Whether you’re a high school student or college student, exams and all the studying required for them is tough and can leave you feeling pretty drained. You wouldn’t be alone in reaching for your favourite cup of java to give you a boost as recent studies suggest that in 2020, caffeine was consumed by 92% of college students, the majority of which was in the form of coffee [1].
With so many choices to get your daily caffeine hit, from cappuccinos to skinny lattes and everything in between, it’s difficult to know which is going to keep you alert and concentrating as you hit the books. Help is at hand though as we go through the top 5 Starbucks drinks for studying.
Espresso
For the purists among you, this classic packs one of the strongest hits of caffeine per volume at 75mg per single serving to keep you awake for those all night study sessions (yes, I’ve been there too).
It’s also idea if you aren’t wanting to drink a huge volume of liquid as each single shot is only 0.75 fl oz although you can double, triple and even quadruple your order. Described as ‘rich and caramelly’ this is the perfect drink for those who enjoy the pure unadulterated flavour of coffee but want a quick pick me up.
Doubleshot On Ice
Hot liquids aren’t ideal for keeping you cool and focused on a hot Summer’s day so you may want to consider the espresso’s chillier cousin. Made from a chilled shot of espresso and just a touch of milk and sweeter, a single serving 12fl oz of this will still keep you focused with 145mg of caffeine.
If you have a sweeter palate, why not try the ‘blonde’ version of this which comes with Starbuck’s classic syrup. It’s a well-known fact that glucose is the only fuel that our brains can use so you might find that the extra sugar further increases your alertness levels for studying.
Chai Latte
Coffee isn’t to everyone’s taste and you may prefer the tea. If this is the case, you might want to try this Indian-inspired black tea infused with a mix of warming spices, combined with hot steamed milk.
Despite being tea, this still packs a punch in the caffeine department with 70mg caffeine per tall 12 fl oz serving to keep you going.
As ever with Starbucks, there are endless options so if you prefer your tea without the dairy, go for the plain Chai Tea with its ginger, cardamom, and clove notes.
Matcha Lemonade
This drink has the least amount of caffeine in it with 55mg per serving but still provides a decent amount to get you focused and in the zone.
This is a zingy and refreshing concoction containing a sparking mix of lemonade, ice and finely ground matcha tea for the perfect Summer beverage.
This drink also gets bonus points for its bright green hue, thanks to the matcha.
If you want to boost the amount of caffeine, ask the barrister to add another serving of matcha to the lemonade before you head back to the library.
Flat White
If you prefer to take your coffee milky, look to the Starbuck’s classic Flat White. This combines a strong ristretto espresso shot with steamed milk to give you a well balanced, rich drink that’s creamy but not so much that it will settle heavily in your stomach, making you sleepy. This provides a very generous 130mg of caffeine per 12fl oz serving, helping to keep your focus laser sharp.
Like the Doubleshot, this drink has a sweeter relative in the Honey Almond Milk Flat White, which pairs almond milk with just a hint of honey to make for a delicious but energising drink to sip whilst you study.
Next time you head down to Starbucks during your study session, try one of these drinks to prevent you from flagging.
Just remember you can have too much of a good thing so try to stick to the daily limit of caffeine a day, 400mg to avoid unpleasant side effects like palpitations, shakiness and digestion problems [2]. Whichever drink you choose, happy studying!
Reference
1)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561418301341