California-based El Pollo Loco, the nations’ leading fire-grilled restaurant chain, is expanding in the Houston area, bringing fresh and nutritious Healthy Dining Mexican food menu choices to Bayou City.
With 406 locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Utah featuring menu options hand-picked by Healthy Dining’s registered dietitians, El Pollo Loco has eight restaurants in the San Antonio area and has plans to launch six more locations in Houston over the coming months. Each of the 21 El Pollo Loco choices featured on HealthyDiningFinder.com meets nutrition criteria emphasizing lean protein, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and unsaturated fats.
“We are thrilled to have our handcrafted, authentic menu items available on HealthyDiningFinder.com,” said Mark Hardison, Vice President of Marketing for El Pollo Loco. “El Pollo Loco has long been recognized for healthier menu options. Our 5 Under 500 Calories Menu extends those offerings to give our guests more choices at a calorie count they can feel good about.”
Here is a sample of El Pollo Loco’s dietitian-recommended menu options featured on HealthyDiningFinder.com:
BRC Burrito with Small Loco Side Salad – Flour tortilla filled with rice, pinto beans and shredded jack cheese. Paired with a small loco side salad with low fat citrus vinaigrette. (560 calories, 81 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams protein)
Grande Taco Plate – Two tacos made with hand-prepared guacamole, fresh lettuce, hand-chopped pico de gallo, cabbage, sour cream and artisan tortillas. (470 calories, 34 grams carbohydrates, 52 grams protein)
Mango Grilled Tostada with Low Fat Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing – Grilled whole-wheat tortilla crafted with hand-prepared mango salsa, hand-sliced avocados, slow simmered black beans, fire grilled chicken and cotija cheese. (630 calories, 76 grams carbohydrates, 34 grams protein)
“Mexican food can be great for your family’s nutrition plans,” said Rachael Derr, R.D., culinary dietitian for Healthy Dining. “From its salads and bowls to its whole wheat burritos, El Pollo Loco is a great place to feed yourself and your family a meal that’s equal parts healthy and delicious!”
For a complete list of participating restaurants nationwide, visit HealthyDiningFinder.com.
Healthy Dining provides Americans with digital tools and resources to find the best restaurant choices for their dietary goals and healthy lifestyles. President and founder Anita Jones-Mueller, MPH, launched Healthy Dining in San Diego, CA, in 1991 by combining the brainpower and creativity of chefs, restaurateurs, health experts, registered dietitians and communication strategists. The Healthy Dining program has grown to become the most powerful restaurant industry nutrition initiative in the nation. Healthy Dining’s signature website, HealthyDiningFinder.com, enables millions of nutrition-conscious restaurant diners, as well as those dealing with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and other nutrition-related conditions, to easily find dietitian-recommended Healthy Dining choices served at restaurants nationwide. For more information, please contact Deborah Lawrence, Deb@HealthyDiningFinder.com, 760.809.2622.
(Nasdaq: LOCO) El Pollo Loco is the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain and renowned for its masterfully citrus-marinated and fire-grilled chicken and handcrafted entrées using fresh ingredients inspired by authentic Mexican recipes. With more than 400 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Utah, El Pollo Loco will expand its presence in key markets through a combination of company and existing and new franchisee development. Some say the lengths we go to create fresh, delicious food are crazy. We say it’s Crazy You Can Taste.
