Starbucks is stepping up their eco-friendly (and delicious) game by introducing a brand new plant-based protein blended cold brew smoothie, available today at participating locations. The drink comes in two flavors, almond and cocoa.

Coming on the heels of Starbucks’ July announcement that they are in progress to eliminate single-use plastic straws entirely by 2020, this news is the latest in the company’s eco efforts. The replacement of straws with straw-less recyclable lids and alternative material straw options (such as their trial run of paper straws in the UK)  has indicated an awareness of some of the environmental issues that are heavily contributed to by the global company. With the previous announcement, President and CEO of Starbucks Kevin Johnson stated, “For our partners and customers, this is a significant milestone to achieve our global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served to our customers in more sustainable ways.” Starbucks has some vegan options already in their food and drink menu, including almond, coconut and soy milk available for their beverages and avocado spread for their bagels. We’ve talked about the introduction of vegan food and drinks before, such as the Macadamia Oat Cookie and the Doubleshot Coffee Smoothies. However, each new release is exciting and shows another step towards creating more sustainability in their menu.

The drinks are made with Starbucks slow-steeped cold brew, a Banana Date Fruit Blend, ice and plant-based protein. Specifically, the plant-based proteins are pea and rice protein and all ingredients are certified vegan, according to Refinery29. The almond flavor contains almond butter and almond milk, and the cocoa flavor has cacao powder and coconut milk. Starbucks also offers options to customize the drinks to your personal liking, including replacing the Banana Date Fruit Blend with a whole banana, adding or reducing the almond butter or cacao (you can even add both to either drink), adding more protein or espresso, or making it decaf.

Do these recent moves by Starbucks indicate a bigger move towards a more sustainable and plant-based menu at the popular chain? We can certainly hope so, as Starbucks said in the announcement of this new product that the launch was “inspired by our customers’ love for Starbucks Cold Brew and a growing interest in plant-based proteins.” These steps towards more vegan and eco-friendly options at major mainstream corporations is certainly a step in the right direction, but more changes and awareness are still needed. Let’s hope there is more news like this soon!

Create your own protein drinks at home! 

If you can’t get your hands on the new Starbucks Protein Blended Cold Brew, try these recipes from our Food Monster App instead!

15 High-Protein Smoothie Recipes

Image Source: Superfood Protein Shake

These 15 High-Protein Smoothie Recipes are full of protein goodness to keep you strong all day long! From making your own protein powder to all kinds of combinations you would never even think of, there’s a recipe here for every smoothie taste.

Not a fan of protein powder? No problem!

Image Source: No Protein-Powder Protein Smoothies

These delicious vegan No Protein-Powder Smoothies by Carri Pattison show you how to get plenty of protein, no powder required! Give them a try if you want to steer away from the protein powder.

Need help crafting your perfect protein shake? Here!

Follow these steps to Craft the Perfect Vegan Protein Shake! Picking your powder, milk option, fruits and veggies, add-ins, and more could not be easier with the super simple guide, and you’ll end up with a delicious shake!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App for even more great protein smoothie recipes, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 8,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

Lead Image Source: Starbucks Protein Blended Cold Brew