The 15 Unhealthiest Foods At Starbucks

Starbucks holds a special place in the hearts of many Americans, a place reserved for things we either can't live without or would prefer never existed. Yes, Starbucks is one of those chains that you either love or hate, and for those who love it, a visit can be a daily pilgrimage. Most customers drop in to just pick up a coffee, but you have to admit that sometimes the food offerings can look pretty tempting as well. While there are plenty of healthy offerings, there are also some whose calorie count might surprise you. From the egg salad sandwich to the cinnamon chip scone, we've rounded up the 15 unhealthiest food items for sale at Starbucks.

The 15 Unhealthiest Foods at Starbucks (Slideshow)

In an era when consumers' tastes are becoming increasingly fickle, Starbucks has been a constant. It's the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with more than 20,000 locations nationwide as of December 2013, more than half of those in the United States. It was founded in 1971 by three friends who met at the University of San Francisco, and the first location, in Seattle, only sold whole roasted coffee beans, not brewed coffee. The founders planned on naming the company Pequod, after the whaling ship from Moby Dick, but after that name was rejected they decided to instead name it after the ship's first mate, Starbuck.

The company grew in popularity over the next several years, introducing brewed coffee and espresso, and by the time former employee Howard Schultz bought it in 1987 there were six locations. Schultz implemented a rapid expansion program, and when the company went public in 1992, there were 140 outlets, with revenues of $73.5 million (as opposed to $1.3 million in 1987). In 2013, total revenues were $14.89 billion.

As the company continued to take over the world, management decided that the time was ripe to branch out from just coffee and introduce some food items. While only one in three Starbucks transactions includes food, the company is working hard to make Starbucks just as valid a culinary option as a coffee option. In 2012, they purchased the La Boulange bakery chain for $100 million and have been working to overhaul the menu via a $1.5 billion food program. Because there are no kitchens in Starbucks, they've shifted to a frozen-food model, with hot items being reheated on the spot, and it seems to be working well. La Boulange pastries will be available at locations nationwide by the end of 2014, and upgraded breakfast sandwiches and new lunch options will be rolled out by then as well.

But while the menu keeps expanding, it can be difficult to know which items are healthier than others, especially at first glance. While there's certainly a concerted effort to provide healthy options (you'll never see a hot dog roller behind the counter), pastries tend to be less-than-healthy by default, and even benign-sounding items like turkey sandwiches can pack a caloric wallop. So read on to learn which 15 food items sold at Starbucks are the unhealthiest; we're ranking them by calorie count but also including fat content, sodium or sugar count, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

15) Turkey & Havarti Sandwich

Calories: 450
Fat: 22 grams
Sodium: 940 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 8 grams
Cholesterol: 80 milligrams

14) Vegetable & Fontiago Breakfast Sandwich

Calories: 470
Fat: 17 grams
Sodium: 910 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 7 grams
Cholesterol: 180 milligrams

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