BUFFALO, NY – Great taste or lower calories? At Applebee’s, guests can now have their ‘steak’ and eat it too. The world’s largest casual dining chain recently announced the launch of its groundbreaking menu, featuring five unbelievably tasty entrees, all under 550 calories.
The Unbelievably Great Tasting and Under 550 Calories menu marks a first for casual dining chains, offering guests unexpected lower-calorie options like steak and potatoes or grilled shrimp and pasta with the same powerful flavors and generous portions Applebee’s guests count on.
“With five entrees in Applebee's new Under 550 Calories menu, our guests have the choices they want,” said Stephanie Griffin, director of marketing and public relations for T.L. Cannon Companies. “What’s surprising them is that they don’t have to give up great taste just to get fewer calories.”
In fact, a recent survey of casual dining users posed the question: What would you do if you were president of Applebee’s? One in four said they’d put lower-calorie options on the menu.
“We’ve done that, and we haven’t sacrificed taste to achieve it,” said Griffin.
In restaurants now, the Under 550 menu, along with the company’s Weight Watchers selections, demonstrates Applebee’s ongoing commitment to provide guests a variety of great-tasting choices when dining out. According to NPD Crest, the nation’s leading provider of retail market data, more Americans than ever before – 60 percent – are watching calories when they eat out. NPD also reports that one in four Americans say that restaurants don’t meet their needs for better-for-you food options.
“Applebee’s focuses on offering satisfying choices for every guest, including those who want lower-calorie options,” said Griffin.
The new Under 550 menu is the brainchild of Applebee’s executive chefs Shannon Johnson and Jason C. Amell, who spent more than a year developing the menu lineup. Working with professional nutritionists, they carefully crafted the lower-calorie recipes to be as tasty as the rest of Applebee’s menu.
“We’ve set a new standard with this menu,” said Chef Johnson. “We use great ingredients, rich spices and innovative cooking techniques to create meals that, frankly, are surprising guests. This is a menu that people will order on taste alone. The lower-calories? That’s a bonus.”
Unbelievably Great Tasting and Under 550 Calories items include:
• Grilled Shrimp and Island Rice
Seasoned, grilled shrimp skewers on citrus island rice served with seasonal vegetables.
• Asian Crunch Salad
Grilled chicken breast served over crunchy salad greens, roasted red peppers, sugar snap peas and refreshing cucumbers, finished with Applebee’s tangy Asian vinaigrette and sliced almonds.
• Grilled Dijon Chicken and Portobellos
Marinated chicken breast grilled and topped with roasted red peppers, portobello mushrooms, Dijon sauce and aged cheddar cheese. Served with steamed herb potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
• Asiago Peppercorn Steak
Applebee’s classic 7-ounce sirloin grilled and topped with cracked peppercorn and melted Asiago cheese. Served with steamed herb potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
• Spicy Shrimp Diavolo
A spicy tomato-basil Diavolo sauce with chili-seasoned shrimp tossed with diced vegetables. Served over a warm bed of whole wheat penne pasta and topped with shredded Parmesan.
About T.L. Cannon Companies
T.L. Cannon Companies is the franchisee for Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar in Upstate NY and CT. It currently owns and operates 62 restaurant locations.
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The Unbelievably Great Tasting and Under 550 Calories menu marks a first for casual dining chains, offering guests unexpected lower-calorie options like steak and potatoes or grilled shrimp and pasta with the same powerful flavors and generous portions Applebee’s guests count on.
“With five entrees in Applebee's new Under 550 Calories menu, our guests have the choices they want,” said Stephanie Griffin, director of marketing and public relations for T.L. Cannon Companies. “What’s surprising them is that they don’t have to give up great taste just to get fewer calories.”
In fact, a recent survey of casual dining users posed the question: What would you do if you were president of Applebee’s? One in four said they’d put lower-calorie options on the menu.
“We’ve done that, and we haven’t sacrificed taste to achieve it,” said Griffin.
In restaurants now, the Under 550 menu, along with the company’s Weight Watchers selections, demonstrates Applebee’s ongoing commitment to provide guests a variety of great-tasting choices when dining out. According to NPD Crest, the nation’s leading provider of retail market data, more Americans than ever before – 60 percent – are watching calories when they eat out. NPD also reports that one in four Americans say that restaurants don’t meet their needs for better-for-you food options.
“Applebee’s focuses on offering satisfying choices for every guest, including those who want lower-calorie options,” said Griffin.
The new Under 550 menu is the brainchild of Applebee’s executive chefs Shannon Johnson and Jason C. Amell, who spent more than a year developing the menu lineup. Working with professional nutritionists, they carefully crafted the lower-calorie recipes to be as tasty as the rest of Applebee’s menu.
“We’ve set a new standard with this menu,” said Chef Johnson. “We use great ingredients, rich spices and innovative cooking techniques to create meals that, frankly, are surprising guests. This is a menu that people will order on taste alone. The lower-calories? That’s a bonus.”
Unbelievably Great Tasting and Under 550 Calories items include:
• Grilled Shrimp and Island Rice
Seasoned, grilled shrimp skewers on citrus island rice served with seasonal vegetables.
• Asian Crunch Salad
Grilled chicken breast served over crunchy salad greens, roasted red peppers, sugar snap peas and refreshing cucumbers, finished with Applebee’s tangy Asian vinaigrette and sliced almonds.
• Grilled Dijon Chicken and Portobellos
Marinated chicken breast grilled and topped with roasted red peppers, portobello mushrooms, Dijon sauce and aged cheddar cheese. Served with steamed herb potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
• Asiago Peppercorn Steak
Applebee’s classic 7-ounce sirloin grilled and topped with cracked peppercorn and melted Asiago cheese. Served with steamed herb potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
• Spicy Shrimp Diavolo
A spicy tomato-basil Diavolo sauce with chili-seasoned shrimp tossed with diced vegetables. Served over a warm bed of whole wheat penne pasta and topped with shredded Parmesan.
About T.L. Cannon Companies
T.L. Cannon Companies is the franchisee for Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar in Upstate NY and CT. It currently owns and operates 62 restaurant locations.
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