Greens-focused lunch spot
Sweetgreen has become a cult-favorite
healthy fast-food option for folks who are pretty much immune to
salad fatigue. And despite the brand catering to healthy-food-loving creatures of habit, the now-
nationwide chain's core menu items—which have remained the same for the past handful of years—just underwent a massive makeover.
Sweetgreen has created five new options for its permanent menu, replacing four salads that have since been sent to chopping block. (So long, OMG Omega, Rad Thai, Pesto Portobello, and Spicy Sabzi.)
Sweetgreen has created five new options for its permanent menu that the brand says have been in the making for four years, and the newbies are replacing four salads that have since been sent to chopping block. (So long, OMG Omega, Rad Thai, Pesto Portobello, and Spicy Sabzi.) The company said it developed these new combos by assessing reactions to past seasonal, limited-edition salads (it usually releases five seasonal menus a year): After culling information through social media initiatives, focus groups, recipe testing, and polling more than 150 farmers across the country about the best ingredients, Sweetgreen got to work developing the new nutritious meal offerings.
"We’re always looking for ways to source smarter, connect with more people in their communities, and offer something that people are craving." —Nicolas Jammet, co-founder and chief product officer at Sweetgreen
"A handful of our salads have been on our menu since we opened in 2007, and we knew some of our guests were craving new ingredients and dishes," Nicolas Jammet, co-founder and chief product officer at Sweetgreen (and owner of a very well-stocked fridge), told me via email. "We’re always looking for ways to source smarter, connect with more people in their communities, and offer something that people are craving," Jammet said of the five new bowls: the Pesto Chicken Parm, Spicy Thai Salad, Lentil+Avocado, Curry Chickpea Bowl, and Fish Taco. (If you're a Sweetgreen fanatic, you may remember that the last two once graced seasonal menus.)
While I'm personally excited to dig my fork into all the new varieties, Jammet said that lentils are the ingredient he's most eager to introduce to Sweetgreen, since "it took us over six months of testing to find the right varietal." He added, "We have a growing number of vegetarians and vegans, and they were craving a protein that made sense for them."
Even if you prefer the build-your-own-salad option at Sweetgreen (because you can recite the six tips to create a nutritious greens bowl in your sleep), these new salads just might turn your head.
If you're making your own lunch, here's how to make a healthy Southern Caesar salad and a Paleo Thai beef salad.
