July 2005 New Food Rollout

Tasty veggies in a snap

With the focus on the new USDA guidelines, Americans are looking for easy ways to add more vegetables to their meals. McCormick & Co., Hunt Valley, Md., introduces McCormick Veggie Steamers, microwave steamer bags with seasonings for fresh vegetables.They’re available in two varieties: Garlic & Basil and Cheddar Cheese. Just add water and the veggies to the bag and the result is perfectly cooked veggies that retain their flavor, vitamins and freshness -- and are seasoned just right -- in less than eight minutes.Suggested retail price is $1.69.Kraft goes on the beachKraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., is one of the last major manufacturers to come out with a line of carb/weight-conscious foods, but the company did it well. In an alliance with the South Beach Diet and its creator Arthur Agatston, M.D., Kraft developed a South Beach Diet lifestyle product menu – for breakfast (two cereals, five cereal bars) lunch (four sandwich wraps), dinner (eight frozen entrees and four varieties of pizza), and three meal replacement bars for snacking. They make following the diet easy.Entrées include: Mediterranean Style Chicken with Couscous; Garlic Herb Chicken with Green Beans Almondine; Savory Beef with Cheesy Broccoli; Beef & Broccoli with Asian Style Noodles; Savory Pork with Pecans & Green Beans; Penne & Chicken in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce; Caprese Style Chicken with Broccoli & Cauliflower; and Cashew Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas.At the same time, Kraft will recommend existing products that fit into one of the three phases of the diet by featuring a “South Beach Diet Recommended” button on other packages.The entrees and wraps earn good marks from nutrition experts for their relatively high fiber content (3-9 g and 15 g, respectively), but have been criticized by some for containing too much salt (950 mg or more). That might be a consideration for those with heart disease or high blood pressure.“My goal is to help change the way America eats, and these great-tasting nutrient-rich products from Kraft are convenient, making it easier to follow The South Beach Diet — whether for a healthy lifestyle or weight loss,” says Dr. Agatston.Suggested retail price for the entrees is $3.79.

Sub-style sandwiches straight from the microwaveForget about driving to your neighborhood sub shop when you’re craving your favorite sandwich. You can experience sub-style sandwiches with soft baked bread straight from your microwave in just two minutes, thanks to Englewood, Colo.-based Nestlé Prepared Food Co.’s Hand-Held Foods Group.Hot Pockets Subs and Lean Pockets Subs are perfect for lunch (when 51 percent of sandwich consumption occurs) as well as dinner (29 percent) and on-the-go snacking (20 percent). They are slightly larger than the brands’ regular sandwiches, so they will satisfy even the most ravenous appetite.Hot Pockets Subs (11 oz.) are available in four varieties: Meatballs & Mozzarella, Philly Steak & Cheese, Pepperoni Pizza and Ham ’N Cheese. Lean Pockets Subs, with only 7 g of fat (10 oz.) come in three varieties: Meatballs & Low Fat Mozzarella, Philly Steak & Low Fat Cheese, and Pepperoni Pizza with Low Fat Cheese. Each package contains two sub sandwiches.“This is one of our largest and most exciting product launches to date,” says Mike Bloom, director of marketing for the Hot Pockets brand. “They combine our expertise in dough-making with innovative technology, so that our consumers can enjoy the warm, comforting taste of soft-baked bread straight from the microwave in just two minutes.”Suggested retail price is $2.99.Domino out of the bagIt took 50 years, but Domino Sugar, Yonkers, N.Y., took the sugar out of the cumbersome paper bag and put it in a 4-lb. recyclable plastic Granulated Sugar Canister.It has an easy grip handle and looks so good you can keep it right on your kitchen counter for easy access. Wide enough to fit standard measuring cups, you can quickly scoop out what sugar you need and replace the airtight plastic lid.“We’ve heard from so many customers who are tired of the mess caused by sugar spilling out of paper bags,” says Kevin McElvaney, marketing manager. “So we created a new option for them. The new Granulated Canister is so convenient it makes using sugar is simple and spill-free from start to finish.”Suggested retail price for a 4-lb. canister is $2.99.

An apple (juice) a dayRye Brook, N.Y.- based Mott's, a Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB) brand, introduces Mott's Plus for Kids' Health, 100 percent juice fortified with 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, 10 percent vitamin A, and 10 percent calcium.Available in Apple Grape and Apple Punch varieties, Mott's Plus for Kids' Health has no added sugar and is naturally fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in sodium. "Mott's Plus for Kids' Health is a juice with more flavor, more essential nutrients, more kid-appeal and more versatility," says Mott's nutrition consultant Liz Weiss, MS, RD. "Moms can feel good about giving their children Mott's new fortified apple juices as part of an overall healthy diet. And since a glass counts as a fruit serving, it brings children one step closer to meeting their daily fruit serving goals."According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a 6-oz. glass, the equivalent of 3/4 cup of 100 percent apple juice, is considered one fruit serving. The USDA Dietary Guidelines also recommend children between the ages of two and six consume two servings of fruit each day, which, according to Weiss, makes drinking a glass of Mott's Plus for Kids' Health 100 percent juice a simple way to incorporate fruit into a child's diet.Suggested retail price for a 64-oz. bottle is $2.49.Fortified smoothiesGeneral Mills’ Yoplait debuts Yoplait Smoothies, 8-oz. snack-sized smoothies fortified with fiber, calcium and vitamins A and D.Available in Original with three flavors (Strawberry, Strawberry Banana and Mixed Berry) and a Light version with three flavors (Strawberry, Strawberry Banana and Peach) Yoplait Smoothies are a delicious and convenient way to add yogurt to your diet when you are on-the-go.“The adult yogurt beverage segment is growing rapidly,” says marketing manager Jennifer Yorgensen. “According to industry tracking sources, adult beverages spurred yogurt category growth during 2004 at more than a 50-percent rate, and single-serve beverages grew nearly 60 percent.”Suggested retail price is $1.19.