420 calories. A venti Iced Vanilla Protein Latte is next at 40 g. The highest protein food item is the Bacon, Sausage & Egg Wrap at 27 g.
How much protein is in a Starbucks protein latte?
It depends on the size and on whether it is hot or iced. A grande Vanilla Protein Latte is 27 g hot and 29 g iced, a tall is 22 to 23 g, and a short is 14 g. The venti iced is 40 g, because an iced venti holds 24 fl oz rather than 20.
What should I order at Starbucks if I'm on a GLP-1 medication?
A drink is often easier than a plate when your appetite is small, and the sugar-free protein lattes are the densest option here: a tall Iced Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte is 22 g of protein for 150 calories. On the food side, Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Bites are 12 g for 170 calories. Check bigger changes to how you eat around your prescription with your prescriber or dietitian.
