Eat Smart’s Plant Powered Protein Salad Kits Poised to Drive Growth in the Single-Serve Salad Kit Category

New federal dietary guidelines recommending less meat, and the ongoing consumer quest for healthy meal options, are driving retail sales of alternative protein sources.  Apio is debuting three new single serve Plant-Powered Protein Salad Kits - BBQ Ranch, Super Caesar and Yogurt Curry - available in June from Eat Smart. Each single serve salad kit contains at least 13 grams of protein per serving - equivalent to salads with meat - and 40% or more of the recommended daily value of fiber, company officials say. “Dieticians and chefs are leading the trend toward additive nutrition - the practice of powering up meals with more nutritious choices,” says Anne Byerly, Apio’s vice president of marketing. “Eat Smart’s new Plant Powered Protein salad kits are the perfect solution for consumers looking for innovative, convenient, and healthy eating options that are easy to integrate into their busy lives.” Single-serve, ready-to-eat salads kit sales are up 22% over a year ago, officials say. Eat Smart’s Plant Powered Protein single serve salad kits are the first to offer a range of highly nutritious and complex vegetable blends with delicious plant protein toppings, officials for Apio add. BBQ Ranch combines julienned cauliflower, red cabbage, savoy cabbage, kale, and carrots, with chia seeds, roasted soy nuts, slivered almonds, and crunchy freeze-dried corn topped with a tangy BBQ Ranch dressing; it contains no preservatives and is gluten-free.  The Super Caesar kit offers a non-traditional take on the No. 1 selling packaged salad kit flavor at retail.  It blends nutritionally packed collard greens, Italian kale, red chard, broccoli stalk, and savoy cabbage with chia seeds, sunflower seeds, dried roasted edamame, parmesan cheese, and a classic Caesar dressing.  The Yogurt Curry salad kit infuses a popular trend in ethnic inspired cuisine with the nutritional benefits of hearty vegetables and plant proteins.  The kits features julienned cauliflower, kale, carrots, multicolor kale, and green cabbage along with chia seeds, roasted chickpeas, slivered almonds, golden raisins, and a unique Yogurt Curry dressing. The Plant Powered Protein salad kits join Eat Smart’s line of chef-inspired Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits, which offer sophisticated blends of superfoods. The popular Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad Kit is the best-selling kale salad kit in the country, officials add. The Wild Greens & Quinoa Vegetable Salad Kit and the Beets & Greens Vegetable Salad Kit round out this fast-growing salad kit line.