Has the protein craze gone too far? I tried Starbucks’ new coffee to find out 

If you thought protein had been added to every food and drink conceivable, you’re wrong – Starbucks coffees are now available containing 15g of the muscle-building macro. After hot and cold drinks topped with Protein Cold Foam enjoyed “standout success” in the US cafe giant’s home market, it introduced protein drinks to the UK in April. 

I tried one myself to find out what these drinks taste like, are they good value and whether they mark a step too far for the protein trend. 

What is Protein Cold Foam?

Protein Cold Foam is basically whipped up whey protein powder. Starbucks says it’s a mixture of whey protein concentrate and milk powder. This means it’s not suitable for vegans. 

In cafes, you can pick from sugar-free vanilla or caramel flavours. There’s 15g of protein in each serving, which costs $2/£2 to add to your hot or cold drink. 

What does Protein Cold Foam look and taste like?

To put Protein Cold Foam to the test, I stopped at a Starbucks on the outskirts of Birmingham on my way back from a bike ride. I ordered an Americano with vanilla-flavoured protein, which came to £6.15 (£4.15 plus £2). 

The Protein Cold Foam was actually the least offensive thing about the drink. It looked and tasted a lot like frothed milk, although slightly denser. It seemed the whey protein was pretty high quality – the taste was clean without a chemical tang. The vanilla flavouring wasn’t overpowering, but I think it could do with less artificial sweetness. The less said about Starbucks’ over-roasted coffee the better. Next time I’d ask for the foam to be added to an espresso, cortado-style, so I wouldn’t have to drink a pitcher of hot, bitter water with the protein. 

Overall, I was surprised by how palatable the Cold Protein Foam tasted and I can see why it has proved popular over the pond. 

Is Starbucks protein coffee good value?

Adding Protein Cold Foam to my Americano cost an extra $2/£2, which isn’t a bad-value way to boost your protein intake by 15g while out and about. Clearly it’s always going to be cheaper to bring your own protein-rich snacks with you, but compared to buying a single protein bar or shake from a shop that’ll usually work out cheaper. Plus, those two alternatives will generally be more heavily processed than Protein Cold Foam. Out of the long and growing list of weird protein-enriched foods (protein pop-tarts, anyone?)I don’t think protein coffee is the worst. 

Do you need to drink coffee with protein in it?

If you have a high-volume training plan and/or regularly do strength training around a busy work and family life, protein-infused coffee could help you hit your protein goals when you are on the move. In my previous job as a news reporter, I could have often benefitted from a combined caffeine-and-protein boost during long days of boot-leather journalism. 

That said, whole foods are the best protein sources for busy athletes because they have a wide nutritional profile. 

If none of the above apply to you, you probably don’t need to supplement your cuppa with protein. Indeed, experts tend to agree that the general population eats adequate or too much protein. Save yourself the $2 add-on and your tastebuds from Starbucks coffee.