KFC Making Serious Changes to Entire Menu

KFC is revamping its menu, and it could save customers some inches around the waist.

Fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken has announced that it is making major changes to its iconic menu that consists of golden fried chicken, with a goal of cutting calories by 20 percent by 2025, according to The Sun.

Among the changes customers can expect are low or zero calorie carbonated drinks, as well as more lunch and dinner options under the 600 calorie mark, which is in line with Public Health England’s (PHE) campaign that encourages people to aim for a 400 calorie breakfast, a 600 calorie lunch, and a 600 calorie dinner. It is also expected that the chain will give customers the option to swap their fries for a healthier side, and it is possible that the chain will roll out a vegetarian menu later this year.

While the changes may worry some fans of the “finger lickin’ good” chicken, no taste changes are expected to come to the iconic chicken, as KFC will be keeping the Colonel’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices.

“We know people are more passionate than ever about eating well, and we face a big challenge in shifting their perceptions of what we offer. We’ve done it before, though – the success of our Riceboxes has shown that our fans will go for lighter options from us,” Victoria Robertson, the firm’s head of food innovation, said. “That said, we know any new menu and recipe changes will have to be just as tasty as today – our fans absolutely love our Original Recipe chicken, and we won’t be changing the Colonel’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices. This is about providing choice, and offering delicious, signature KFC taste that just happens to be lighter.”

KFC is not the only fast food chain to roll out healthier eating options. In February, McDonald’s announced major changes to its kid’s meals, removing cheeseburgers and chocolate milk from its Happy Meals.

The move, which was met with criticism from customers, was an effort to make Happy Meal options consist of 600 calories or less, contain less than 650 milligrams of soda, and ensure that less than 10 percent of the meal’s calories come from saturated fat and added sugar. The removal of cheeseburgers and chocolate milk meant that Happy Meals would contain 20 percent less calories, 50 percent less added sugars, 13 percent less saturated fat, and/or 17 percent less sodium.

It was also announced at the time that the chain would be working on a new chocolate milk recipe that would contain less sugar and that bottled water would come with a Happy Meal instead of chocolate milk or a carbonated beverage.