Rollout: April's best new products

Breakfast in a bowl

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so Sara Lee Corp., Downers Grove, Ill., makes it more convenient to prepare with the roll out of Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls, which come in a microwave-ready bowl that can be prepared in 2-3 minutes.

Available in the frozen section, Breakfast Bowls come in three varieties: Sausage & Egg (real scrambled eggs, diced russet potatoes, Jimmy Dean sausage and cheddar cheese); Bacon & Egg (scrambled eggs, diced russet potatoes, Jimmy Dean bacon and cheddar cheese); and Pancakes & Sausage Links (pancakes, Jimmy Dean sausage links and syrup).

“Our Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls have everything you love for breakfast in a quick and convenient package, without any mess or dirty dishes,” says Jim Ruehlmann, vice president, Jimmy Dean.

Suggested retail price is $2.99.

Jerky for ladies

Although jerky is traditionally considered a man’s snack, Minong, Wis.-based Jack Link’s, a leader in the $2+ billion meat snack category, finds females are quickly becoming key consumers of the snack. So they’ve added some softer textures, bite-sized pieces and sweet and savory flavors.

Varieties include: Maple & Brown Sugar Ham Jerky and Maple & Brown Sugar Pork Tender Cuts. Jack Link’s marinade — maple with just a hint of brown sugar — is blended with lean strips of ham and packaged in 3.65-oz. resealable packages, making them a handy choice for the morning commute. Pepperoni Beef Jerky is 97 percent fat-free and is available in convenient grab-and-go 3.65-oz. packages for a snack any time. X-Sticks Beef Jerky is made from genuine beef formed into seasoned, protein-filled strips in .68-oz. packages.

“Adults and moms recognize the strong, healthful attributes of meat snacks as compared to other popular snacks,” notes Bret Ocholik, vice president of marketing. “Our satisfying new snacks are high in protein yet low in carbs, calories and fat.”

Suggested retail price is $5.42 for the bagged products and $1 for X- Sticks.

Magical and nutritious breakfast

Only one in 10 kids gets the recommended daily serving of whole grain and only four in 10 kids get the recommended amount of calcium in their diets, so a breakfast of cereal and milk can help.

Minneapolis-based General Mills and Disney Consumer Products introduce three new Big G cereals: Disney's Little Einsteins Fruity Stars, Disney's Princess Fairytale Flakes (lightly sweetened, crispy pink corn flakes) and Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Berry Crunch, a lightly sweetened, fruit-flavored cereal. All are good sources of whole grains (8g), calcium (10 percent DV) and vitamin D,  and all meet Disney's food guidelines, including limiting the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar for ready-to-eat cereals.

Suggested retail price for each magical variety is $1.99.