Page 37 - December2018
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PHOTO COURTESY OF MANN PACKING
eat the usual potato- and corn-based cheesy snacks, but le in India, he ate snacks made from peas and lentils. He found them deli- cious, and notes peas and lentils aren’t used in snacks in India because they are healthy, but because they’re cheap.
Peatos are available in four  avors — classic cheese, chili cheese, and vegan  avors  ery hot and masala desai.  e products were launched last year in Southern California, went wide in March, and since May, they’ve been featured in produce sections in Kroger stores.  ey also are available in Walmart produce sections in the Northeast, in Northern California Safeway stores, and many other locations.
Desai says the focus is on  avor and embracing Peatos as junk food but notes they are high in protein,  ber and are non-GMO, with no arti cial  avors, synthetic colors or MSG.
And a big promotion is coming in time for Super Bowl. Peatos will be featured on Dr. Oz in November, and January will o er a buy-two, get-one free option. Desai says the snacks will be in 1,000 more stores before the Big Game.
“We’re going after a very broad audience because they have such a broad appeal,” he says. “When we have Peatos in the store, there are kids who love them and grandpar- ents who say, ‘ is is amazing.’ ”
Dutra notes that Natural Grocers’ customers are looking for healthy spins on their favorite foods. Another growing segment is variations of classics that people with food restrictions, or who are on speci c diets, can enjoy.
“Last year, for example, we featured a Vegan Loaded Nachos with BBQ ‘Pulled Pork’ recipe that was a major hit among our social media fans,” says Dutra. She adds that shoppers stock up on bell peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, cherry and grape tomatoes and cucumbers for crudité platters or other dip options.
destination categories” where shoppers can  nd fresh vegetables, snacking trays, and specialty vegetables with ease. “Destination categories help consumers  nd new and innovative products, and the addition of a healthy snacking section in produce makes it easy for consumers to try healthy snack alter- natives,” he says.
Although promoting the health bene ts of fruits and vegetables is a key to boosting sales in the produce department, Super Bowl promotions also should focus on taste and
convenience.
“Most tailgaters are not necessarily
thinking about healthy food when planning a tailgate party, but more and more are real- izing that all the pre-game fun can still be had without breaking the calorie bank,” says Shafer. “Healthy and fresh-snacking options have never been more popular, and this trend translates to tailgating, as well.”
It all comes down to planning a winning strategy that can lead to championship-level sales. pb
Shafer says retailers should create “healthy
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