Starbucks Presses into the Fat Food Business

Starbucks publishes it menu, both online and in stores, with data about calories, total fat and sodium. There is no way to completely match Starbucks food and drink calories directly with McDonald’s because the larger chain has a more extensive menu. But a few comparisons show that Starbucks sells plenty of calorie-rich food and drinks.

The Starbucks Hot Chocolate Venti, which is the largest size in which the drink comes, has 460 calories, which compares to a McDonald’s vanilla milkshake, which has 530. The Starbucks Caffee Mocha Venti has 410 calories, compared to the McDonald’s large McCafé Peppermint Mocha, which has 380.

Starbucks’ food is also as calorie rich as McDonald’s in many cases. A Blueberry Scone bar has 460 calories. An Egg McMuffin has 300. A Starbucks Sausage & Cheddar sandwich has 500 calories. A Big Mac has 520. In a comparison of chicken sandwiches, Starbucks Chicken Santa Fe has 400 calories, while the McDonald’s Chicken Sandwich has 420.

McDonald’s is often criticized for the huge number of calories in its offerings. Starbucks should be as well. It is not terribly hard to get a meal at Starbucks that has close to 1,000 calories.

Douglas A. McIntyre