The Berry Stella, with whole grains and omega 3s, launched July 15. Listen in as Senior Nutritionist Katie Thomson discusses Starbucks new healthful options.

When did Starbucks first decide to shift its food strategy in a big way?

About 18 months ago or so, when we did our trans-fat purge, we really took a step back and took a look at our food and beverage portfolio and made a few big moves. We created nutrition guardrails, which limit and put caps on calories, fat, saturated fat, etc. in all of our products. So this really led to some reformulations as well as slight portion size decreases.

Give us a few examples.

Some items, such as a doughnut or a butter croissant, we decreased very slightly in portion size, shaving 50 calories off here and there. And then other items such as the 130-calorie Petite Vanilla Scone were developed purposefully to provide our customers with that petite mini indulgence.

Can I ask what the calorie cap is?

We have not publicized what those caps are. But we have said what those caps have contributed to as far as across-the-board decreases in fat, calories and saturated fat. For example, over the course of the last year, our switch to 2 percent milk instead of whole milk [as the standard inclusion for espresso drinks that include milk] has saved our customers 17 billion calories. That's equivalent to 5 million pounds of body fat.

It's not that all of our healthier options need to be low calorie, low fat, low sugar. But we are trying to incorporate healthy carbohydrates and fiber and fruits, healthy fats, so the calories you do get are calories that are going to fill you up, will provide you with the nutrients you are looking for and are overall delicious.

You've stepped up the pace with the introductions of some of these things. Tell me a bit about that.

July 15 we launched our Vivanno Nourishing Blends, which are healthier smoothies made with 100 percent fruit juice and puree, choice of milk, banana, and a whey protein and fiber that we developed. At the same time, we introduced the Berry Stella, a 100 percent whole-grain product that contains blueberries and raspberries, rolled oats, whole-wheat flour and omega 3s. There's also the new Power Protein Plate, with bagel, peanut butter, fruit and egg, for customers on the go; the Apple Bran Muffin, which has 7 grams of both protein and fiber; oatmeal and more.

Tell me about the oatmeal.

It has been a big hit, especially because we were able to deliver on customization, taste and convenience. Our research showed that people are very ritualistic about how they eat oatmeal. Our giving them the ability to choose from any toppings—dried fruit, dried nuts and brown sugar—plus anything at the coffee-condiment bar—nutmeg, cinnamon, milk, etc.—at no added cost really gave guests the chance to make oatmeal a very personal experience.

Where do you see the menu going next?

We'll continue to listen to what our customers are asking for and want to meet their needs with transparency so they can make informed decisions. One great tool is mystarbucksidea.com, where we've seen our customers continue to ask for healthier options, lean meats, healthy fats and whole grains.

MORE: Listen in as Senior Nutritionist Katie Thomson discusses Starbucks new healthful options.