Here's What To Know About How Much Caffeine Is In Starbucks' Green Tea Drinks

The afternoon slump is real, but coffee isn't the only answer to that midday lag. You can also score a boost with a refreshing tea. If you're trying to keep track of your caffeine intake, you'll want to know how much caffeine is in Starbucks' green tea. The answer isn't as straightforward as you might hope, because a lot depends on how you order it.

Starbucks has quite a few options for green tea drinkers, so knowing how you want your green tea is a good place to start. Although you might think that all of the green tea choices at Starbucks have the same caffeine content, there are some variables that make a huge difference. For instance, do you want a matcha green tea sip? Matcha contains quite a bit of caffeine, so that's not an option if you're looking for a lower boost.

An 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine on average, but some coffees are stronger. For instance, a 16-ounce cup of Starbucks Pike Place brewed coffee has 310 milligrams of caffeine, which means an 8-ounce cup has 155 milligrams. (For reference, a shot of espresso at Starbucks contains 150 milligrams of caffeine.) Taking that into consideration, you'll be able to compare how much caffeine these green tea sips actually have.

If you're looking for low caffeine counts, it's best to stick to most of the basic iced green tea beverages. Starbucks' Iced Green Tea has 25 milligrams in a grande, which is significantly lower than a cup of coffee. Other iced green teas with 25 milligrams of caffeine in a grande include the Iced Peach Green Tea, the Iced Green Tea Lemonade, and the Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade. The Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte, Matcha Lemonade, and the new Iced Pineapple Match Drink, however, each have 80 milligrams of caffeine in a grande, which is closer to what's in an 8-ounce cup of coffee.

The caffeine count in hot teas at Starbucks vary, too. To keep the caffeine low, stick to either an Emperor’s Clouds & Mist hot tea or the Honey Citrus Mint Tea for just 16 milligrams of caffeine in a grande. If you're getting a grande Matcha Green Tea Latte, expect 80 milligrams of caffeine. Meanwhile, the Starbucks' Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea has half of that, with 40 milligrams of caffeine per 16-ounce cup.

While many of the green tea drinks at Starbucks contain far less than that 310 milligrams of caffeine in a Grande Pike Place roast, 80 milligrams of caffeine may still be overdoing it if you've already reached your limit. Still, if you're looking for an alternative to coffee, the matcha-based drinks are great substitutes.

Now, the next time you head over to Starbucks to grab a green tea pick-me-up, you know just how much of a boost you'll be getting.