Taco Bell To Offer Healthier Menu Options As Part Of Its New Health Kick

Taco Bell is the latest fast-food chain to make changes in order to offer its customer healthier menu options.

On Wednesday, the franchise announced that it is currently in the works of developing food selections that reflect more "balanced choices."

CEO Greg Creed told reporters that Taco Bell is testing a "range of products" this year, with plans for national launches in 2014.  He added that existing menu items could also be reformulated but promised that the chain would remain true to its brand.

"We're not going to walk away from who Taco Bell is," Creed said.  Neither will the restaurant spring any major changes on customers anytime soon.  Its goal is to have 20 percent of their combo meals meet nutritional guidelines for calories and fat set out by the federal government by 2020.  As a result, one meal could equate to about a third of the recommended intake of about 2,000 to 2,500 calories.

Not only could healthier varieties benefit customers, but it will also help Taco Bell reach its growth targets over the next decade, said Creed.  To meet diners' growing "tastes and needs," he said product developers will be required to stay within "nutrition guardrails."  However, he declined to provide details on the new menu offerings that are being developed.

Last year, Taco Bell introduced a line of "Cantina" burrito bowls to help it compete with with fast-growing rival Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. Meanwhile, Taco Bell says its lower-calorie "fresco" options, which were introduced in 2005 and come without cheese or sour cream, account for only about 2 percent of sales.