Starbucks Switcheroo

The AP reported yesterday that Starbucks is switching to 2% milk in its drinks.

Drinks in North America will soon be made by default with the lower-fat milk, but customers can still request their cappuccino with whole milk, the company said.

Starbucks said it made the switch based on increased requests from consumers for low-fat milk in stores, as well as increasing purchases of lower fat milk in U.S. consumers' homes.

The coffeeshop company tested the 2 percent espresso drinks in Jacksonville, Fla.; Orange County, Calif.; the state of Oregon; and London, Ontario, in Canada and said the results were "overwhelmingly positive."

A 16-ounce "grande" latte made with reduced fat milk has 190 calories, compared with 260 calories in one made with whole milk.

That's good news! In the future, people who drink a lot of Starbucks will only get chubby instead of obese.

Of course, since I'm not a coffee drinker, this only applies to me a little. I really like the Strawberries & Cream frappuccino, but that has about a billion calories. The switch should get it down to only a million, which is still too many, since I'm trying to stay in my smaller jeans size.

Either way, I'm having real trouble using up the Starbucks gift cards I have. I got one over a year ago from the Sales Rep from Hell, when she switched to a different department and gave a few of us the cards for having put up with her. I think it was for $20, and most of that is still available. I won the other Starbucks card in a raffle at Christmas. It still has money on it too. Having only a cup of hot tea there now and then makes the Starbucks bucks last a long time.

But if you're a die-hard, must-have Starbucks fan, this should be good news. Now you won't have to waste your time begging them to use the 2% milk anymore.