A grande Starbucks Medicine Ball (Honey Citrus Mint Tea) has about 130 calories, while sizes range from roughly 65 to 150 calories.
The drink fans call the Medicine Ball, now listed as Honey Citrus Mint Tea, started as a quiet menu hack and turned into a cold season favorite.
Before you look at how many calories is the medicine ball at starbucks, it helps to know what is actually in the cup. The drink blends two teas, steamed lemonade, and a honey blend. Most of the calories come from sugar in the lemonade and the honey, not from the tea itself.
How Many Calories Is The Medicine Ball At Starbucks? By Size
Starbucks now sells the Medicine Ball under the name Honey Citrus Mint Tea. Exact nutrition can shift slightly by location, but the official nutrition tools and large food databases line up on a clear range for each size. The numbers below assume the standard recipe with the usual pumps of honey blend and lemonade.
| Size | Approximate Calories | Typical Sugar (Grams) |
|---|---|---|
| Short (8 fl oz) | 65 | 16 |
| Tall (12 fl oz) | 90 | 22 |
| Grande (16 fl oz) | 130 | 30–33 |
| Venti (20 fl oz) | 150 | 35–38 |
| Grande, Light Honey | 110–120 | 24–27 |
| Grande, Half Lemonade | 100–115 | 22–26 |
| Grande, No Honey | 80–90 | 18–21 |
Most sources place a grande Honey Citrus Mint Tea at about 130 calories with around 32 grams of carbohydrates. That puts the drink in a light to moderate calorie range compared with many sweet Starbucks lattes or hot chocolates. Short and tall sizes trim the calories mainly by shrinking the lemonade and honey portions.
For the most current numbers, you can plug your drink into the Starbucks online nutrition calculator or app. The Honey Citrus Mint Tea nutrition page lists calories and sugar for each size based on the standard recipe.
Medicine Ball Calories At Starbucks By Size And Custom Order
When people ask how many calories is the medicine ball at starbucks, they are often thinking about the grande size. That is the default order in many blogs and social media posts. In practice, the calorie hit comes down to size, the amount of lemonade, and how much honey you ask for.
Standard Recipe Calories
The starting point is the standard recipe, which uses Jade Citrus Mint green tea, Peach Tranquility herbal tea, steamed lemonade, and Starbucks honey blend. The two teas bring bright flavor and a small amount of caffeine, while the lemonade and honey add sweetness and energy.
In this base version, a short Medicine Ball lands near 65 calories, a tall around 90 calories, a grande around 130 calories, and a venti near 150 calories. The jump from short to venti mostly reflects more sweetened lemonade, not extra fat or protein.
How Custom Orders Change The Count
Custom changes can shave calories or push them higher. Extra honey or extra lemonade adds sugar and pushes the drink closer to dessert territory. On the other side, asking for light lemonade, light honey blend, or part hot water cuts calories while keeping the soothing flavor profile.
If your store uses local honey or a different lemonade brand, the exact count can move a little. Nutrition trackers that pull from official data may show small shifts over time.
Where Medicine Ball Calories Come From
The Medicine Ball feels like tea, yet nearly all of its calories come from added sugar. The tea base on its own contributes only a few calories from trace carbohydrates. The rest comes from lemonade concentrate and honey blend stirred into the cup.
Tea Base
The drink uses one bag of Jade Citrus Mint and one bag of Peach Tranquility in the grande size. Both teas are calorie free when brewed in water.
Lemonade And Honey Blend
The steamed lemonade portion brings most of the carbohydrates. Lemonade contains sugar to balance the tart citrus flavor, so every extra splash adds more calories. Starbucks honey blend also delivers pure sugar with a hint of floral flavor from the honey.
In a grande, the combined lemonade and honey blend land near 30 to 33 grams of sugar. That matches roughly two tablespoons of table sugar. If you enjoy the taste but want less sugar, light honey, half lemonade, or a smaller size all help lower the total.
How Medicine Ball Calories Compare To Other Starbucks Drinks
It helps to see how the Medicine Ball stacks up against other hot drinks in the same cup size so you can choose what fits your day. Clear calorie ranges also help you decide whether to pair the drink with a snack. You can treat it as a light stand alone drink or as a sweet dessert.
In the grande size, Honey Citrus Mint Tea comes in around 130 calories. A grande Caffè Latte made with 2% milk sits closer to 190 calories, while a grande hot chocolate can sit near 280 calories or more, depending on toppings. A plain grande brewed tea with a splash of milk and no sweetener adds only a handful of calories.
That means the Medicine Ball lands in a middle range. It carries more calories than a plain tea or basic coffee with a small amount of milk, but less than many flavored lattes and seasonal mochas. Sugar content stays on the higher side for a tea, so it still counts as a sweet drink, not a simple herbal brew.
Ways To Order A Lower Calorie Medicine Ball
If you like the flavor but want fewer calories, you do not need to drop the drink. Small changes to size, syrups, and mixing can trim sugar while keeping the citrus and mint profile.
Start With Size
Size is the simplest lever. A short or tall Medicine Ball uses less lemonade and honey blend by default, so you see an automatic calorie drop.
Adjust Lemonade And Honey
The next step is to adjust the lemonade and honey blend. Asking for half the usual lemonade or water in place of the other half cuts sugar right away. You can also ask for light honey blend, a single packet of honey, or stick with just the natural sweetness from the teas and lemonade.
Some guests enjoy a version with no honey blend at all. In that case the drink tastes a little sharper and less sweet, but the calories drop into the 80 to 90 range for a grande. If you like sweetness but track sugar closely, you can use a non calorie sweetener you carry with you instead of extra honey.
| Order Style | Approximate Calories (Grande) | What Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Recipe | 130 | Full lemonade and honey blend |
| Light Honey Blend | 110–120 | Fewer pumps of honey blend |
| Half Lemonade, Half Water | 100–115 | Less sweet, more tea forward |
| No Honey Blend | 80–90 | Lemonade only for sweetness |
| Short Size | About 65 | Smaller volume of all ingredients |
| Tall Size | About 90 | Moderate volume and sugar |
| Venti Size | About 150 | Largest lemonade and honey share |
Is The Starbucks Medicine Ball A Healthy Choice?
The Medicine Ball brings warm liquid, citrus, and mint, which many people find soothing when they feel run down. At the same time, each cup carries added sugar that you may want to factor into your day, especially if you watch blood sugar or total carbohydrates for health reasons.
An occasional grande Honey Citrus Mint Tea with 130 calories fits into many eating patterns, especially when balanced with unsweetened drinks across the day. If you order it often, a smaller size or lighter recipe can keep sugar in a range that matches your goals.
If you manage a medical condition like diabetes or follow a structured eating plan, talk with your clinician or dietitian about where this drink fits.
Either way, knowing the calorie range for the Medicine Ball at Starbucks, which ingredients add those calories, and how to adjust your order gives you control. You keep the cozy part of your coffee shop stop while making a clear, informed choice about what is in your cup.