Nutritional Knockouts

From superfruits to mighty spuds, supermarkets are promoting produce as ingredients for better health.

Topping the list of New Year's resolutions for 2012 is — you guessed it — weight loss.

According to the University of Scranton's Journal of Clinical Psychology, "losing weight" was the most cited goal for this year, while "staying fit and healthy" also made the top five.

The gauntlet has been thrown down, but will we achieve our goals? Only 64 percent of people who make New Year's resolutions maintain them past one month, and only 46 percent make it past six months, the Journal notes.

That's where retailers come in. Supermarkets across the country are leading the way to better nutrition with marketing and promotions that spotlight healthful eating and position produce as the core of a better-for-you diet. Increasingly, they're also educating customers about the specific nutrients that can be derived from everything from potatoes to berries to apples.

Circulating Healthy Sales

Through an informal review of more than a dozen supermarket circulars released in January 2012 by chains around the country, PG found that healthy eating habits and nutrient-packed produce were major New Year themes.

Big Y supermarkets, for example, advertised Driscoll's Blueberries with copy that read: "Go Blue! The antioxidant punch comes from their color!" The same weekly ad from the Springfield, Mass-based chain also plugged Driscoll's Premium Strawberries with the caption: "Contains folate, an important nutrient for women of childbearing age."

The headline of a January circular from the Hen House Market, a Kansas City, Kan.-based supermarket chain, exclaimed: "A Healthy Start to a New Year!" Below that banner, featured items included dark Chilean cherries, blueberries and orange juice. On the same page, Hen House touted its impressive menu of in-store nutrition-oriented services. From private nutrition consultation with a registered dietitian to healthy-heart nutrition consultation, Hen House is positioning itself as a resource for fresh produce and good health.

Bristol Farms, based in Carson, Calif., promoted "A Berry Sweet Sale!" in a January circular for its Rolling Hills location. Juicy blueberry and strawberry images were accompanied by this copy: "While Mom always recommended giving those extra servings of fruits and vegetables, she probably wasn't aware of all the health benefits packed into those nutrient-dense pieces of produce."

Berried Treasure

February is American Heart Month, so what better time to continue the power-of-produce messaging? Take berries, which have been making headlines for their health benefits for some time now. The Chilean Blueberry Committee recently proclaimed blueberries a "superfood." Citing leading nutrition experts, the committee notes that blueberries are purported to improve brain function, prevent Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.

With the ink on our New Year's resolutions barely dry, winter is an ideal time to promote berries as a sensible dessert. "At this time of the year specifically, many consumers are focused on health and dieting after the holidays," notes Cindy Jewell, director of marketing for California Giant Berry Farms in Watsonville, Calif. "This is a great time to promote berries as a sweet treat that won't add pounds. Berries are extremely healthy but also have few calories, and are fat-free and cholesterol-free."

Of course, with Valentine's Day around the corner, many supermarkets will promote their stem-on strawberries in dramatic displays. "Consumers buy with their eyes, and berries are definitely considered an impulse purchase, so in-store merchandising is key to building sales.

Keep displays stocked and offer a variety of color within your berry display with bright reds and dark blues," Jewell says, adding that refrigerated displays are the best way to maintain freshness and flavor.

In Starch Contrast

When it comes to promoting the health benefits of particular SKUs in your produce department, potatoes may not leap to mind as a nutritional slam-dunk, but these affordable, potassium-rich dynamos deserve a second look.

"As we all know, there has been a misconception in the past that potatoes weren't good for you. Well, that has gone away," says Seth Pemsler, VP of retail/international for the Eagle, Idaho-based Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). After all, he continues, the average potato is just 110 calories, is high in potassium and calcium, and is fat- and cholesterol-free.

Last September, white potatoes were named the largest and most affordable source of potassium per serving of any vegetable or fruit by researchers at the University of Washington, whose study was funded by the Denver-based United States Potato Board (USPB). Soon after, the publication EveryDay with Rachael Ray proclaimed potatoes a "seasonal superfood," pointing to the fact that one potato has more potassium than a banana.

While it seems that potatoes are finally getting their nutritional due, Pemsler says the progress hasn't been without considerable effort. "Part of it has to do with the heavy investment we've made in TV advertising, for the last almost eight years, to combat the carb backlash that was primarily the result of the popular Atkins diet," he explains. The IPC, he adds, has spent $20 million in predominantly TV advertising, and another $5 million in PR focused on the nutritional value of the potato.

"Everyone in the industry has been focused on the nutrition message," says Chris Voigt, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission in Moses Lake. For Voigt, the plight of the potato has been both personal and professional. Last year, he went on a 60-day potato-only diet to prove to the world that potatoes are healthful. By the end of the diet, his cholesterol had dropped 67 points, his blood sugar came down 10 percent and he had lost 21 pounds.

"The diet got a lot of attention," reveals Voigt, who did more than 300 national and international interviews following his potato-only eating plan. While Voigt limited himself to seasonings that didn't add significant calories to his potato diet, he admits that most consumers are looking for more creative ways to prepare potatoes.

Recipes for Success

"As we look at the focus group work in the potato industry, consumers consistently say that what would really make them buy more potatoes is recipes," Voigt says.

The USPB agrees. It recently launched an expanded and upgraded recipe database that allows users to search by course, potato type, preparation method, protein type, cuisine and specialty requirements like gluten-free and kid-friendly. "Research shows that giving shoppers new ideas for cooking with potatoes is key to increasing sales," asserts Don Ladhoff, USPB's retail program consultant. "And recipes are the currency we need to use in that transaction."

