• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, September 15, 2011

Darden has pledged to make significant reductions in the calories and sodium content of the menu items in its six restaurant chains, and well as to offer healthier kids' options.

The company signed an agreement with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), the nonprofit that operates First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative to end childhood obesity. Obama made an appearance at Darden's announcement event at an Olive Garden in Hyattsville, Md., yesterday.

Darden pledged to reduce calories and sodium across its brands -- Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 -- by 10% over five years and 20% over 10 years.

The calorie goals are to be achieved by reformulating and resizing some menu items, removing others, and introducing new options. To reduce sodium, Darden will work with its suppliers to make the transition over time, focusing on items that represent the biggest opportunities to make a difference in current sodium levels.

In addition, Darden is establishing specific nutrition standards for development of its children's meals; making fruit or vegetables the default side dish options at chains where default sides are offered (LongHorn, Bahama Breeze and Red Lobster); and making an eight-ounce serving of 1% milk the default beverage, including for free refills. Fries and non-milk beverages must now be requested by an adult ordering a kid's meal.

The new kids menu will start being phased in immediately, with full rollout by next July.

Darden has more than 1,900 restaurants in 49 U.S. states serving more than 400 meals annually, and $7.5 billion in annual sales. It will continue to collaborate with PHA as it implements the nutrition changes.

"This is a great opportunity for Darden to strengthen our relationships with our guests," said chairman and CEO Clarence Otis. "By putting our guests' desires first, we're putting our best foot forward as a company. And we're very proud of that."

In her comments, the First Lady praised Darden's initiatives and noted that parents often erroneously assume that all kids' meals are healthy. She stressed that the mission of "Let's Move" is asking parents to "take responsibility," as opposed to telling them what to do.

Last July, in a speech to the National Restaurant Association, Obama urged restaurant operators to actively promote healthy foods and habits to children, and suggested making healthier sides and beverages the default kids' meal options. McDonald's recently began rolling out its own healthier kids' meals, which will now include a quarter-cup of peeled apples and a smaller portion of fries, reducing calories by 20%. The chain has also made 1% milk, or fat-free chocolate milk, the default beverages, and will reduce added sugars and saturated fats through reformulations and portion reductions by 2020.