• I was a Starbucks barista for nearly a year, so I've tasted almost every item on the menu.
• For drinks, I recommend the iced caramel macchiato and the strawberry-acai refresher.
• I'm also a fan of the chain's glazed doughnut and the bacon, Gouda, and egg sandwich.

I worked as a Starbucks barista in Chicago for almost a year. Between tasting everything I made during training plus the free drinks and meals I received each shift, I've tried nearly everything on the menu.

I prefer things to be sweet and cold, but you can use these drink recommendations as a baseline and adjust your order to your own preferences. 

Read on for my favorite things to order at Starbucks.

Iced caramel macchiatos are my go-to fancy drink

An iced caramel macchiato with almond milk is my favorite Starbucks order when I'm looking for a fancier drink — as long as the barista doesn't skimp out on the caramel drizzle (the most important part).

I'm usually not a huge fan of caramel, but something about the way it mixes with the espresso and milk gives it an irresistible flavor. 

A classic soy-milk latte is the perfect pick-me-up

If I'm looking for something simple with a touch of sweetness, a soy-milk latte is the way to go.

With the vanilla soy milk, there's no need to add syrup unless you're looking for a jolt of added sugar.

As someone who doesn't like to pay for air, this is a better alternative to a cappuccino since there's less foam and more milk. 

You can't go wrong with a simple black iced tea

When I'm trying to reduce my sugar consumption, unsweetened iced tea is the ideal choice. 

I prefer black tea because I find it a bit stronger, but green tea is also a solid choice. As long as the barista steeps it properly, neither should taste bitter.

I usually like to get as much ice as possible, so I ask for it without added water because the ice dilutes it enough. 

If you're a matcha fan, the matcha-crème Frappuccino is a must

I love a good matcha Frappuccino, especially on a summer day. It reminds me of a milkshake with a bit of caffeine.

The drink has the perfect blend of sweet and earthy notes.

If you're ordering it with nondairy milk, soy will give it that creamy texture Frappuccinos are known for. I've found it won't come out as creamy with almond milk.

The vanilla-sweet-cream nitro cold brew is sweet and strong

When I need a hefty pick-me-up, a nitro cold brew is unbeatable.

Compared to a regular cold brew, a nitro one is smoother, so it doesn't need ice to water it down. 

Even though it's smooth, I still need some sweetness. The vanilla sweet cream is a beautiful blend of heavy creamer and vanilla syrup that sits on top of the coffee until you're ready to mix.

If I don't want coffee, the strawberry-acai refresher is a great option

When I need a break from heavy caffeine and want something fruity and light, I'll go for a strawberry-acai refresher.

It's by far my favorite refresher flavor, but you can't really go wrong with any of them. It may just taste like fruit punch, but it's the perfect way to quench your thirst. 

The glazed doughnuts are the perfect companion to a cup of coffee

Pastries are one of my favorite things to pair with coffee.

Starbucks has a broad selection, but one of my favorites is the glazed doughnut — it's the perfect pastry for when I get the occasional hot drink.

I prefer to get the blueberry scones warmed up

If I'm not in the mood for a cold pastry, I'll order a warmed-up blueberry scone. The heat moistens it, making it taste fresher.

Starbucks' blueberry scones are also a bit fluffier than traditional ones, which I like. The scone goes exceptionally well with a black coffee, like the Pike Place or dark roast. 

The sausage, cheddar, and egg sandwich is a filling breakfast

When I worked early morning shifts and was really hungry, the sausage, cheddar, and egg Starbucks breakfast sandwich saved me.

It's greasy and filling in the best way. I found it was often a customer favorite — I was lucky if there were any left to grab during my break. 

I love the flavors of the bacon, Gouda, and egg sandwich

If I wasn't starving but still wanted something tasty in the morning, the bacon, Gouda, and egg sandwich always satisfied.

It's smaller, so you might not feel like you're getting your bang for your buck, but the quality is worth it. 

The Gouda pairs nicely with the bacon, and the ciabatta roll toasts to perfection. No soggy bread here.

This story was originally published in March 2022 and most recently updated on March 5, 2025.

Agriculture Sec. Brooke Rollins unveiled a plan to lower egg prices in both the short and long term on Wednesday.

Rollins made the announcement during an appearance on Fox News' "America's Newsroom," saying President Donald Trump's administration is taking a multi-prong approach to combat the bird flu that has ravaged chicken populations and therefore sent the price of eggs skyrocketing. 

Rollins blamed the current high prices on a "long road" of overregulation going back to President Barack Obama's administration.

