Long John Silver's Debuts Healthier Menu

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Long John Silver's, a fast food restaurant known for seafood that's batter dipped and deep fried, has debuted a healthier menu.

The company's new Freshside Grille Menu is significantly lower in calories and fat than its standard menu, some highlights of which are Crumblies (bits of deep fried batter that weighs in with 170 calories and 13 g fat) and buttered lobster bites (250 calories and 9 g fat).

All items on the Freshside Grille menu have 10 grams of fat or fewer, with zero trans fats.

According to Long John Silver's:
"The Freshside Grille menu will initially offer three entrées featuring premium grilled or steamed seafood, each served with herbs and seasonings or succulent sauces. Customers can enjoy Shrimp Scampi in a rich garlic butter sauce (110 calories, 5 fat grams); Grilled Tilapia in a garlic and herb sauce (110 calories, 2.5 fat grams); and Grilled Pacific Salmon in a sumptuous sauce of red bell peppers, black pepper, garlic and olive oil (150 calories, 5 fat grams). Each entrée is served atop a bed of seasoned rice with a breadstick.
Long John Silver’s is also presenting new Freshside Grille side options, all a good source of dietary fiber, which include:
  • Vegetable Medley — Green beans, orange and yellow carrots (50 calories, 2 fat grams, 3 g fiber)
  • Seasoned Rice — Long grain rice with garlic and vegetable seasonings (270 calories, 4.5 fat grams, 4 g fiber)
  • Corn on the Cob (150 calories, 10 fat grams, 3 g fiber)

Entrées include seafood served over a bed of Seasoned Rice with a breadstick, and full meals also include the new Vegetable Medley and corn on the cob. Prices vary by store. Rice has 270 calories and 4.5 fat grams, and a breadstick has 170 calories and 3.5 grams of fat.


According to the Nation's Restaurant News publication, Yum! Brands--Long John Silver's parent company and the owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and A&W All American Grills--has been taking steps to offer healthier foods at some of its restaurants. The company is expected to launch Kentucky Grilled Chicken next year. Taco Bell has a Fresco Menu, with items that have 9 grams of fat or less. Pizza Hut introduced a Fit & Delicious lower-fat pizza and "The Natural," a pizza made with all-natural toppings and a multigrain crust. Yum! will also start posting calorie counts in its restaurants.

While it's great that Long John Silver's is taking steps toward making restaurant food healthier, take a closer look at those new options:

The meals come with more than just grilled seafood.

Grilled Pacific salmon (150 calories, 5 fat grams)
Rice (270 calories, 4.5 fat grams)
Breadstick (170 calories, 3.5 fat grams)

That meal would eventually have: 590 calories and 13 grams of fat. That's far better than a deep-fried Long John Silver's platter meal:
1 piece battered fish, cole slaw, Crumblies, French fries and tartar sauce
980 calories, 61 g fat!

Note: The corn on the cob was already on the menu. Those 10 fat grams come from something called "butter oil," which adds 60 calories and 7 grams of fat.

What do you think about the new offerings at Long John Silver's? Will you try the new menu?