Slimming Down at Starbucks

(fool.com) - Anybody who surmised that Starbucks' delightful, summery Frappuccino beverages might be shutting out some health-conscious customers received a bit of good news last night. The company is introducing a new light Frappuccino beverage.

The low-fat version of the popular drink will extend only to the coffee versions -- Coffee Frappuccino, Mocha Frappuccino, and Caramel Frappuccino. (For anyone interested in a taste test, mark your calendars: Starbucks plans sampling of the new drink in North American stores tomorrow.)

Starbucks has been working hard to rope in any customers it might be missing. Last quarter, it announced a new assortment of non-coffee drinks, for "the way the other half lives" -- namely, the other half of Americans who don't break for coffee.

The company said that it's trying to draw on current trends. Data from Yankelovich Monitor points to 42% of Americans who are reducing the fat in their diets, with 33% claiming that low-calorie products influence their purchasing decisions. The new "light" version of the Frappuccino offers 30% to 40% less calories than the original, and features low-carb dieters' favorite sugar substitute, Splenda.

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