24/7 Wall St.

As with McDonald’s, Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) has begun to struggle with a menu with some items that contain over 500 calories and unhealthy ingredients, and with the perception that it vends sugar, sodium and fat.

The health debate about fast food is decades old, as is the discussion of whether fast-food chains should throttle the most heart unhealthy items on their menus. If curtailing these becomes important, Starbucks will have a lot to answer for.

A few menu items:

 

White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino® Blended Coffee
Nutrition Facts Per Serving (16 fl oz)
Calories 520	Calories from Fat 140
	% Daily Value (based on 2,000 calorie diet)
Total Fat 16g	25%
Saturated Fat 10g	50%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 50mg	17%
Sodium 250mg	10%
Total Carbohydrate 65g	22%
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 64g
Protein 5g
Caffeine 90mg

Double Chocolate Chunk Brownie
Nutrition Facts Per Serving (104 g)
Calories 490	Calories from Fat 260
	% Daily Value
Total Fat 28g	43%
Saturated Fat 9g	45%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 75mg	25%
Sodium 220mg	9%
Total Carbohydrate 55g	18%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Sugars 37g
Protein 7g

And finally:

Chicken & Double-Smoked Bacon
Nutrition Facts Per Serving (201 g)
Calories 620	Calories from Fat 230
	% Daily Value
Total Fat 26g	40%
Saturated Fat 8g	40%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 110mg	37%
Sodium 1480mg	62%
Total Carbohydrate 65g	22%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Sugars 12g
Protein 31g

In the court of poor eating habits, Starbucks has a lot to answer for. The USDA has five rules for a healthy diet. Third on the list:

Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake. Consume an eating pattern low in added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Cut back on foods and beverages higher in these components to amounts that fit within healthy eating patterns.

Starbucks can change or eliminate some of its most offending items. On the other hand, it sells enough of them that it can’t afford to.