By Tracy Morin
To serve guests looking for healthier choices and more customization in the new year, California Pizza Kitchen recently introduced its CPK Smart Swaps menu, which “transforms nine fan-favorite dishes into chef-driven, guilt-free alternatives under three main categories,” according to the brand.
The Costa Mesa, California-based brand, with more than 100 locations, focused on the categories of Protein-Packed (with up to 73g of protein per dish), Plant-Forward (with up to 11g of fiber per dish) and Lower-Calorie (which run as low as 520 calories per entrée). To meet customers’ diets, resolutions and Dry January demands, CPK is also offering zero-proof cocktails as well as lower-calorie alcoholic drinks.
To help launch the new Smart Swaps menu, CPK partnered with the well-known mother-daughter fitness duo Denise and Katie Austin. The brand notes that “Katie is famously known for her ‘healthified recipes, workouts and philosophy’ and spent a lot of time growing up eating at CPK while on the road for D1 lacrosse tournaments with her mom. The Austins are introducing these dishes through social and other digital channels, showcasing how easy it can be to make smart choices that fit your lifestyle and your goals.”
“CPK’s Smart Swaps truly align with how we’ve always approached a healthy lifestyle—simple, balanced choices that never sacrifice flavor,” Katie says.
“I’ve been in the fitness industry for over 40 years, and I’ve always believed that healthy living should feel joyful and sustainable, not restrictive—and CPK has been a favorite of ours for decades,” Denise adds. “So many of our family memories were made around the table there, watching the girls grow up and sharing meals together.”
Smart Swaps, with clever modifications, healthy ingredient swaps and new takes on CPK staples, offer dishes including:
Protein-Packed Smart Swaps
- Avocado Club Egg Rolls, now as Lettuce Wraps for 64g of protein
- West Coast Burger, now as a Bowl with 40g of protein
- Cedar Plank Salmon, now with Piccata Sauce for 73g of protein
Plant-Forward Smart Swaps
- Piccata, now with Cauliflower Steak for 10g of fiber
- California Veggie Pizza, now with Cauliflower Crust for 7g of fiber
- Lettuce Wraps, now Vegetarian with 11g of fiber
Lower-Calorie Smart Swaps
- Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower, now pan-roasted for 28% fewer calories
- Tostada Pizza, now with avocado for 23% fewer calories
- Kung Pao Spaghetti, now with Zucchini Ribbons for 42% fewer calories
“Smart Swaps provides our guests with more choices that fit their ever-changing lifestyles, so they can enjoy CPK on their own terms,” says chef Paul Pszybylski, vice president of culinary innovation at California Pizza Kitchen. “Ongoing health and wellness mindsets, as well as more recent trends around diet, weight loss and nutrition are driving how people eat, and we’re proud to meet these needs in creative and delicious ways.”
Pszybylski recently sat down with PMQ to talk more in depth about the new menu items.
PMQ: What was the culinary inspiration behind transforming fan-favorite dishes into Smart Swaps? How did you choose which dishes could be reimagined, and then choose which dietary needs would take center stage?
Pszybylski: The culinary inspiration behind CPK Smart Swaps started with our guests. We know certain CPK dishes are fan favorites, craveable, and people don’t want to give them up, even when they’re being more mindful about how they eat. Our team set out to prove that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor, creativity or satisfaction to make choices that align with different dietary goals.
We began by identifying fan-favorite dishes, across multiple categories, that already had strong flavors and could naturally lend themselves to ingredient swaps, whether that meant lighter preparations, plant-forward alternatives, or protein and carbohydrate adjustments. From there, we focused on preserving what makes each dish craveable, while reworking the recipe to better support common dietary needs like calorie-conscious, plant-based or protein-forward. The result is a lineup of entrees that still deliver the bold, California-inspired flavors our guests expect, just reimagined in a way that makes it easier to enjoy CPK while trying to reach their nutrition goals.
PMQ: What was the step-by-step process of reworking for the new recipes?
Pszybylski: We first locked down the “why” and set clear guardrails. Smart Swaps needed to be low-calorie, high-protein, plant-forward and operationally simple. We then identified potential menu items by starting with our highest-selling dishes that could be adapted without new ingredients or complicated builds. Each Smart Swap was developed to ensure the flavor profile matched or exceeded the original menu item, maintaining the craveability guests expect. Finally, we partnered closely with our nutrition team to ensure all nutritional data and claims were accurate and compliant.
PMQ: Were there any challenges of maintaining your signature flavors while significantly reducing calories, increasing protein/fiber, etc.? Or any challenges in making sure the logistics are easily handled by staff across locations?
Pszybylski: Maintaining CPK’s signature flavors while improving the nutritional profile was a challenge, but our focus on high-quality ingredients and fresh, produce-forward cooking made it achievable. Because we already build flavor through fresh vegetables and ingredient quality, we didn’t rely heavily on excess fat or calories to deliver bold taste.
On the operational side, the challenge was scale and consistency across locations. We addressed that by designing Smart Swaps around existing ingredients, familiar builds and simple execution, ensuring ease for teams without compromising quality.
PMQ: Which Smart Swap modification is your favorite, or the most innovative from a chef’s perspective?
Pszybylski: Honestly, I have several favorites, but if I had to choose one, it would be the Piccata With Cauliflower Steak. From a chef’s perspective, it’s a great example of putting beautiful produce at the center of the plate without feeling like a compromise, and it’s also operationally brilliant, because cauliflower is an ingredient we already use across multiple dishes. The cauliflower delivers real presence and texture, and paired with the bright, classic piccata flavors, I think this dish absolutely nails both flavor and presentation.
PMQ: Do you have any advice for other chefs who might want to try a similar approach, adding healthier or customizable dishes?
Pszybylski: My biggest advice is to lead with flavor and ingredients, not nutrition targets. Start with dishes that already rely on fresh produce, herbs and bold seasoning, and then refine from there rather than trying to “fix” something that was never designed to be lighter. Be disciplined operationally: Use existing ingredients, keep builds simple, and test under real service conditions so the execution feels effortless for your team. And remember, your guests will know immediately if you’re cutting corners—better-for-you doesn’t mean settling for less flavor or presentation.
PMQ: Tell us about the Smart Swaps beverages, both nonalcoholic and lower-calorie options.
Pszybylski: The beverage lineup focuses on flavor-first swaps that align with these trends. Our non-alcoholic options were designed to offer guests options for both refreshing cocktails and beers. For lower-calorie alcoholic options, we are featuring two options that are always available at CPK and added one new cocktail that delivers on bold, refreshing and crisp flavor, while staying under 150 calories.
Beverages were a natural extension of the Smart Swaps platform, because guests are thinking just as much about what they’re drinking as what they’re eating. We looked at this category a little differently and focused on beverage trends that spike in the new year, like Dry January and the growing demand for lower-calorie cocktails. These give guests the option to still reach their goals while still feeling social.
