We Found Out How Many Calories Are Actually in Starbucks’ New Impossible Breakfast Sandwich
Starbucks' has rolled out a new Impossible breakfast sandwich to its stores nationwide.
It features plant-based sausage on a ciabatta roll with cheese and an egg, but it is not vegan.
Our nutritionist says there are other breakfast items containing eggs and cheese at the chain that are just as delicious and much healthier for you.
In its quest to bring even more plant-based foods and drinks to its menu, Starbucks has announced a new breakfast sandwich featuring Impossible sausage rolling out to all stores nationwide. The vegan-friendly sausage won't be served in an entirely vegan meal, however; the new Impossible breakfast sandwich, which retails for about $5, will feature a fried egg and cheddar cheese atop a ciabatta roll. "Over the years, in response to customer interest, we've added plant-based milk alternatives such as soy, coconut, almond, and oat milk," said Michael Kobori, the chain's chief sustainability officer, in a press release about new menu additions. The sandwich lands in stores with new almond milk-based drinks, including a cold brew concoction with cinnamon "Almondmilk Foam."
Since it's easy to customize coffee orders at Starbucks, it's relatively easy to order a tasty morning cup of Joe while dodging copious amounts of fat or sugar — it's not as simple when it comes to ordering food. Starbucks' breakfast items are often pre-prepped to keep orders moving in stores and in the drive-thru. Vegan dieters won't be able to add Starbucks' Impossible sausage to another sandwich of their choice, and while you could ask a barista to remove the egg and cheese from the sandwich before it's cooked, the ciabatta bun contains dairy.
And while you'd think that a plant-based sausage might lighten up one of Starbucks' signature breakfast offerings, there's not a significant nutritional difference between Starbucks' traditional sausage sandwich and it's new Impossible version. You'll only save about 50 calories: the new Impossible sandwich contains 430 calories, 830mg of sodium, and 8 grams of saturated fat, which is about 40% of how much you should be eating in a day. It contains 22 grams of protein, however, which is a slight edge over the traditional sandwich's 18 grams.
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Is Starbucks' Impossible breakfast sandwich healthy?
Stefani Sassos, MS, RDN, the Good Housekeeping Institute's registered dietitian, says that the calorie count in Starbucks' new Impossible sandwich is actually pretty standard: For comparison, a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit at McDonald's is 460 calories. But the sandwich's sodium and fat nutritional counts are far more worrisome: "One sandwich is worth almost half a days' worth of saturated fat, not to mention over 800mg of sodium, so this isn't a heart-healthy breakfast," Sassos explains. "It packs in only 3 grams of fiber and the carbohydrates are all white and refined; plus, the cholesterol is 63% of your daily value."
If you're a meat-eater thinking about switching your morning order to Starbucks' newest item, Sassos says you'd actually be better off eating the chain's bacon, gouda, and egg sandwich instead. "It has fewer calories, total fat, sodium, carbs, sugar, and cholesterol that the Impossible sandwich," she adds. If you're a vegetarian, there are two other hot breakfasts that are just as delicious while drastically reducing the sodium and fat blowback tied to the Impossible sandwich.
What's the healthiest breakfast sandwich at Starbucks?
If you're on the hunt for a hot breakfast on the go, Sassos says Starbucks' spinach feta & Cage-free egg white wrap is a great option for most. "It's under 300 calories, only has 3.5g of saturated fat, about 20mg of cholesterol, and 20g of protein," Sassos says, highlighting its nutritional value in comparison to Starbucks' Impossible sandwich. A small caveat? It contains 840mg of sodium, so it's not a low-sodium option, and you'll need to pay better attention to your salt intake for the rest of the day.
There's also the smaller but equally delicious egg white & roasted red pepper sous vide egg bites. Sassos says this is her personal favorite, as the bites combine feta and jack cheese with cottage cheese and egg whites to pack in 12g of protein in a bite-sized breakfast. "It's a super tasty dish and isn't terribly high in sodium, either — only 470mg for both bites."
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