OAK BROOK, Ill. -- "Lose weight" topped a Kraft/CSP Daily News poll earlier this week that asked industry readers "What is you personal resolution for the new year?" More than 36% of the nearly 220 respondents who answered by presstime chose that answer; other respondents chose "spend more time with family" (more than 19%), "save more money" (more than 11%), "get a new job" (nearly 8%), "quit smoking or other bad habit" (6.5%), "ask for a raise" (0.5%) and "go back to school" (0.5%); more than 10% said "other," while 7.5% said "none."
Meanwhile, several [image-nocss] quick-service restaurant (QSR) chainsincluding Taco Bell, Starbucks and Jack in the Boxare offering and promoting new healthier menu items this week in a bid to attract New Year's dieters, reported the Associated Press. The new items coincide with the start of the yearly diet season, when those looking to shed a few pounds try their hardest to stick to New Year's resolutions.
Taco Bell, which is owned by KFC and Pizza Hut operator Yum Brands Inc., Louisville, Ky., rolled out a new "Fresco" menu Monday, offering nine items with less than nine grams of fat. The items feature Fiesta Salsa with diced tomatoes, white onions and cilantrowith five calories per serving and no fatthat replaces cheese and sauce.
The Fresco Menu includes the Fresco Crunchy Taco (8 grams of fat, 150 calories), Fresco Burrito Supreme Chicken (8 grams of fat, 330 calories), Fresco Burrito Supreme Steak (8 grams of fat, 330 calories), Fresco Bean Burrito (7 grams of fat, 330 calories), Fresco Fiesta Burrito Chicken (8 grams of fat, 330 calories), Fresco Soft Taco (7 grams of fat, 180 calories), Fresco Zesty Chicken Border Bowl (8 grams of fat, 350 calories), Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco (4.5 grams of fat, 160 calories) and Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco (4 grams of fat, 170 calories).
The chain said it is also ramping up advertising to support the new menu options. The company said the marketing campaign will include print ads comparing the new menu items to hamburgers.
"Our customers told us that there are a limited number of lower-fat choices in fast food. With the New Fresco Menu, we're offering the tastes, textures and aromas our customers love, all with menu items that are lower in fat grams versus our regular menu items," said David Ovens, chief marketing officer, Taco Bell Corp., Irvine, Calif. "The expansion of our menu also allows us to broaden our appeal beyond our usual target demographic of young males."
Starbucks Corp. said it will help customers keep their resolutions without sacrificing flavor with the introduction of the "Skinny" platform, a nonfat latte made with sugar-free syrup. Bringing the sugar-free syrups to the forefront of the menu, Starbucks is adding a new sugar-free syrup flavormochato the selection of Vanilla, Hazelnut, Caramel and Cinnamon Dolce. By ordering a Starbucks Caff a Latte or Caff a Mocha "skinny," customers can satisfy their desire for something sweet while reducing calories and fat.
Made with Starbucks signature espresso, the tall (12 fl. oz.) Caff a Latte or Caff a Mocha ordered with sugar-free syrup, steamed nonfat milk and a dash of foam contains only 90 calories. If customers replace their daily tall Starbucks Vanilla Latte with Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Latte they would save 700 calories and 35 grams of fat per week. Swapping out a daily, tall Caff a Mocha (made with 2% milk and no whip) for a Skinny Mocha would save 550 calories and 30 grams of fat per week.
A tall Skinny Latte or Skinny Mocha naturally contains 30% of recommended daily calcium and 9 grams of protein.
"We regularly hear from our partners that customers are cutting calories and seeking healthier options," said Katie Thomson, registered dietitian, Starbucks Coffee Co., Seattle. "We understand how important overall wellness is to our customers and so we've made it easier for them to stick to their New Year's goals without giving up their daily coffee routine by introducing the Skinny platform. In fact, customers can consider replacing that sweet snack so many of them reach for in the afternoon with a Skinny Latte. Not only will they save on calories and fat but they'll be getting an extra shot of calcium and protein to get them through the day."
And San Diego-based Jack in the Box today is introducing Grilled Chicken Strips with teriyaki dipping sauce and a Chicken Fajita Pita sandwich featuring a pita made with whole grain. In addition to the new menu items, Jack in the Box is also introducing its new "Smart Choice" logo, which was created to help direct guests to its lighter menu options.
Jack's new Grilled Chicken Strips features a serving of four, white-meat chicken strips served with teriyaki dipping sauce on the side. The Chicken Strips, which are served with a knife and fork, have 190 calories without the sauce and 260 calories with one serving of sauce.
The Chicken Fajita Pita, which has been a staple on Jack's menu for 20 years, gets a nutritional boost with the addition of a pita made with whole grain. The pita sandwich, which has 300 calories, contains 16 grams of whole grain per serving.
"This is a good time to introduce those new light menus because everybody has probably put on some pounds over the holidays," John LaRosa, research director for Marketdata Enterprises, told AdAge.com.
He said diet season generally begins January 1, after the average person gains 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. The real heat of the diet season last until Memorial Day, LaRosa said, although the only real drop off in diet-program enrollment happens during the holidays. After all, he said, 77 million Americans are on a diet today, up from 55 million a decade ago.
Not everyone agrees. "It's one of those classic cases of responding to what customers say they want but they don't really buy," John Moore, a former Starbucks marketer who now writes the blog BrandAutopsy.com, told AdAge. "When push comes to shove, they want to treat themselves."
These moves follow 7-Eleven Inc.'s deal in December with Weight Watchers International Inc. to carry snack cakes and muffins at 7-Eleven locations. The agreement with Weight Watchersthe weight-loss specialists that in recent years have moved into licensing food itemsextends 7-Eleven's line that currently features fresh fruits, salads and healthy sandwiches.
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