Chick-fil-A’sentrée salad line is getting a makeover. On April 29, the Atlanta-based restaurant chain will introduce three new premium salads – the Chick-fil-ACobb Salad, Chick-fil-A Asian Salad, Chick-fil-AGrilled Market Salad – as well as an improved Grilled Chicken Cool Wrapfor its health-conscious customers.
Raising the standard for salads in the quick-service industry, Chick-fil-A’s new salad entrees will feature premium and nutritious ingredients, such as romaine lettuce, mixed baby greens, honey Thai almonds, roasted corn, mandarin oranges, strawberries, blueberries and more. Starting at $6.79, each salad will offer two or more servings of vegetables or fruit, and have between 180 and 430 calories (without dressing). Salads are freshly prepared throughout the day at Chick-fil-A’s 1,700-plus restaurant locations nationwide.
Chick-fil-A is also making significant changes to its salad dressing options. The salads can now be paired with dressings unique to Chick-fil-A, such as Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Avocado Lime Ranch and Honey Sesame. And, for the first time, the new Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad and Chick-fil-A Asian Salad will be topped with hot, sliced Chick-fil-ANuggets.
“Customer taste preferences are constantly fluctuating, so we have to be intentional about staying ahead of and remaining relevant to those changes,” said David Farmer, Chick-fil-A’s vice president of product strategy and development. “We strive to offer a menu with only premium offerings, so we took a hard look at our current salad line and decided those options were not as relevant to customers as they were just a few short years ago.”
Farmer added, “Our new salads have completely different flavor profiles – tastes that are not commonly found in fast food. In terms of quality, they rival entrée salads you would expect to be served at full-service restaurants. These salads feature more unique ingredients and are paired with specialty dressings. ”
Complementing its new entrée salads, Chick-fil-A also will debut an enhanced Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap. The improved wrap provides a full serving of vegetables and lean chicken on a new all-natural, high-fiber flax bread. Starting at $4.89, the wrap is filled with grilled chicken, green leaf lettuce, shredded red cabbage, carrots and a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. The Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap has 330 calories and 12 grams of fat.
Following is more information on Chick-fil-A’s new salads and Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap:
Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad: Chick-fil-A Nuggets, pressure-cooked, sliced and served hot on a fresh bed of chopped romaine lettuce and baby greens, topped with shredded red cabbage and carrots, roasted corn kernels, a blend of shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, crumbled bacon, diced eggs and grape tomatoes. Made fresh daily. Served with charred Tomato Crispy Red Bell Peppers and Avocado Lime Ranch dressing (or guest’s choice of dressing). The salad is 430 calories and contains 39 grams of protein.
Chick-fil-A Asian Salad: Chick-fil-A Nuggets, pressure-cooked, sliced and served hot on a fresh bed of chopped romaine lettuce and baby greens, topped with shredded red and green cabbage, carrots and mandarin orange segments. Served with Honey Thai Almonds, Chinese Garlic & Ginger Wontons and Honey Sesame dressing (or guest’s choice of dressing). The salad has 330 calories and 13 grams of fat.
Chick-fil-A Grilled Market Salad: Grilled and sliced chicken breast served on a fresh bed of chopped romaine lettuce and baby greens, topped with shredded red cabbage and carrots, crumbled blue cheese and a mix of red and green apples, strawberries and blueberries. Served with Harvest Nut Granola, Roasted Nut Blend and Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette (or guest’s choice of dressing). The salad has 180 calories, 4 grams of fat and includes two servings of vegetables and one serving of fruit.
Chick-fil-A Side Salad: A fresh bed of chopped romaine lettuce, topped with shredded red cabbage and carrots, a blend of shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses and grape tomatoes. Served with charred Tomato Crispy Red Bell Peppers and choice of dressing. The side salad has 80 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and is offered as an alternative to Waffle Potato Fries in any Chick-fil-A Meal combination.
Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap: Grilled and sliced chicken breast, nestled in fresh green leaf lettuce with shredded red cabbage and carrots and a blend of shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, tightly rolled in a flax bread. Served with Avocado Lime Ranch dressing (or guest’s choice of dressing).
In addition to introducing new menu items, Chick-fil-A is making significant changes to its menu boards behind the counter. The chain is adding calorie counts to its menu boards nationally in an effort to help customers make more informed ordering decisions and to assist guests in selecting meals that suit their individual dietary needs and preferences. The menu boards will also feature new food photography and type fonts set on a clean white background.
“Adding calorie counts to our menu boards is just another channel we are using to communicate our nutritional information to customers,” Farmer said. “We have never shied away from making this information readily available for our guests. Our website features a meal calculator, we have nutrition panels and pamphlets in our dining rooms, and customers can also request a receipt with order-specific nutrition information at our registers.”
According to Chick-fil-A dietitian Jodie Worrell, “the entrée salad and wrap rollout come as part of Chick-fil-A’s broader initiative to offer healthier menu options to customers.” Last year, the chain introduced a Grilled Nugget Kid’s Meal that is one of the most nutritious children’s meals in the fast food industry. Other health-minded moves include the addition of the Fruit Cup in 2004 and moving to a complete menu (including all condiments) with zero trans fats in 2008. Chick-fil-A also is actively working to reduce sodium across its menu, including a 40 percent sodium reduction in its chargrilled chicken filet, 25 percent less sodium in breads and removing 10 percent of sodium in dressings and sauces.
For more information on Chick-fil-A’s latest menu additions, visit www.chick-fil-a.com/new-salads.
