It’s the day after New Year’s, and perhaps you’re still hung over. You may also be scrambling to figure out how best to begin your New Year’s resolutions. If shedding the 10 pounds you perhaps gained over the holiday season is one of them, Chipotle has a new product for you.
The fast casual Tex-Mex chain has announced a new line of “Lifestyle Bowls,” aimed at people on the ketogenic, paleo, or Whole30 diets. While these diets slightly differ, the philosophy is more or less then same–cut out carbs and eat more protein. Essentially, Chipotle is offering a line of burrito bowls that will adhere to the principles of these trendy diet plans.
Here are the new offerings:
- Whole30 Salad Bowl: Romaine lettuce, carnitas, fajita veggies, tomato salsa, and guacamole
- Paleo Salad Bowl: Romaine lettuce, barbacoa, fajita veggies, green salsa, and guacamole
- Keto Salad Bowl: Romaine lettuce, carnitas, red salsa, cheese, and guacamole
- Double Protein Bowl: White rice, black beans, chicken (full portion), steak (full portion), red salsa, romaine lettuce, and sour cream
It’s a smart addition to the menu because Chipotle’s offerings were already friendly to these diets. I once tried out keto, and discovered that Chipotle was one of the only places I could go to for lunch. And, of course, these bowls aren’t really anything new–just a new arrangement of the food the restaurant has always served.
But as Chipotle enters 2019, it’s going to need to try to find promotions like these. It spent the last two years trying to stage a comeback after an E. coli breakout–and then had a few other customer health issues along the way. As a result, the company has had a bumpy ride.
Will offering a paleo option be enough? As long as the new options don’t come with a free side of bacteria.
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