As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the latest nutrition fad is protein. All sorts of food products are adding protein for “enhanced health.” From snacks to enhanced everyday staples, including protein bars (e.g., Quest, Bearbells), shakes (Fairlife, Premier Protein), yogurt (Chobani 20g, Oikos Triple Zero), and alternative pasta like Banza, protein enhanced products are showing up everywhere on the grocery shelves.
So, of course, Starbucks got into the act with their new Starbucks Coffee & Protein: Caffe Mocha.
The new STARBUCKS COFFEE & Protein: Caffe Mocha is a ready-to-drink, high-protein coffee beverage featuring Arabica coffee, reduced-fat milk, cocoa, and 20g–22g of protein per bottle. I bought a box (like the one above) at Sam’s Club for $24 and tried it out. It tastes a lot like chocolate milk…which is okay by me. If you want to boost your protein levels, this is a simple and tasty way to do it. GRADE: B+
Nutritional Breakdown (per 12 fl oz bottle):
Caffeine: Approximately 130mg
Calories: 150
Protein: 22g
Total Fat: 2g – 2.5g
Saturated Fat: 1g – 1.5g
Total Carbohydrates: 13g – 15g
Dietary Fiber: 6g – 7g
Total Sugars: 2g
Sodium: 70mg – 75mg
George, I don’t think Starbucks Coffee & Protein: Caffè Mocha is available in India. However, Starbucks India offers a variety of protein-based drinks, including cold brew with chocolate protein foam. That said, I’ve been to Starbucks only thrice since the company set up shop in India in 2012. Although I’m more of a tea drinker, I prefer traditional Indian coffee, particularly the specialised filter coffee that originated in South India. Roadside tea and coffee, including those sold in small neighbourhood shops, costing anywhere between Rs.7 and Rs.30 (roughly $0.08–0.35) a cup are extremely popular in India, and they’re good quality too. Come summer, rain or winter, we Indians love our tea and, in fact, we have several cups a day—usually served in small paper cups, shot glasses or earthen cups.
Prashant, in Western NY, there’s a coffee shop on almost every corner. Starbucks does a good business here. Their Drive-Thru always has a dozen cars in line. Other coffee shops cater to various income groups.
15 grams of carbs per serving? Yikes. I’ll stick with tuna and cottage cheese, thank you.
Deb, I know, 15 grams is about my usual 10 gram limit. But, once in a while…
Calories: 150?
Black coffee: 0 Calories.
Jeff, Mocha obviously has a lot of calories…
I’d need to look for a no-carb version…I add a bit of cocoa to coffee at times, not to much as to not have to sweeten it in any way…mocha sense-memory of my childhood has a strong pull. (A bit of cocoa in smoothies for Alice, too.) All the sugarless or nearly-so protein shakes one can buy definitely ensure (koff) they have something like a mocha option, and I might pick one up if crashing in or near a store that has them.
Todd, like you, I’m a Mocha guy!
Ptah! If I wanted protein in my coffee I would put the coffee and a couple of live squirrels into the blender. But I don’t, so I won’t.
Jerry, the Food Industry is putting Protein into just about everything. Soon, none of us will be able to escape it!
Well, perhaps the squirrels, we hope.