Whether for its flavor, leanness or preparation versatility, poultry is the most consumed animal protein. In fact, consumers eat chicken an average of 12.1 times per month compared to 8.4 times for beef, according to an online survey of 1,000 consumers representing the general population.1 Distributors can help operators differentiate their poultry by bringing forward products like Perdue Foodservice chicken and turkey with the claims that consumers value.
The top four poultry value claims consumers would like to see more at restaurants are clean label (46%), no antibiotics ever (45%), organic (40%) and raised in the USA (39%). Beyond merely appreciating these claims, 65% of consumers indicate that they would visit a restaurant more frequently if the menu included chicken and turkey claims that were important to them.1
Next chicken iteration
How chicken is prepared and the dishes it is featured in determine its ultimate level of healthful desirability. In November 2022, chicken chain Popeyes introduced a grilled Blackened Chicken Sandwich as a nationwide limited-time offer to test its popularity.2 In was a success, and in June 2023, it was permanently added to the menu.3 In June, Chick-fil-A began testing a new grilled chicken sandwich made with lemon herb marinated boneless chicken breast.4 Both of these grilled options represent a pivot from the crispy chicken sandwich wars that Popeyes unwittingly sparked in 2019.
Besides grilling, sous vide is another promotable healthful preparation. Panera Bread boasted of its sous vide chicken when it launched its Chef’s Chicken Sandwiches in March 2022.5 In its introductory press release, the chain boosted the value of the sandwiches by pointing out that they are made “with chicken raised without antibiotics, and clean ingredients — food that does not contain artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources.”
Perdue can help distributors and operators ignite this healthfully prepared chicken renaissance with a few notable products that feature in-demand claims. PERDUE® HARVESTLAND® NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER Fully Cooked Char-Grilled Chicken Breast Strips are fully cooked, whole muscle grill marked chicken strips, which can be utilized for sandwiches/sliders, salads, bowls, fajitas and more. They boast No Antibiotics Ever, 100% vegetarian fed, gluten-free and other claims popular with consumers. Operationally, the strips are great for launching new satiating high-protein chicken dishes while incorporating individually frozen strips for portion control, as well as for food safety and faster preparation.
Similarly, Perdue offers its PERDUE® NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER Fully Cooked Grill Marked Boneless Chicken Breast Strips, also with claims of No Antibiotics Ever and 100% vegetarian fed. The boneless, skinless breast filets are marinated with natural herbs and spices, oven-roasted, grill marked and carved into strips, ensuring 100% yield in every case. The chicken strips can go from the box to the table in minutes while ensuring taste and size consistency.
For a nutritious salad application of either product, check out Perdue’s recipes for Asian Chicken Salad and Chicken and Vegetable Salad.
Turkey for breakfast
Perhaps no daypart is in more need of a healthful-protein makeover than breakfast, which abounds with fatty bacon and pork sausage. As with chicken, the form of turkey within the context of the dish with its other ingredients conveys the overall wellness factor.
Health-forward LYFE Kitchen’s breakfast menu features the Everything Egg White Omelette with antibiotic-free turkey, zucchini, red onion, peppers, goat cheese and breakfast potatoes.6 Meanwhile, quick service drive-thru-only concept Salad and Go used turkey sausage in two of its summer breakfast burritos: the Turkey Sausage, Egg & Cheese burrito and the Southwest burrito featuring egg, turkey sausage, pepper jack cheese and roasted poblano peppers.7
Perdue makes menuing turkey sausage easy with two convenient products featuring turkey raised with no antibiotics ever on a 100% vegetarian diet: PERDUE® NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER Fully Cooked Turkey Sausage Patties and PERDUE® NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER Fully Cooked Turkey Sausage Links. These lower-fat fully cooked alternatives to pork sausages are sage-based mild-flavored ground turkey formed into sausage patties or links and quick frozen—allowing for quick use with minimal preparation.
Operators can add turkey sausage to their menus with tantalizing breakfast applications like Breakfast Sausage Enchilacos and Turkey Sausage Patty Pancake Stack.
For a lean bacon alternative, Perdue also offers PERDUE® NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER Ready To Cook, Uncured Turkey Bacon, which is free from additives and is raised with No Antibiotics Ever on a 100% vegetarian diet. The low-fat turkey bacon is produced from white and dark meat turkey and is pre-sliced with 18-20 slices per pound.
With the heightened emphasis on protein and its significance in healthy cuisine, chicken and turkey from Perdue Foodservice offer unmatched potential, delivering the claims consumers crave. Embrace the opportunity to lead in the health-centric poultry revolution.
Sources:
- Perdue Proprietary Research May 2022
- Pomranz, Mike “Popeyes Hopes for Another Hit with New Blackened Chicken Sandwich,” Food and Wine, Nov. 15, 2022, https://www.foodandwine.com/popeyes-blackened-chicken-sandwich-grilled-6828951
- Lucas, Amelia, “Popeyes Expands its Popular Chicken Sandwich Lineup with a New Blackened Option,” CNBC.com, June 6, 2023, https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/06/popeyes-blackened-chicken-sandwich.html
- Kelso, Alicia, “Chick-fil-A is Testing a New Grilled Chicken Sandwich,” Nation’s Restaurant News, June 8, 2023, https://www.nrn.com/top-500-restaurants/chick-fil-testing-new-grilled-chicken-sandwich
- “Panera Announces New Chef’s Chicken Sandwiches, Press Room, Panera Bread, https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/press/press-room/panera-announces-new-chefs-chicken-sandwiches.html
- Lyfe Kitchen, Menus, Breakfast, https://www.lyfekitchen.com/menus/#breakfast
- Salad and Go, Summer Menu 2023, https://www.saladandgo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Summer-Menu-2023_English.pdf