4 keto diet-approved menu items major chains have rolled out across the US

Advertisement
4 keto diet-approved menu items major chains have rolled out across the US

Blaze Pizza Keto crust

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Blaze Pizza became the first national pizza chain to roll out a keto-approved option in the US in July.

Advertisement

As the keto diet sweeps America, restaurants chains are trying to cash in on the trend.

People adhering to keto diets limit their carbohydrate intake, pushing their bodies to switch into a fat-burning state called "ketosis." That means ditching sugar, wheat, and beans, and cutting back on alcohol. Red meat and cream are encouraged in the high-fat, low-carb diet.

Read more: What a husband and wife who've been on the keto diet for 6 years keep in their kitchen

Sticking with any diet can be a challenge while eating out at restaurants. So, some chains are tweaking the menu to win over people on the keto diet.

Advertisement

Here are four chains that have rolled out keto-diet-approved menu items in 2019.

{{}}

Chipotle's Keto Salad Bowl

Chipotle's Keto Salad Bowl

In January, Chipotle debuted a line of "Lifestyle Bowls," designed to fit in different buzzy dieting trends. The line consists of the Paleo Salad Bowl, the Keto Salad Bowl, the Whole30 Salad Bowl, and the Double Protein Bowl.

The Keto Salad Bowl contains carnitas, romaine lettuce, red salsa, cheese, and guacamole.

Read more: Chipotle is trying to win over paleo, Whole30, and keto dieters with new menu items

Blaze Pizza's Keto Pizza

Blaze Pizza's Keto Pizza

Blaze Pizza became the first national pizza chain to roll out a keto-approved option in the US in July. The fast-casual chain's keto crust has just 6 grams of net carbs, swapping flour for ingredients like flax seeds, eggs, and cheese.

"Pizza crusts are traditionally made mostly of flour, water and yeast," Blaze Pizza's executive chef, Brad Kent, told Business Insider. "Removing the flour brings several challenges since the gluten and starches and sugars (carbohydrates) deliver the desirable light, crispy, and chewy texture in addition to its toasty and yeasty flavor."

The chain's keto pizza features the keto crust, spicy red sauce, mozzarella, ovalini mozzarella, bacon, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach.

Read more: Blaze Pizza just launched the first keto-diet-approved pizza crust to be served at a national chain. I tried it and was surprised by how good it was.

Advertisement

Qdoba's Smoked Brisket Keto Bowl

Qdoba's Smoked Brisket Keto Bowl

In August, Qdoba rolled out its own line of bowls, including the Smoked Brisket Keto Bowl. The bowl features smoked brisket, guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa verde, and shredded cheese.

Smoothie King's Keto Champ Smoothies

Smoothie King's Keto Champ Smoothies

Smoothie King is launching a line of keto diet-approved smoothies on Tuesday, using high-fat, high-protein ingredients like almond butter, cocoa, and almond milk.

The two blends launching this week are Keto Champ Berry, made with blueberries, raspberries, and almond butter, and Keto Champ Coffee, which features almond milk, cold brew, and cocoa. Both smoothies contain Smoothie King's keto protein blend.

"Guests are seeking smoothie options to meet a variety of dietary needs – particularly, we're seeing an increase in lifestyles that limit carbohydrate intake," Smoothie King chief marketing officer Rebecca Miller said in a statement.

Advertisement
Next StoryPopeyes and Chick-fil-A are feuding on Twitter in a battle over which chicken sandwich reigns supreme