Kentucky Grilled Chicken

Could Kentucky Fried Chicken eventually become Kentucky Grilled Chicken? The fast-food chain is introducing grilled meat at its 5,100 American outlets in an effort to present a healthier image to diners.

Described as "packed with flavour", the chain's grilled chicken pieces will be marinated and seasoned with six "secret" herbs and spices. It's a momentous move for KFC which has spent 69 years promoting Colonel Sanders' finger lickin', artery-clogging original recipe.

"It's going to get people who haven't eaten KFC for a long time to come back into our restaurants," said KFC president Roger Eaton.

The grilled chicken pieces contain 70 to 80 calories and four to nine grams of fat. That's an improvement on KFC's fried chicken which come in at 110 to 370 calories, with between 7 and 21 grams of fat.

KFC has been edging in a healthier direction for some time. As far back as 1990, the company began emphasising its initials rather than marketing itself as Kentucky Fried Chicken, partly because the word "fried" was considered a turn-off. More recently, KFC became one of the earliest fast-food companies to scrap trans-fats in its cooking.

Unlike rivals such as McDonald's, the chain hasn't been doing terribly well out of the recession. Its owner, Yum Brands, admitted last year that KFC had been a drag on performance in comparison to sister brands Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

Anyone who goes into a US branch of KFC will get a free piece of grilled chicken on April 27 – which the chain has dubbed "unfry day". Brits will have to wait longer – the company will only say that if the venture is successful, it will be rolled out internationally.

The jury is out. Does KGC really have a ring to it? And do American fast-food lovers really care about trimming their bulging waistlines?