Starbucks Has a New Paradise Drink: Is it healthy or not?
Starbucks celebrates summer with new menu items. Included is the Starbucks Paradise Drink, which is already generating buzz.
This beverage has a distinct feel of mixed drinks and is meant for summer drinks. Starbucks Refreshers Paradise Drink is like sunshine in a cup. Its bright tropical flavors are radiant, happy, and joyful, according to Raegan Powell, a Starbucks R&D senior product developer. “This is the perfect summer drink to escape wherever you are.”
The new drink has already been shared on social media, and most people seem to agree that it’s delicious. But what’s in it, and is it healthy? Nutritionists weigh in.
What’s in the Starbucks Paradise Drink?
Starbucks Paradise Drink combines pineapple, passionfruit, diced pineapple, and coconut milk, and is described as a “creamy, dreamy, tropical sip.”
There are specific ingredients in the drink:
A pineapple and passionfruit refresher base (water, sugars, natural flavors, citric acid, beta carotene, green coffee extract, rebaudioside A [a purified stevia compound], coconut milk (water, coconut cream, cane sugar, tricalcium phosphate, coconut water concentrate, sea salt, natural flavors, xanthan gum, gellan gum, corn dextrin, guar gum, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2) and freeze-dried pineapple.
Is Starbucks’ Paradise Drink vegan?
YES! Starbucks Paradise Drink contains coconut milk, fruit, and juices, so it is vegan.
Starbucks Paradise Drink nutrition
When you have a Starbucks Paradise Drink in the grande size, you’re looking at the following nutrition information:
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value* |
| Calories | 200 | |
| Total Fat | 4.00g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 3.500g | 18% |
| Trans Fat | 0.000g | |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 95mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 39.00g | 14% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.0g | 4% |
| Sugars | 33.00g | |
| Protein | 1.00g |
Is the Paradise Drink healthy?
Paradise Drink was never advertised as being healthy by Starbucks, and nutrition experts disagree.
High sugar content is concerning, says Vanessa Rissetto, MS, RD, co-founder of Culina Health in New York City. “If you have a low blood sugar condition, it won’t help.” Even if you don’t, a drink with 23 grams of sugar and minimal protein will “get digested quickly and leave you feeling hungry faster,” she says.
According to Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety, the drink does not offer much nutritional value because of its high sugar content. The protein content of coconut milk is very low, she notes.
How to make the Paradise Drink better for you
The drink can be made healthier without losing any of its flavor, experts say. “It is best enjoyed occasionally,” Cording says. Her advice: Choose a smaller serving and pair it with something with protein, like a boiled egg, to prevent a blood sugar crash.
“A handful of nuts would provide protein, healthy fat, and fiber, slow down digestion, and stabilize blood sugar,” Cording says.
The expert recommends “enjoying your drink and moving on.” She also suggests “if 23 grams of sugar isn’t aligned with your daily health goals, maybe don’t have it every day.”
