Nation’s Restaurant News in the USA has just taken a look at some major restaurant chains and their most popular menu items that offer ‘healthy eating’ – or at least reduced calories. The article makes interesting reading for the UK hospitality industry, as it too seeks to identify and promote healthy eating options.
McDonald’s, of course, has been promoting its own ‘nutritionally balanced choices’, including chicken and salads, and provides information on nutrition on its websites. In the USA, many of the chains now use ‘low calorie’ on menus, and may provide apps or calculators on their websites for customers to work out the calories when placing or considering their orders.
Here are some examples of the healthy and best selling eating menus at restaurant chains selected by Nation’s Restaurant News. As you will see, there’s no shortage of choice and variety for their healthy eating customers!
- The Cheesecake Factory
SkinnyLicious menu options, all under 590 calories, introduced in 2011. The SkinnyLicious Burger line, featuring beef, grilled turkey and veggie options is the best seller, though other popular items include freshly baked flatbreads, mushroom lettuce wraps, Santorini farro salad, spiced salmon rolled in spinach, and Asian chicken salad.
- Corner Bakery
The Corner Bakery website lists no fewer than 100 ‘combo’ options that are under 600 calories. Best seller: a combo with half of a BBLT — with bacon, more bacon, lettuce, tomato and cracked pepper balsamic mayo — and an arugula salad.
Other top-selling, low-calorie combos include: half a chicken pomodori panini, with roasted chicken, basil, spinach, oven-roasted tomatoes and provolone with pesto mayo, and roasted tomato basil soup; or there’s half a chicken pomodori panini, avocado and spinach power panini thin, with scrambled eggs, Parmesan and cheddar cheese, avocado and spinach on thinly sliced whole grain harvest toast; then again, there’s Asian wonton salad with spicy Thai coconut soup.
- Denny’s
Denny’s has a ‘Fit Fare’ menu with items that are low in calories and fat or high in specific nutrients. Best seller: the Fit Slam, which is a lighter and higher-in-protein version of their classic Grand Slam, and includes egg whites scrambled with fresh spinach and grape tomatoes, two turkey bacon strips, an English muffin and a side of seasonal fruit.
Other items on the Fit Slam menu: the Fit Fare Veggie Skillet, which includes seasoned red-skinned potatoes, roasted peppers and onions, mushrooms and broccoli served on a hot skillet and topped with two egg whites scrambled with spinach and grape tomatoes. Served with a side of salsa. The banana pecan pancake breakfast with two wheat pancakes topped with banana slices and served with two scrambled egg whites, two strips of turkey bacon and a side of warm syrup. Cranberry apple chicken salad with grilled seasoned chicken breast, glazed pecans, apple slices and dried cranberries on a bed of spring lettuce mix with balsamic vinaigrette.
To see the full article click here