A Heart Friendly Starbucks?

I may have some good news for Starbucks lovers.

Normally, the high sugar, high fat, high calorie beverage and menu items offered by Starbucks were reasons to steer clear if you struggle to lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol, or shed extra pounds. Starbucks is typically not the best place to grab a quick breakfast with a Frappuccinno, while scanning the daily paper.

Simply selecting a Grande Frappuccino and Cranberry Orange Muffin would start your day with a whopping 850 calories and 30 grams of fat!

In the past Starbucks has not embraced the idea of offering more nutritious items. They did remove trans fats and started offering nonfat milk this past year, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The good news is Starbucks has decided to revamp their breakfast menu to offer six heart friendly breakfast options. The goal was a menu with fewer calories, more protein, more fiber, and more fruit.

New menu selections include:

Apple bran muffin – 330 calories, 8 grams of fat, 7 grams fiberr
Baked berry stella – 280 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams fiberr
Power Protein plate with peanut butter – 330 calories, 16 grams fat, 5 grams fiberr
Chewy fruit and nut bar – 250 calories, 10 grams fat, 4 grams fiberr
Perfect oatmeal – 140 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 4 grams fiber

These new options provide reduced calories and fat grams, while boosting dietary fiber content. All good moves if you are looking to be heart friendly.

You still need to use your head when choosing a beverage. Starbucks is not removing its’ high calorie, fat, and sugar beverage options. One of the best choices is a simple Caffe Americano (15 calories, 0 grams fat).

So, if you enjoy the Starbucks ambiance, you’ll now be able to enjoy a heart healthy breakfast, too. Hopefully, the taste of the new menu items lives up to the flavor of their coffee!