Healthful Tests from Restaurant Chains
Many restaurant chains are running tests to determine if customers will purchase healthful menu items. Here are a handful of current ideas.
By Monica Rogers, Contributing Editor -- Chain Leader, 9/1/2009
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Moe's Southwest Grill is testing nine new fruited salsas as seasonal add-ons to its salsa bar. |
• Lakewood, Colo.-based Einstein Noah Restaurant Group's Lighter Fare (under 400 calorie) limited-time menus for breakfast and lunch proved so popular the 639-unit fast-casual chain started testing new low-calorie items early in August. The Tornado Wrap with lean turkey, low-fat cream cheese, alfalfa sprouts and tomatoes in a whole grain wrap is less than 300 calories.
• Au Bon Pain just expanded its Portions line of side salads to include more lower-fat/lower-cal options. A balsamic-vinaigrette-dressed Chicken Salad with grilled chicken, dried cranberries, apples and tomatoes over romaine, and a Pineapple-Grape-Cheddar Kabob with romaine are in test now.
• This month, Corner Bakery starts offering all of its entree salads in two sizes: regular and a slightly smaller, lower-priced cafe salad. "It's not a side salad but rather an entree option that's about 65 percent the size of the regular entree portion," explains Ric Scicchitano, who says the chain had incredible feedback on the new salad size in test.
HOT TOPIC |
Check out the Menu Development page for more restaurant chain menu promotions, rollouts and ideas. |
MORE:
- Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. is mixing a vitamin boost into its soup
- More nutritious kids meals
- Quick-service and fast-casual operators promote healthful selections as "better tasting" rather than "better for you"
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