The Trump official also highlighted efforts to re-populate poultry farmers who were forced to slaughter most or all of their populations due to exposure to the virus, a policy Rollins says the administration is investigating.

EGG PRICES AREN'T COMING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, EXPERTS SAY

EGG FARMER HIT HARD BY BIRD FLU, DESCRIBES 'NIGHTMARE' OF LOSING 3 FLOCKS

When asked by host Dana Periono if it was time to revisit the policy of killing chickens, Rollins confirmed that the Trump administration is researching whether changing the policy would be effective.

"We are going to have some pilot programs across the country that work to prove that out," Rollins said. "The avian flu is an extremely fast-spreading virus, and within a couple of days it spreads so quickly that most of the chickens have died anyway. But there are some farms that are out there and that are willing to really try this."

WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIST GIVES PLAN TO CONTROL AVIAN FLU, LOWER EGG PRICES AFTER BIDEN ADMIN ‘KILLED CHICKENS’

Rollins says that in the short term, her agency is working to import eggs from other countries in order to meet demand and lower prices in the U.S. She stressed that such purchases are not a long-term solution, however.

It is unclear what Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s day one priorities will be if he is confirmed to be the next Health and Human Services Secretary, but diet and nutrition experts suggest Kennedy could effectuate changes on a number of different fronts when it comes to healthy eating. These potential reforms might include overhauling school lunch programs, establishing new standards for seed oils and ultra-processed foods, setting limits on toxins, and more.  

Kennedy, who wants to "Make America Healthy Again," has been a staunch advocate for reforms to the food industry and President-elect Donald Trump has said he will have permission to "go wild on health" if he is confirmed.

One major opening for Kennedy would be overseeing a revision of the federal government's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans," one of the most powerful tools in terms of shaping public perception about what is healthy. The guidelines must be revised every five years and the deadline for the next update arrives in 2025. Kennedy, if confirmed, would ultimately be in charge of hiring the experts who draft the guidelines.

RFK JR ‘NOT KIDDING’ ABOUT AMERICA'S ‘TOXIC SOUP’ DIET, DR. SIEGEL EXPLAINS

"I know that they really want to focus on kids," Nina Teicholz, nutrition expert and founder of The Nutrition Coalition, told Fox News Digital. 

Teicholz, who has been in discussions with Kennedy's team about the new national dietary guidelines, suggested that he could potentially use them to implement changes to school lunches, such as adding a limit on sugar, for which Teicholz said there currently is none, and bringing back whole milk to school cafeterias, which was prohibited under the Obama administration. 

The addition of whole milk to school cafeterias could limit how frequently children consume high-sugar, flavored-milk beverages, Teicholz said. She also pointed out that current recommendations that are keeping whole milk out of schools "is based on the saturated fat content in milk, but there's really no good evidence to show that saturated fats have any negative effect on children."

"I think that Kennedy has aimed to stand for evidence-based changes to policy," Teicholz said. "So, that means not making policy based on weak science."

Teicholz added that in addition to school lunches, there is other "low-hanging fruit" associated with the guidelines that Kennedy could go after. 

Kennedy could use the guidelines to narrow the definition of ultra-processed foods, she pointed out, which is a sector of the food industry that Kennedy has previously been critical of. Teicholz also said that research on "ultra-processed foods" is scant, and, therefore, you could see Kennedy commissioning more studies on such foods as well.

TEEN SUES FOOD GIANTS OVER ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH FATTY LIVER DISEASE

Dave Asprey, an author and nutrition advocate who has written several New York Times best-selling books about healthier eating, said he thinks it is likely Kennedy will also add toxin limits within the new dietary guidelines, aimed at pesticides and herbicides that have come under scrutiny. He also said he wouldn't be surprised if Kennedy and his team were to implement new standards around animal feed.

Asprey added that Kennedy's experience as a trial lawyer could aid him tremendously in initiating legal proceedings if he wanted to pursue companies that "are continuing to push outdated, unhealthy guidelines."

"Where can he actually impact real change? The dietary guidelines – because they control how we feed our kids, what we do in hospitals and a lot of our public policy," Asprey said.

Kennedy has recently been courting support for his nomination on Capitol Hill, and, according to GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Kennedy told him that he would exercise restraint and use a light touch when seeking to regulate the food and agriculture industries.

But, according to Mara Fleishman, CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, a healthy-eating nonprofit, the Trump administration's desire for a more limited-government approach to governing could clash with Kennedy's efforts to reform the food industry.

"I think time will tell what – if anything – RFK Jr. can, or will, do," Fleishman said.

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Kennedy but did not receive a response.