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'Lifestyle' is the fast casual buzzword of 2020

It wouldn't be the new year without restaurants around the world pushing "better-for-you" menu items in an effort to appeal to "lifestyle diners," consumers following specific diets like keto, paleo and veganism.

Provided by Pollo Tropical

January 7, 2020 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

It wouldn't be the new year without restaurants around the world pushing "better-for-you" menu items in an effort to appeal to consumers trying to eat healthier. Below are just a few ways fast casuals are hoping to grab a piece of the action. Note: this year's buzz word seems to be "lifestyle."

B.Good
B.Good has added lifestyle salads and bowls, which include a Keto Salad, Paleo Salad and Whole30 Approved Salad.

B.Good has added lifestyle salads and bowls. Photo provided

"We are continuously thinking about how our menu can best meet consumers' ever-changing behavior and preferences," Linh Aven, executive chef at B.Good, said in a company press release. "In 2019 alone, we revamped our menu to balance guests' wide-range of dietary preferences and expanded our plant-based options with the introduction of four Flexitarian Burgers. The Lifestyle Menu builds on our commitment to supporting our guests and giving them great tasting options that they can feel good about eating." 

The following lifestyle menu items are now available at all 69 locations in the U.S. and Canada: 

• Keto Salad: grilled chicken, slab bacon, parmesan, romaine, lemon Caesar vinaigrette​.
• Paleo Salad: grilled chicken, romaine, cucumber, tomato, radish, zucchini noodles, za'atar, red wine vinaigrette​.
• Whole30 Approved Salad: avocado, Egg, kale, brussels sprouts, apples, butternut squash, beets, pepitas, red wine vinaigrette 

Piada Italian Street Food
Piada Italian Street Food is debuting its own lifestyle menu items, including keto, paleo and high-protein options, which guests can order online only  at mypiada.com/order.

Piada has created a Keto BLT Salad. Photo provided

"These new additions to the menu make Piada more accessible to all Guests," Piada Founder Chris Doody, said in the a company press release. "Whether guests have a restricted diet for health reasons or are just trying to establish different eating habits at the start of the new year, these new dishes open up the menu for everyone to enjoy something at Piada."

By offering these new menu items online only for in-store pickup, Piada's culinary team can ensure precise measuring and preparation of the food.

The new menu items include:

• Keto BLT Salad: roasted bruschetta tomatoes, whole milk mozzarella and four pieces of crispy pancetta crumbled onto a bed of chopped romaine, tossed in Piada's signature house-made parmesan dressing.
• Paleo Berry Balsamic Salad: avocado and fresh sliced strawberries mixed with red cabbage and spinach tossed in their new berry balsamic dressing.
• Protein Bowl: all-natural white meat chicken topped with whole milk mozzarella, house-made basil pesto and roasted bruschetta tomatoes, served aside roasted broccoli and sautéed zucchini and mushrooms. It has 50 grams of protein.

To ensure the accuracy and safety of these new dishes, Piada works with MenuTrinfo, a nationally recognized allergen and gluten-free company, to train their staff, Doody said.

"Over the last few years, we took a step back from our growth agenda to refocus on our core values and getting it right for our guests," he said. "Maintaining the quality of our core menu items like our Piadas and signature pasta dishes will always be a priority, but we are constantly looking for ways to tweak and improve our menu so that all feel welcome."

Later this month, Piada will introduce a revamped version of its gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan Power Bowl featuring roasted vegetables, avocado and pickled onions over a bed of warm quinoa. Throughout the year, it will introduce additional items to its menu to fit a variety of lifestyles.

Piada, which was inspired by the roadside family run street food carts and markets found in Rimini, Italy, opened in 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. It now has 40 locations throughout Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Texas. 

Chipotle
To enhance the preconfigured, diet-driven Lifestyle Bowls that Chipotle Mexican Grill rolled out last year, the chain has replaced its romaine-only salad base with Supergreens, a salad mix with romaine, baby kale and baby spinach, according to a company press release. 

