Side Delights® Promotes Food as Medicine and Plant-Based Eating Trends
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - As plant-based food trends continue and retail potato sales top $11 billion in 2018, Side Delights®, the popular potato brand is offering consumers healthy and convenient new menu options, supporting the growing Food as Medicine and plant-based food movement in an effort to combat or cut off chronic illness.
“Shoppers are looking for ways to integrate more plant-based foods into their diets as they become increasingly aware of the health benefits,” said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “With our growing recipe database and partnerships with consumer-favorite food bloggers, the partners of Fresh Solutions Network, exclusive suppliers of Side Delights brand of fresh potatoes, [are] providing extra value to its retail customers by driving consumers in-store for plant-based food ingredients that are flavorful, easy-to-prepare, and on-trend.”
According to the company’s press release, Side Delights’ fresh potato lines are a naturally plant-based, healthy, and flavorful option. The brand’s value-added kits offer gourmet, convenient, and organic eating experience, as do its fresh-cut and bagged potatoes.
Side Delights noted that plant-based eating and Food as Medicine trends are making an impact at the store level, with a 20 percent growth increase in plant-based food at retail and plant-based foods dollar sales outpacing dollar sales of all retail foods as much as ten times over. The popularity of the potato, with its versatility and compatibility with other plant-based foods, is also growing, with total retail potato sales reaching a value of $11.6 billion in 2018, an increase of 2.1 percent over 2017.
And the company noted, while nutritionists and medical professionals have been embracing the concept for decades, the concept of Food as Medicine gained national attention last year as House lawmakers created a “Food is Medicine” working group, dedicated to improve health and reduce chronic disease. In December, the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill brought about provisions for healthier eating including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which included expansion of the fruit and vegetable subsidy program to $250 million, and a new $25 million Produce Prescription Program.
For more on Side Delights and other healthy and convenient offerings in fresh produce, keep reading Deli Market News.
