Several fast casuals are getting into the New Year's resolution spirit with menu additions designed to help customers make healthier choices.

California-based brands, Rubio's and Fatburger, for example, are offering vegetarian options, and Freebirds, based in Austin, has debuted cauliflower rice. Juice It Up has launched immunity-boosting juices, and even Fazoli's — known for its Italian comfort food — has created keto-friendly and gluten-free options.

Rubio's Coastal Grill
San Diego's Rubio's is getting on board with the meatless trend by partnering with Impossible Foods, a Redwood City, California-based company that develops plant-based substitutes for meat products.

"We are using a signature blend of Mexican spices unique to Rubio's in our Impossible Foods menu items," Rubio's co-founder Ralph Rubio said in a company press release. "It pairs perfectly with our coastal-inspired flavors and expands our protein options. It is also more sustainable by using a small fraction of land, water and energy, when compared to 80/20 ground beef, so guests can feel great about eating what they love."

The Impossible Foods seasoned meat has all the protein of 80/20 ground beef, does not contain animal hormones or antibiotics, is kosher, halal and certified gluten-free. Rubio's will feature Impossible meat dishes, including:

  • Impossible Taco Salad: Impossible seasoned ground meat made from plants, romaine lettuce, black beans, roasted corn, salsa fresca, tortilla strips, sliced Haas avocado and signature pickled jalapeno ranch dressing.
  • Impossible Burrito Especial: Impossible seasoned ground meat made from plants, handmade guacamole, chipotle white sauce, roasted chipotle salsa, citrus rice, black beans and salsa fresca in a warm flour tortilla. It's served with tortilla chips.
  • Impossible California Bowl: Impossible seasoned ground meat made from plants, citrus rice, handmade guacamole, black beans, crisp romaine lettuce, salsa fresca, chipotle white sauce with choice of salsa verde or roasted chipotle salsa.

Fatburger
Fatburger and Buffalo's Express locations in the U.S. are offering vegetarian wings — Chick'n Vings — made with Quorn Vegetarian Meatless Wings.

"Some of the major themes in the food space coming out of 2020 were the heightened desire for comfort food and the need for inclusive, delicious options for all," Andy Wiederhorn, CEO of Fat Brands, the brands' parent company, said in a company press release. "Our new Chick'n Vings answer this calling by allowing our world-famous wings to be accessible to a wider range of dietary preferences without sacrificing the taste.

"We anticipate our Chick'n Vings being an immediate hit with our customers, similarly to when we introduced a meatless burger option."

The Chick'n Vings come plain or smothered in one of Buffalo's Express' 13 sauces including Scorchin', Carolina Fire BBQ, Coconut Jerk, Honey Garlic, and Sweet Bourbon BBQ.

All Quorn products, including Chick'n Vings, are vegetarian and sustainably produced using less land and water than what is required to produce meat, Ben Sussna, head of Marketing and Innovation at Quorn Foods, said in the release.

"Our wings are not only delicious, they are packed with protein and made via a sustainable manufacturing process that's kind to our planet," he said. "Smothered in Buffalo's Express' iconic sauces, you won't believe they are not chicken."

Freebirds' cauliflower rice is on the menu at all 50 Texas locations. Provided

Freebirds
Freebirds' cauliflower rice is on the menu at all 50 Texas locations, said CEO Alex Eagle, who called the rice a plant-based option for people wanting to eat healthier without sacrificing flavor.

"The light seasoning on our cauliflower rice can be used to enhance our bold sauces and grilled-to-perfection meats or can be used to create a low-carb or vegan meal personalized just for your taste buds and diet," he said in a company press release.

Freebirds' cauliflower rice is made with diced cauliflower and lightly seasoned for a hint of spice. It can be used in any burrito, bowl, or entrée for $1.50.

Juice It Up

Juice It Up, a smoothie, açaí bowl and raw juice chain, recently launched immunity-boosting products, available now through March 31, according to a company press release.

The brand has also permanently added to the menu its immunity and antioxidant powerhouses, the Mighty-C Immunity Shot and the Superfruit Sunrise Smoothie — the latter boasting 810% of the recommended daily requirement of vitamin C.

"It's a new year to 'Live Life Juiced,' and menu innovation is at the forefront of our plans for 2021 with the introduction of new products and ingredients that not only taste great, but make our guests feel great, too," CEO Susan Taylor said in the release. "We design our products to be equally functional and flavorful so that they serve a purpose and help guests maintain their active and healthy lifestyle. And as we know, particularly these days, we can all use some extra boosts of vitamins and antioxidants, which is why we're putting an even larger emphasis on our immunity-enhancing creations this year."

Additionally, Juice It Up debuted its Immunity Boost, featuring elderberry, echinacea, zinc, Vitamin D and other essential vitamins, which is included in the new Mighty-C Immunity and The Supercharger raw juices. It can also be used as a vitamin-packed add-on in any smoothie, bowl or juice.

Offering vitamins C and D, as well as zinc, The Supercharger juice features apple, orange, carrot, pineapple, and red grapes while the Mighty-C Immunity juice combines orange, apple, pineapple, red grapes and ginger. Now permanent fixtures on the immunity menu, the Superfruit Sunrise Smoothie, made with the tropical super-fruit, Acerola, a berry which is known to aid in heart and eye health, regulate digestion and is also rich in Vitamin C. Loaded with enzymes that help your body digest and absorb protein, the Mighty-C Immunity Shot is also a powerful sidekick to any raw juice, smoothie or bowl, Taylor said.

Fazoli's

Fazoli's Gluten-Friendly Chicken Pesto Rotini has Alfredo sauce and house-roasted chicken, baked with mozzarella cheese and topped with basil pesto. Provided

Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Fazoli's has added its Lifestyle Menu to help meet the dining needs of customers eating healthier. New keto and gluten-free offerings include:

  • Low-Carb Pepperoni & Bacon Flatbread: low-carb flatbread topped with garlic butter, mozzarella, pepperoni and bacon. (8 grams of net carbs).
  • Keto Combo: Low-Carb Pepperoni & Bacon Flatbread and Caesar side salad. (10 grams of net carbs).
  • Gluten-Friendly Chicken Pesto Rotini: gluten-free rotini with Alfredo sauce and house-roasted chicken, baked with mozzarella cheese and topped with basil pesto.

"Fazoli's stays ahead of the culinary curve and drives record sales and traffic because we consistently innovate our menu to meet the needs of our guests," Director of Culinary Innovation Rick Petralia said in the release. "We are always exploring opportunities to create new items and add even more value on our menu. We listen to our guests and respond with delectable dishes we know they'll love."

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