Burger King Climbs on Healthy Bandwagon

MIAMI (TheStreet) -- Burger King, days after dethroning its royal mascot , adds smoothies, new salads and oatmeal to its menu in an effort to better compete with McDonald's(MCD), Starbucks(SBUX) and others.

Burger King hopes its expanded "healthier" menu will help draw a broader customer base that includes women and families, rather than its traditional demographic base of teen males. It is the latest food chain, following McDonald's, Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts(DNKN) and even Krispy Kreme(KKD), to ramp up alternative menu offerings to attract new clients, keep families coming back, and keep up with a growing trend toward healthfulness.

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Burger King will begin offering oatmeal across the U.S. this week, with smoothies and new salads currently being tested in 100 stores, changes that some customers may not stomach well, said Joel Cohen, president of Cohen Restaurant Marketing Group.

"It's a dramatic switch, so you're in danger of losing loyal customers who loved the original brand," Cohen told Bloomberg. By comparison, McDonald's shift toward upscale cafes was "gradual and not as intrusive as the Burger King change."

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Burger King North America President Steve Wiborg insisted the company is "known as the best place for burgers; we're going to continue that ... but we also need to broaden our target."

McDonald's began offering salads years ago. It also famously added oatmeal to its breakfast menu recently as well, and cut the fries portion by more than half and added apple slices to its iconic Happy Meals. Starbucks also offers hot oatmeal, with options to add brown sugar, dried fruit and a nut medley. Krispy Kreme recently added oatmeal, yogurt and fruit juice to its menu. Dunkin' has long offered bagels, sandwiches, wraps and muffins, hoping to bring diners in not just for their morning coffee-and-a-donut fix but for lunch as well.

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