In addition to the newly revamped recipe function on its www. potatogoodness.com website, the USPB has also introduced a recipe-of-the-week e-mail program for consumers. "The number of subscribers has climbed every week since we started," Ladhoff says, adding that many retailers have expressed interest in linking to the site.

The Color of Potato

The news surrounding potatoes is largely favorable. "The positive perception of potatoes is growing," says Don Ladhoff of the Denver-based United States Potato Board (USPB), "and the negative misconceptions — they are a fattening food, they are hard to prepare, etc. — have fallen significantly in the past six or seven years."

As russets represent some two-thirds of the volume of potato sales at retail, nutritional debates typically center on white potatoes. However, a rainbow of potatoes is now offering fresh sales opportunities for retailers in search of the proverbial pot of gold.

A little more than a year ago, the USPB conducted a study that suggested one of the best ways to increase sales of white potatoes was to promote a wide variety of spuds, including colorful ones. "The study showed that consumers who regularly use different types of potatoes consume more potatoes overall," Ladhoff notes.

In response, the USPB launched its "Seven Days, Seven Ways" program to encourage consumers to try a different kind of potato every day of the week. Today, Ladhoff notes, reds are showing "slight growth," yellow potatoes are showing "dramatic growth," and purple and petite varieties are showing "big growth over a small base."

When it comes to potatoes, Frieda's Specialty Produce in Los Alamitos, Calif., is true to its name, placing its emphasis on lesser-known and gourmet varieties. "The category remains strong, even during these times of economic strain," says Communications Coordinator Alex Jackson. Consumers have become more adventurous with their spuds. As a result, "the 'gourmet' appeal of these packaged SKUs often becomes an impulse buy as shoppers pass by the potato display," she asserts.

An Apple a Day

Since they've long been celebrated for keeping the doctor away, what would a discussion of heart-healthy produce be without mention of almighty apples? The fruit has been associated with everything from lowering the risk for developing heart disease to lowering cholesterol to assisting in the defense against osteoporosis.

Like potatoes, apple sales benefit from variety. Consumers are enticed to buy more apples when seasonal varieties are in full bloom, and as suppliers continue to introduce new and alluring varieties, the sales potential for this category is unlimited.

Selah, Wash.-based Rainier Fruit Co. has specifically been growing apple varieties with long-term storage characteristics. Its Lady Alice apple, for example, is said to actually improve in flavor during storage. Director of Marketing Suzanne Wolter explains that as the starches settle in the apples, the subtle flavor complexity is enhanced. "Additionally, as regional varieties sell out, retail space is opened up for new, exciting varieties," she says, adding that Rainier offers a host of supporting retail materials to accompany the Lady Alice, now in its fifth season.

Another new variety attracting consumers is the Piñata apple. A cross between two heirloom varieties — Cox's Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg — the Piñata, from Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee, Wash., has just entered its third season in the market. While consumers tend to gravitate to apple varieties they already know well, Stemilt Marketing Director Roger Pepperl says a SKU rationalization strategy for apples is critical to growing the category.

"There's only so much square footage and room for so many SKUs in the store," he says. "Allocate the most space to the most popular apple varieties, and then allow new varieties to develop a following on a seasonal basis."

Pepperl suggests that produce managers develop a calendar for these new varieties of apples, so your selection is always fresh and changing, and you don't risk cannibalizing existing sales with too many choices. Finally, Pepperl recommends promoting new apple varieties a minimum of two times during a seasonal cycle, with the first promotion running shortly after the product's arrival in the store.

Red Hot(house) Promotion

With food's famed reputation as potent aphrodisiac, the produce department is ripe for appealing Valentine's Day promotions that combine French in trigue, hot vegetables and heart health, such as a dramatic display of pommes d'amour, which is certain to catch the eye of seasonal-minded shoppers.

In France, the romantic moniker for pommes d'amour translates to "apples of love," better known as tomatoes, which have been steadily earning accolades from nutrition experts for being a rich source of dietary lycopene. An abundant source of vitamins C and A, tomatoes are also linked to lower risks of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Aggressive retailers would thus be wise to turn up the heat on one of the best sources of gorgeous red tomatoes in February: the hothouse variety.

"With green-house-grown, we can really offer a product with more consistent quality and production 365 days a year," notes Helen Aquino, marketing manager for Eatontown, N.J.-based Village Farms.

Not only are these tomatoes good for the body, they're also better for the environment, says Aquino, who explains that using hydroponics to greenhouse-grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers has allowed Village Farms to practice integrated pest management, a program that uses beneficial insects to eliminate pests and stimulate healthy plant growth. She further notes that hydroponic growing uses less water than field growing, as Village Farms recycles water, sterilizes it and then delivers it directly to the root of the plant.

What's more, Village Farms hot-house tomatoes are grown without soil, and instead are rooted in reusable coconut fiber, a sustainable byproduct of coconut production. This naturally eliminates challenges such as depletion of soil nutrients and soil erosion.

As for your hothouse tomato V-Day promotion, you've got a love story that blends delicious produce, heart health and a happy environment.

"This is a great time to promote berries as a sweet treat that won't add pounds.

—Cindy Jewell, California Giant Berry Farms

"As we all know, there has been a misconception in the past that potatoes weren't good for you. Well, that has gone away."

—Seth Pemsler, Idaho Potato Commission

"Everyone in the industry has been focused on the nutrition message."

—Chris Voigt, Washington State Potato Commission