(Jan. 8, 2010) In this season of calorie counting and New Year’s resolutions, restaurant chains are reaching out to health-focused consumers with diet-friendly options.
For some, the move may also be a reaction to menu-labeling requirements in New York, California and other markets aimed at making calorie content more transparent to consumers. Proposed federal health care legislation is also expected to include menu-labeling requirements.
However, with the push for more calorie disclosure comes questions about the accuracy of nutrition data. A study in this month’s Journal of the American Dietetic Association indicates that not all calorie postings at restaurant chains and on frozen-food labels are correct.
This month, chains such as Starbucks, Corner Bakery, Applebee’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell, and KFC are promoting new lower-calorie options.
Starbucks will soon debut four new hot panini sandwiches, each with fewer than 400 calories, at more than 4,200 stores with warming ovens. The warmed-to-order sandwiches include a Chicken Santa Fe panini; a roasted tomatoes and mozzarella panini; a ham and Swiss panini; and a tuna melt panini.
In addition, Starbucks’ U.S. stores will be adding a new line of snacks with 220 calories or fewer per serving, such as portion-controlled Annie’s Snacks; multigrain and sweet potato chips by FoodShouldTasteGood; grab-and-go Kind Bars; Lucy’s Cookies; fruit-based Peeled Snacks; Peter Rabbit brand organic treats; nut-based Sahale Snacks; Two Moms in the Raw granola mixes; and Stretch Island Fruit Company-brand fruit leather.
Starbucks is also promoting a new vanilla rooibos full-leaf tea, which is calorie free without milk or sugar, and the Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte and Skinny Vanilla Lattes, which each have fewer than 90 calories per 12-ounce size.
Dallas-based Corner Bakery Café this week introduced “100 under 600,” a program showcasing more than 100 soup, salad and sandwich combinations under 600 calories at its more than 100 units.
“So many people give up on their resolution to eat healthy because they feel like they have to sacrifice their favorite foods,” said Ric Scicchitano, Corner Bakery’s vice president of food and beverage. “Our guests find that it’s easier to keep their resolutions when they dine with us, because, with over 100 different soup, salad and sandwich combinations under 600 calories, they can enjoy great tasting, but sensible meals year round without making drastic changes to their diet.”
Among the options: chicken pesto on ciabatta with roasted tomato basil soup; a club panini and chicken noodle soup; or the D.C. Chicken Salad Sandwich with a Caesar salad. The full list is posted on the chain’s website at www.CornerBakeryCafe.com/100under600.
Guests also are invited to respond to questions on healthy eating, nutrition and exercise by following Corner Bakery on Twitter for a chance to win a free combo meal.
Dunkin’ Donuts, a 8,800-unit subsidiary of Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Brands Inc., said this month that any of its breakfast sandwiches and wraps can now be ordered with egg whites to reduce calories and fat. Read more: http://www.nrn.com/breakingNews.aspx?id=377992&menu_id=1368#ixzz0cQ2ntMTO
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
So that was the article that I handed into class today, and if you read more of it like it says on the bottom it was saying something like how the FDA only requires the calorie information to be like 20% correct?! So reading that "the American Dietetic Association indicates that not all calorie postings at restaurant chains and on frozen-food labels are correct" makes me kinda mad that they even bother posting the calorie chart if its not even correct.
ReplyDeleteMy blog post reflects yours about Starbucks having their new menu items. Its good to see that these places are trying to help their customers lose weight and eat healthier with their new options.
Especially with New Years resolutions to lose weight, I think that these new and healthier meal options will become popular this year.
I like the fact that this article showed some of the offerings that different chains are featuring. It gives the reader and consumer more of a personal feel for what the author is writing about. I think it's very important that chains are reaching out to the consumer and trying to focus their attention on lower caloric foods and different combinations you can consume that are still flavorful, fun, and healthy.
ReplyDeleteIt's important for people who are not in our industry to be introduced to the latest food trends happening because it can benefit them in more ways then they think. It's a great idea for chains such as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts to begin this fad because there are franchise locations of these two chains throughout America, and the world, that will help reach out to people who might not know how to search for what they are in need of.
While researching I actually found this article myself. I agree with what Laura said how it is important to want to loose weight and eat healthy. With the new year rolling around more and more quick service resturants are changing their menus to be more healthy. It's important for Americans to have the option of healthier food choices while dinning out on the go. A lot of people think that eating healthy is impossible while staying on a budget. It was a smart for these fast companies to create healthier menus to in order to keep thier customers.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with all three comments, an over consumption of calories is and has been a huge problem and the fact that all this new calorie counting trend is starting kind of makes me not so nervous about Americans holding the title of "fattest country." THe only thing that would insure that the new healthy menus that all these places are offering is if they handed out free gym passes with every meal because keeping a low calorie count is the first half of a healthy lifestyle. Now if we can get all the people that are into this new trend to start going to the gym or exercising in some way to keep the calories from building up. I think that its great for all these places to start adding new healthy menu items and hopefully this will wake up the consumers that dont give a damn about what goes into their body.
ReplyDelete