No bones about it; it’s easy to eat

NEW YORK — KFC is stripping out the bones to make it easier for people to eat its chicken.

The fast-food chain is introducing deep-fried boneless chicken pieces on April 14 as an alternative to its traditional breast, thigh and drumstick pieces.

The new offering reflects the growing popularity of nuggets and strips that are easier to eat on the go, as well as Americans’ seemingly endless desire for more convenient foods. KFC says nearly four out of five servings of fried chicken in the U.S. are now boneless.

Based on customer trends, the company says chicken with bones could eventually be pushed off its menu.

The new boneless, skinless pieces are about twice the size of KFC’s crispy strips and come in white or dark meat. Customers can order them for the meal deals, which include two pieces, a side, a biscuit and a drink for $4.99. They also come in buckets, which include four pieces of boneless chicken and six pieces of chicken with bones for $14.99. The boneless chicken option costs the same as the regular fried chicken.

A piece of the boneless white meat has 200 calories and 8 grams of fat. A dark meat piece has 250 calories.