We Tried Starbucks’ New Hot And Cold Protein Lattes

Protein is hot right now—especially when it comes to lattes. Tim Hortons recently launched hot and cold protein lattes, made with a protein-enhanced milk beverage. And as of September 29, you can customize your Starbucks order with either protein-enhanced milk or cold foam (both made in-house with whey protein isolate) to deliver up to 33 grams of protein per grande-size beverage at a small additional charge.

The protein launch comes on the heels of Starbucks announcing imminent closures across Canada and the United States that will result in 900 layoffs. While the official Starbucks announcement didn't name specific store closures, Toronto retail industry news outlet 6ix Retail reports that 57 Canadian stores will close across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Starbucks clearly hopes the move will draw health-conscious—and, increasingly, cost-conscious—visitors to its remaining 1,000 Canadian locations, where you can customize nearly any drink with the new protein boosters (adding a cold foam protein booster to a latte adds $2.25 to the drink's cost). The coffee house has also unveiled a new menu of protein drinks that will be available year-round—and Team Chatelaine got a sneak taste prior to the launch.

The new iced line-up includes an Iced Vanilla Protein Latte ($7.25 for a grande), Chocolate Cream Protein Cold Brew ($6.45 for a grande) and Iced Banana Cream Protein Matcha ($7.25 for a grande). The lattes are topped with Starbucks Protein Cold Foam, which adds approximately 15 grams of protein to a grande drink. The foam is available in a variety of flavours, including the aforementioned vanilla, chocolate and banana, as well as limited-edition seasonal flavours like pumpkin and pecan.

The new hot and cold latte lineup includes a Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Matcha Latte, Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte, Vanilla Protein Matcha and Vanilla Protein Latte ($6.95 for a grande). These lattes are made with Starbucks Protein-Boosted Milk, a blend of 2% milk and whey protein. 

“Protein is important for a lot of things in our body, including building and maintaining lean muscle and helping us to feel full,” says Emily Szatrowski, a Norfolk County, Ont.-based registered dietitian. 

In terms of how much protein midlife women need to consume, she recommends aiming for between 1 and 1.2 g of protein per kg of body weight—that means a 165-pound woman should eat around 90 g of protein a day. Highly active people should aim for closer to 2 g per kg; so a highly active 165-pound woman should consume around 150 g of protein daily. 

While Szatrowski notes that most people can get enough protein from a whole foods-based diet, she does see the advantage of starting the day with a protein-enhanced latte.

“We need to get adequate protein at every meal and snack, because the body likes to consume protein in manageable chunks as opposed to a large amount at once,” she says. “But a lot of people find that hard to do at breakfast.”

That said, she suggests accompanying your protein latte with some oatmeal and a piece of fruit. “There are a lot of reasons why protein is so beneficial, but it’s no more important than other nutrients like fat and carbohydrates [including fibre].”

As for the taste of the new Starbucks protein line-up? We are pleased to report the protein-boosted beverages had no discernable differences from the standard Starbucks offerings in terms of either flavour or texture. “You can't taste or smell the protein powder,” said one of our tasters. “It’s really well blended.”

The Protein Cold Foam was perfectly smooth and frothy, with the Chocolate Cream Protein Cold Brew (cold brew sweetened with vanilla syrup and topped with Chocolate Protein Cold Foam, which contains 19 g protein for a grande) being a clear favourite among the cold protein beverages. “Delicious and not too sweet,” said one editor.

Among the hot lattes, the Vanilla Protein Matcha (28 g protein for a grande) won points for being vanilla-forward but still not overly sweet. 

On the subject of sweetness, the addition of protein doesn’t negate the fact that adding flavour syrups to your favourite Starbies order also adds a lot of sugar. Case in point: A grande vanilla latte with four shots of vanilla syrup contains 35 g of sugar, whereas a grande unsweetened latte contains 17 g—less than half that amount. So if you’re trying to make a healthier choice, skip the syrups and add a protein booster to your favourite unsweetened tea or coffee latte instead.