Chipotle Mexican Grill has rolled out a "Supergreens" salad mix with romaine, baby kale and baby spinach, which has replaced the existing romaine-only salad base. Photo provided

"At Chipotle, we are always looking for ways to innovate the existing menu offering," Nevielle Panthaky, VP of culinary at Chipotle, said in the release. "Lifestyle Bowls allow us to preconfigure our real ingredients, including the new Supergreens salad blend, in a way that helps our guests reach or maintain their health and wellness goals."

This is Chipotle's second new menu item added in the last four months, following the launch of Carne Asada in September 2019. Chipotle has also made its grilled Adobo chicken compliant with Whole30 by switching the oil in its marinade, keeping the same taste, but providing guests with specific dietary goals more options. 

El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco has created Pollo Fit Bowls, which are handcrafted to fit any "lifestyle" according to a company press release. 

The bowl options include:

• Double Chicken & Avocado: The Keto-certified bowl has fire-grilled chicken breast, sliced avocado, organic spinach, made-from-scratch pico de gallo, queso fresco, lettuce red cabbage and carrot blend.
• Double Chicken & Queso Fresco: Chopped fire-grilled chicken breast, organic spinach, made-from-scratch pico de gallo, black beans, queso fresco and lettuce and red cabbage blend. It's also Keto-certified.
• Double Chicken & Mango: This Paleo-friendly item has chopped fire-grilled chicken breast, organic spinach, fresh mango salsa, sliced avocado and lettuce and red cabbage blend.

"We know our customers are increasingly looking for varied approaches to healthy living, so it made sense to introduce a better-for-you culinary innovation in advance of the New Year that not only delivers on taste, freshness and high-quality ingredients but is also accessible to everyone, CMO Hector Muñoz, said in the release. "This is only the beginning for our growing better-for-you menu and look forward to debuting additional offerings customized for varying lifestyles in 2020."

El Pollo Loco has more than 480 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Louisiana.

Pollo Tropical
Although its new menu items don't feature the buzzword lifestyle, Pollo Tropical is obviously trying to cater to the healthy crowd.

Pollo is taking its bold flavors beyond chicken with the launch of a Vegan Tropichop and Vegan Wrap featuring a "picadillo" made with Beyond Meat. The Tropichop includes choice of white or brown rice, black beans, and the picadillo made with Beyond Beef, Beyond Meat's 100% plant-based ground meat, all topped with sauteed peppers and onions, according to a company press release. 

The Vegan Wrap features Beyond Beef, choice of rice, plus black beans and Pollo Tropical's sweet plantains wrapped in a tortilla. 

"At Pollo Tropical, we pride ourselves on always offering guests the most delicious food at a great value," Hope Diaz, CMO of Fiesta Restaurant Group, parent company of Pollo Tropical, said in the release. That's why we're excited to introduce the Beyond Meat menu items, so we can offer new great tasting choices to guests looking for plant-based options with the bold flavors they've come to expect from us,"

Del Taco
Del Taco Restaurants has brought back seasoned ground turkey, available for a limited time. Guests may order two Turkey Del Tacos for just $3 at the company's more than 580 locations nationwide, according to a company press release. 

Del Taco Restaurants has brought back seasoned ground turkey, available for a limited time. Photo provided

Loaded with seasoned ground turkey, freshly grated cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce and fresh chopped tomatoes, all stuffed in a crunchy corn shell, the Turkey Del Taco offers the same craveable Del Taco flavor as the original with 40 percent less fat than the seasoned beef, Barry Westrum, Del Taco CMO, said in the release. 

"At Del Taco, we're committed to offering menu options that allow guests to reduce the fat, without reducing the flavor – something that we know our guests are seeking at the start of a new year," he said. "With the return of seasoned ground turkey and our two for $3 Turkey Del Taco deal, we are giving our guests the opportunity to eat well with Del, without compromising on quality, flavor or price."

Guests can substitute seasoned ground turkey for any protein in existing Del Taco menu items, such as burritos, nachos and fries. For those who are vegan, vegetarian or looking to reduce their meat consumption, Del Taco also offers Beyond Tacos and Burritos, which offer the same amount of protein and flavor as its seasoned beef tacos, but are made with plant-based protein.

"We are always looking for new and innovative ways to elevate our menu, and are excited to bring back lean turkey for a limited time as yet another protein option available to our guests," Westrum said.

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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