Slideshow: New products from Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, Chili’s
TGI Fridays lightens up menu and beverage options
CARROLLTON, TEXAS — In an effort to align with the consumer trend for healthier eating in the new year, TGI Fridays is offering new lower calorie menu options as well as Skinnygirl Cocktails. In addition to the five original lighter entrees, two better-for-you menu options are being added to the lineup. The new lighter selections feature miso-glazed and fire-grilled Sizzling Chicken & Spinach and Sizzling Sirloin & Spinach, which are both paired with tomato & mozzarella salads. Each meal contains less than 500 calories and boasts premium ingredients. To stay with the lightened up theme, TGI Fridays is serving Skinnygirl Cocktails created with Skinnygirl Bare Naked Vodka. The 130-calorie-or-less adult beverage selection includes Skinny Appletini, Skinny Cosmopolitan, Skinny Cosmo Cooler, Skinny Martini, and Skinny Pink Punk Cosmo.
Burger King introduces New Spicy Chicken Sandwich
MIAMI — Burger King Worldwide, Inc. is kicking things up a notch with the introduction of the new Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Seasoned with a blend of cayenne and black pepper, the lightly breaded premium white meat chicken fillet adds a spice factor to the Original Chicken Sandwich. The spicy chicken is topped with shredded lettuce and mayonnaise and placed in a sesame seed bun. The sandwich is sold nationwide for $3.79.
Pizza Hut creates Hand-Tossed Pizza with lighter crust
PLANO, TEXAS — Pizza Hut is featuring the newest hand-tossed pizza on the block with a lighter and airier crust offering. The lightened up handcrafted pizza is made with mozzarella cheese and brushed with a garlic-butter coating. Pizza Hut is selling the new Hand-Tossed Pizza nationwide for an introductory price of $10.
Chili’s offers eight new ‘Fresh Mex’ choices
DALLAS — Tex-Mex inspired menu items are increasing in variety on the Chili’s Bar & Grill menu. The new additions include two Fresh Mex bowls, Chipotle Chicken and Margarita Chicken, and six offerings on the Southwest Pairings Menu. Both the Chipotle Chicken Fresh Mex Bowls and the Margarita Chicken Fresh Mex Bowls are served with marinated grilled chicken, house-made corn, black bean salsa and pico de gallo, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, rice, field greens, and tortilla strips. The Chipotle Chicken variety includes chipotle pesto layered with cheddar cheese and a drizzle of cumin-lime sour cream, while the Margarita Chicken bowl adds margarita sauce. The six new Southwest Parings Menu items include: green chile chicken enchilada, sour cream chicken enchilada, beef enchilada, cheese enchilada, tostada, and crispy taco.
Dunkin’ Donuts partners with WhiteWave Foods to launch at-home coffee creamers
CANTON, MASS. — Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Creamers are making an appearance in grocery stores with the assistance of WhiteWave Foods, a leading food and beverage company. Dunkin’ Donuts consumers will be able to enjoy Dunkin’ Donuts coffee at home for the first time. All varieties of the creamer are made with milk and cream and are offered in original, fat-free, extra fat and unsweetened. The creamers will be sold in 32-oz quart-sized bottles nationwide.
R.W. Knudsen Family launches Nature’s Peak Juice Blends
CHICO, CALIF. — Adding to a varied portfolio of juice products, R.W. Knudsen Family is featuring a new blend called Nature’s Peak. The new juice lineup offers a 50/50 mix of 100% fruit and vegetable juice with each 8-oz cup including flavors such as Berry Veggie Blend, Orchard Veggie Blend, and Tropical Veggie Blend. In addition, the juice doesn’t contain artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and is non-GMO Project Certified. Nature’s Peak juice blends are available in 32-oz glass jars.
Dunkin’ Donuts offers new lineup of food and beverages
CANTON, MASS. — Dunkin’ Donuts is rolling out sweet and salty selections, including a banana chocolate chip muffin and a salted caramel hot chocolate. The banana chocolate chip muffin, a banana-flavored muffin infused with chocolate chips and drizzled with sugar and chocolate icing drizzle, pairs with the new salted caramel hot chocolate.
Van’s Natural Food launches new multigrain chips and sandwich bars
VERNON, CALIF. — Van’s Natural Foods is expanding beyond frozen breakfast foods to a new nutritious line of snacks, including gluten-free, multigrain snack chips and PB&J sandwich bars. The multigrain chips offer 18 grams of whole grains with only 130 calories per serving. Made with gluten-free brown rice, oats, millet, quinoa, and amaranth, the chips don’t contain high-fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredients, or hydrogenated or bioengineered oils. Van’s Multigrain Chips come in Nacho, Nacho, Man!, and Mighty Good BBQ and are sold for a suggested retail price of $4.49. A blend of peanut butter and fruit is sandwiched between two gluten-free bars to create the Van’s PB&J Sandwich Bars. The bars are available in blueberry and strawberry and are sold at a suggested retail price of $4.49. In addition to the chips and bars, Van’s crispy baked crackers are produced with whole grains, gluten-free oats, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and amaranth and come in the following flavors: multigrain, Lots of Everything!, and Say Cheese! The crackers are sold at a suggested retail price of $2.99. To round out the gluten-free offerings, Van’s offers Love Your Heart Waffles, which are made from a mixture of whole grains. The waffles deliver 34 grams of whole grains as well as 7 grams of fiber per serving. Love Your Heart Waffles are sold at a suggested retail price of $3.49.
Snyder’s of Hanover enters Corn-Snacks category
HANOVER, PA. — Snyder’s of Hanover is launching a line of corn snacks called Korn Krunchers. Korn Crunchers are available in three flavors: barbeque, Nacho Grande, and hot chili lime. Korn Krunchers barbeque delivers a smoky seasoning of sweet tomatoes and onions, while the Nacho Grande flavor combines sharp cheddar cheese, sweet tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers, and the chili lime packs in a fiery combination of chili peppers and lime. The corn snacks are baked, not fried, which means they deliver 30% less fat than the leading brand of corn chips. The bite-sized snacks come in 10-oz bags for a suggested retail price of about $3.69.
Fiber One breakfast cereal adds protein
MINNEAPOLIS — Fiber One, a business unit of General Mills, Inc., is introducing a granola cereal with a punch of protein. Fiber One Protein provides 10 grams of protein as well as 20% of the daily recommended value of fiber per serving. The protein-packed granola cereal includes two flavors: maple brown sugar and cranberry almond. The maple brown sugar variety incorporates pecans while the cranberry almond cereal mixes in almonds and sweetened cranberry pieces. Fiber One Protein is available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $4.29.