Starbucks Newsroom: Starbucks Raises the Bar on Its Food to a Tastier Standard

News

Jun 30, 2009
Starbucks Raises the Bar on Its Food to a Tastier Standard

With premium ingredients such as whole bananas, Oregon blueberries and Michigan cherries, food at Starbucks is more as nature intended

SEATTLE; June 30, 2009 – Today, Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) delivers a new, delicious approach to food across stores in the U.S. Looking to improve the taste of its food and focus on real, wholesome ingredients, Starbucks simplified many of its recipes and baked in authentic, high-quality ingredients like whole grains, Oregon blueberries and Michigan cherries.

“Starbucks customers have been telling us that they want better tasting and healthier food options when they visit our stores. We answered their call with a delicious new menu of food made with real ingredients and more wholesome options. Whether they are looking for their morning breakfast, nutritious lunch or afternoon treat, we are confident our customers will taste the difference,” said Sandra Stark, vice president, Food Category, Starbucks Coffee Company.

Bringing the same passion Starbucks has in serving customers some of the best coffee in the world, the company went back to the kitchen and started from scratch. Starbucks baked and tasted hundreds of recipes to make its food more as nature intended, cutting out all artificial flavors, dyes and High-fructose corn syrup, as well as artificial preservatives wherever possible.

Reinventing its Bakery Case with Delicious, Wholesome Foods

Some of the new items that will be included in the new bakery case at Starbucks include:

Blueberry Oat Bar – An oat crust filled with two types of organic blueberries and topped with buttery streusel makes for a wholesome treat
Banana Walnut Bread – The new Banana Walnut Bread is nearly 30 percent real banana
Marshmallow Dream Bar – Starbucks searched for recipes just like the homemade favorites you adore, and at only 210 calories the revamped Marshmallow Dream Bar is a sensible indulgence

“It’s great that an industry leader like Starbucks is listening to customers and providing healthier options, while also being transparent about the ingredients in its more indulgent offerings. People want food that tastes delicious, but the definition of ‘healthy snacking’ is changing. People are asking what goes into their food, not just whether it is low-fat or low calorie,” says Keith Ayoob, Ed. D., R.D. at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Providing Healthier and Lighter Options

Starbucks will also offer additional nutritious options, like a Farmer’s Market Salad with all-natural dressing, and a new flavor of its popular line of Vivanno™ Smoothies.

Strawberry Banana Vivanno™ Smoothie - Starbucks newest Vivanno™ Smoothie flavor is made from simple ingredients – pure strawberry puree, a whole banana, whey protein powder, 2% milk and ice - and under 300 calories
Farmer’s Market Salad – A perfect blend of rich blue cheese, crunchy almonds, tart dried cranberries and sweet apples piled on a bed of romaine lettuce with all-natural balsamic vinaigrette for 220 calories (300 calories with dressing)

“Many people do not realize how many hidden calories can be in the average smoothie or restaurant salad. And no one wants to think they’re making a healthy choice just to realize they’ve accidentally consumed half their day’s calories on a smoothie. At Starbucks, our salads and smoothies were designed to deliver real nutrition and great flavors at a sensible calorie level. Our two salads are 250 and 300 calories with dressing and our new Strawberry Banana Vivanno Smoothie provides 15 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 100% of your daily Vitamin C – at just 280 calories,” said Katie Thomson, registered dietitian and senior nutritionist, Starbucks Coffee Company.

Continuing its Commitment to Health and Wellness

The move to simpler recipes with real ingredients is just the next step in Starbucks ongoing commitment to providing healthier options for its customers. Creating a healthier Starbucks Experience has been a company priority for more than 20 years, with significant steps taken in the last two years, including:

Saving customers 7 billion calories per year, equaling nearly 5 million pounds of fat by using 2% over whole milk as the standard in all beverages and setting nutrition “guardrails” for new products to be less than 500 calories
Removing artificial trans fat in all food and beverages in North America
Expanding the food and beverage portfolio to include a variety of options, including Fruit Cups, Yogurt Parfaits, Skinny Lattes, Vivanno™ Smoothies and Starbucks^®Perfect Oatmeal

Starbucks has made a long-term commitment to providing options for a healthier lifestyle. The company will continue to review its nutrition and food and beverage offerings to make it easier for customers to make better choices in Starbucks stores.

About Starbucks

Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people’s lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time. To share in the experience, visit www.starbucks.com.