I <3 Free Stuff.

Today is Free Pastry Day at Starbucks!  Although I don’t think anyone needs a pastry on a daily basis, today it’s free if you’re getting a drink (let me recommend a grande skinny vanilla latte with a half shot of mocha, or any one of the new teas, YUM), and even though pastries are packed with fat and calories, you have the entire day to burn it off!  And, Starbucks has new recipes – they’ve bettered their goods by taking out (most of) the fake stuff like artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup.

I have taken the liberty of checking out some of the ‘Bucks pastry selections and giving you a quick rundown of your best bets.

8-Grain Roll: Anything with “8-Grain” in the name sounds good for you, but this little number packs a punch at a solid 350 calories.  A lot to spend on breakfast, but the combined 10g of protein and 5g of fiber suggests that this guy will keep you full until lunch. I won’t be ordering it, however, because it has RAISINS IN IT. My number one hated food-in-a-food.

Blueberry Scone: Don’t. do. it.  This small scone has been revamped, but I’m not sure what they changed, because it has half of your daily fat intake and 460 calories (that’s over one and a half Egg McMuffins). It looks completely delicious, but it is teeny tiny and almost nutritionally worthless.  if you’re hitting the gym for over two hours today, though, feel free to indulge :)

Vanilla Mini Sparkle Donut: In all honesty, this will probably be what I go for this morning, since I hit Starbucks a solid two hours after breakfast.  It’s 120 calories and about 4 bites, but it’s small, sweet, delicious, and adorable (and sparkly! Did I mention it’s SPARKLY?!)

Ok, who am I kidding?  There are really no best bets when you’re dealing with the pastry case.  That’s why these are “sometimes” treats – it’s free, and it’s only once a year!  If you want to plan ahead, you can see all of the bakery offerings here – but be warned, they will probably be out of a lot of the options with all the demand. :( Apparently, cookies and/or cupcakes may be included in this offer, so you might want to snag a Red Velvet and keep it bagged til snack time. ENJOY!