If you haven't heard the news about the Starbucks secret menu, you may just live under a rock or something. Well, for all of you who do, in fact, live under said rocks, the secret menu is "off menu" stuff you can order and your barista knows what you are talking about 99.9% of the time. Secret menu items are really cool and fun. There's even a Razzle Dazzle frappuccino that you can order!
Practically any of Starbucks drinks can be veganized with only a few that are off limits to vegans. In fact, with the choice of soy milk, coconut milk or almond milk and lots of vegan-friendly syrups, being vegan at Starbucks is a breeze these days.
The latest secret menu item, the Medicine Ball, was so popular at the 'Bucks and is even rumored to cure the common cold, that Starbucks actually added it to their regular menu! One kink for us vegan folk, one of the ingredients isn't vegan. No fear! There's an alternative and I'm here to tell you how to veganize the drink with an easy substitution that Starbucks has right in store.
The Medicine Ball drink consists of:
- half steamed lemonade
- half hot water
- one Teavana Jade Citrus Mint tea bag (ingredients: Chun Mee green tea, spearmint leaves, lemon verbena, lemongrass, natural flavoring)
- one Teavanna Peach Tranquility tea bag (ingredients: apple pieces, candied pineapple pieces (pineapple, sugar, citric acid), rose hip peels, chamomile flowers, natural flavor, peach pieces, citric acid, lemon verbena)
- one packet of honey (<--- there's a substitute that is a million times better than this! Keep reading!)
- one pump of peppermint (optional)
The reason people are saying it cures colds is likely from all the soothing properties like lemon, mint, lots of great natural healing ingredients in both teas and the soothing warm beverage aspect of things. I'm really into natural healing, plus let's face it, when you feel better, you'll get better! Here's how to veganize it:
When you order an oatmeal at Starbucks, the available toppings include packets of agave nectar, so all you have to do to veganize this soothing drink is to ask for the Medicine Ball with agave instead of honey! If you don't want agave, you can just opt of of honey, or you can even add a different sweetener like Stevia or raw sugar.
All Starbucks locations that serve oatmeal with toppings should have agave. This is from their website:
"With a breakfast this good, your day is bound to be amazing. Our reinvented oatmeal features a hearty blend of rolled and whole grain steel-cut oats and a shorter steep time. Enjoy yours with blueberries, a medley of fruit, nuts and seeds, and a sweet touch of agave syrup. Or try our new Classic Whole-Grain Oatmeal."
It might even be comforting to try this with steamed soy milk in place of one or both liquids. I get my teas soy misto and have been for about 12 years now, maybe even longer. So maybe doing a Medicine Ball with half soy misto and half hot water might be something to check out. I always love a soy misto tea when I'm needing a little piece of peace. This new Medicine Ball drink seems like it will be good for that and not just when you are feeling ill.
I think it'll be a nice beverage to enjoy on a rainy day, reading a book, sitting in a cozy chair by the window while listening to the sounds of the rain. I personally would order a Medicine Ball Venti sized, whether you want that much or not, just so the drink isn't too strong in taste or concentrated. When I try this one, I would want that 10 ounces of hot water to kind of dilute the lemonade and 2 tea bags, which seems like a lot for, say, a Tall sized drink. It sounds like an interesting drink and I'm planning on giving it a try for sure. As soon as I do, I'll tweet about it, okay?
Tell me, will you be ordering a Medicine Ball any time soon?
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