Rude Awakening? Starbucks to Post Calorie Counts on Menus

Written by Editor Amie Schaenzer

Starting Tuesday, the popular coffee chain will display calorie counts for its drinks and snacks at all locations throughout the United States, according to a Reuters article on the Chicago Tribune website. 

The move by Starbucks comes as the Food and Drug Administration works on requirements for chains with more than 20 locations to post calorie information on menus, according to an Associated Press article posted on Yahoo.com. 

Starbucks will join other major chains, such as Panera and McDonald's, to post the nutritional information on its menu boards, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

The company said that choosing sugar-free syrups and non-fat milk in the drinks can help can help decrease the calorie count, according to the Reuters article.  Nutrition advocates have also pushed for consumers to make better decisions when  ordering, according to the Wall Street Journal.

For example, a 16-ounce grande caffe vanilla frappuccino with whole milk and whipped cream has 430 calories. Take out the whipped cream and substitute the whole milk for 2 percent milk, and the drink decreases to 300 calories. The light version of the same drink comes in at only 180 calories. 

Starbucks full menu can be viewed online. Starbucks.com has a full list of drink options under 200 calories as well as options under 350 calories. 

Do you think Starbucks should post nutrition information on its menus? Will the calorie information affect what you order from Starbucks? Have you been opting for the lighter version of Starbucks drinks for awhile? Sound off in the comments section.