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Applebee's®Ring in the New Year with More Healthy Kids Meals --And a Free Sparkling Cider Toast for Kids on New Year's Eve --

Piscataway, NJ (December 12, 2013) –With healthful kids meals and children’s nutrition remaining a top culinary trend for 2014, according to a new report from the National Restaurant Association (NRA), Applebee’s restaurants have announced a completely redesigned kids menu with 10 meals that meet the NRA’s Kids Live Well nutrition criteria and more than 650 combinations of entrees, sides and beverages.

 

The new kids menu moves away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to a two-tiered entrée option with a selection of sides and beverages to complete the meal. With 26 menu items, the new Applebee’s kids menu offers more items than any other national casual dining restaurant, including kid-approved favorites and healthier options.

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The 10 new meals, approved by Kids Live Well, offer the widest variety of better-for-you kids menu choices among all national casual dining restaurant brands. Of note, French fry orders declined from 73 to 39 percent during a three-month testing period for the new Applebee’s kids menu.

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“It can be a struggle for on-the-go families to find options that are healthy and kid-friendly,” said Kevin Coughlin, Director of Operations for the New Jersey Applebee’s. “Our new kids menu gives parents peace of mind knowing their growing children are getting fun, healthy meals.”

 

The new Applebee’s kids’ menu is available starting December 16 and includes:

 

·      A two-tiered menu with entrée options for older kids with bigger appetites and younger kids with smaller appetites.

·      10 new Kids Live Well-approved meals with three entrée options, including chicken, steak and pasta. Previously, the Applebee’s kids’ menu had just two meals that qualified under the Kids Live Well nutritional guidelines.

·      2 Kids Live Well-approved side items, and 11 total side choices, including Kids Live Well-approved and all-natural GoGosqueeZ Applesauce and Kids Live Well-approved steamed broccoli, apple slices with all-natural yogurt, all-natural yogurt and strawberries, white rice, salads and carrots or celery with ranch dressing.

 

Free New Year’s Eve Toast All Day for Kids

What better way to ring in the New Year than with family and, from opening to closing on December 31, all New Jersey Applebee’s are inviting families to enjoy a warm moment with their kids before heading out to celebrate “grown up style.” All day long, Applebee’s will be pouring free glasses of sparkling cider to kids under 12 years old (one per child) so that youngsters can experience the fun of toasting to the New Year with their families.

 

Applebee’s Adult Better-for-You Options Help Strengthen Resolve

For many, the #1 New Year resolution is to eat healthier, exercise regularly and lose weight. Helping resolvers adhere to their goals are Applebee’s Unbelievably Great-Tasting and Under 550 Calories™ and Weight Watchers®-endorsed menus. Each menu is updated several times a year to introduce new, flavorful and satisfying healthier choices. 

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