Remember when Starbucks used to be the place to get coffee? Now you can get tea, breakfast sandwiches and Paul McCartney’s CD. What’s next? It’s salads and Starbucks has introduced a line of them. Here are four we sampled.
Tomato Mozzarella Insalata
$5.25
290 calories, 24 g fat, 240 mg sodium
The pitch: “Tiny pearls of fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes and basil with imported extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and seasonings.”
First thought: Vibrant, sweet grape tomatoes. Olive oil has lovely, robust aroma.
On second thought: Somewhat slimy. The 42 percent of daily saturated fat, for a salad this size, is out of this world.
McGrade: C+
Fiesta Salad
$5.25
320 calories, 9 g fat, 930 mg sodium
The pitch: “White chicken with fire roasted corn, black beans, salsa, smoked sweet paprika, olive oil, cilantro and cumin, topped with red grape tomatoes and a fresh lime wedge.”
First thought: If you could encapsulate the Southwest region as a taste, here it is. A festival of corn, with chicken strips and cumin-intense sweetness.
On second thought: Not a very large portion for $5.25.
McGrade: B-
White Chicken Curry with Couscous
$5.50
470 calories, 21 g fat, 880 mg sodium
The pitch: “White chicken in a Thai-style curry made with mango, coconut, diced pineapple, lime, cilantro, bell peppers and apples on a bed of couscous.”
First thought: Disarmingly sweet. Adventurous, crunchy, would be great between two slices of whole-grain bread.
On second thought: More couscous, more chicken, less fruit, please.
More Top Picks Testers Soils
McGrade: B+
Fruit and Cheese Plate
$5.75
390 calories, 19 g fat, 480 mg sodium
The pitch: “A wedge of ripe Brie cheese, natural medium Cheddar and natural Pesto Jack cheese and our own raisin, walnut & cranberry bread with Gala apples and clusters of grapes.”
First thought: A little bit of everything for everyone. The bread was superb, nutty and sweet, and wonderful with the sharp Cheddar.
On second thought: Not a fan of the Jack cubes. Wished brie was a bit riper.
McGrade: A-
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