Now let’s get into Taco Bell’s 2019 resolutions:

Make Taco Bell as craveable as ever with even simpler, higher-quality ingredients

The big take here: Taco Bell removed all artificial colors and flavors from its core menu, and, where possible, plans to continue removing preservatives and other additives from its food, the chain said. By spring of 2019, it expects to have fully removed the synthetic preservative tBHQ from all of its menu items.

Additionally, Taco Bell is in the process of reducing sodium from its menu and is aiming for a 25 percent total reduction by 2025. Taco Bell also said it’s continuing its pursuit of using higher-quality ingredients. One example: In the U.S., the chain uses grilled all-white meat chicken, vine-ripened tomatoes, and makes its guacamole only from Hass avocados. Pico de gallo is now made fresh every day as well.

Work to ensure all of its beef is sustainable

Taco Bell joined the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, a network of beef experts comprised of representatives from the supply chain, academia and research, environmental, and animal welfare organization, and veterinarians all working together to improve the sustainability of U.S.-grown beef.

This appears to be a major trend for quick-serves moving forward. McDonald’s dove full in with its policy in December. The company introduced a broad policy to reduce the overall use of antibiotics important to human health, as defined by the World Health Organization, which applies across 85 percent of McDonald’s global beef supply chain. The complex undertaking will take McDonald’s two years to even decide how much of the antibiotics important to human health it will be able to remove from beef.

Shortly after, Wendy’s said it would make changes to its practices to move toward a more sustainably sourced food supply chain. The brand partnered with the Progressive Beef program, an innovative animal care and sustainability program that is built on industry-leading best practices and third-party verification, to oversee and improve its beef program from beginning to end. This partnership will allow Wendy’s to improve practices in its beef supply chain from the way cattle is raised and cared for to overall sustainability, it said.

Improve recycling efforts, one cup at a time

Taco Bell recently rolled out recyclable cold cups and lids in all of its U.S. restaurants, which account for more than 95 percent of its drinks sold. Taco Bell said it is committed to making 100 percent of its restaurant cups recyclable by 2021, with help from its partners at the NextGen Cup Consortium Challenge.

In 2017, Taco Bell said it would remove XL soda cups (it did so). It also met past goals to use only cage-free eggs across its menu, and serve chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine.

Be even easier and better for vegetarians and flexitarians

We touched on this note earlier. The idea of a dedicated vegetarian menu at Taco Bell, however, is really an interesting development to track. It’s the type of change that won’t be for every fast-food player, but it’s likely to be copied and envied by many.

Not make consumers choose between affordability and craveability

This is related to the earlier value change. Taco Bell said it has “fans covered for every meal with value that is truly beyond belief. At the same time, Taco bell will continue to offer incredible, abundant value beautifully boxed at just $5.”

Earlier in the year, YUM! CEO Greg Creed said, “I think the product innovation continues to be world class. I still believe that there's no better product innovation that comes out—that doesn't come out from Taco Bell.”

“Taco Bell's ability to innovate and elevate around both their marketing and products highlights the fact that the brand proudly stands in a category of one,” he added. Taco Bell’s movie trailer theme marketing campaign around Nacho Fries and its apparel line with Forever 21 were two standouts.