RETAIL / LEISURE : Taco Bell Adding Low-Fat Chicken Items With Ad Campaign on the Side

Taco Bell, best known for a menu heavy on beef and refried beans, plans to introduce several low-fat items to appeal to health-conscious diners.

On Monday, Taco Bell will add a burrito, regular taco, tostada and MexiMelt that will all use chicken. The chain now has just one chicken product, a soft taco that will be reformulated to use the new 91% fat-free, skinless chicken that will be used in the new menu items.

Taco Bell’s move follows a trend toward healthier fare in the fast-food industry.

“Taco Bell is offering customers a full array of nutritious chicken items that continue our value commitment of high-quality food at great prices--and meet a growing demand for chicken at value prices,” said Tim Ryan, Taco Bell’s senior vice president of marketing.

The new chicken products have fewer than 350 calories each. In addition, Taco Bell is testing three kinds of salads.

For the new products, Taco Bell is planning a major new campaign featuring rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Little Richard and country star T. Graham Brown.