Valencia, CA – Sunkist Growers, the 127-year-old citrus cooperative, launched the #MySunkistTable campaign on social media to encourage healthy eating habits. Registered dietitians joined the #MySunkistTable conversation to educate consumers on the nutritious benefits of citrus and the different ways to bring fresh fruit to the table.
According to Information Resources Inc. (IRI) data, produce sales are up as shoppers balance pantry staples with fresh ingredients for meal preparation. “As consumers are social distancing, we’re seeing significant changes in shopper behavior and consumer eating habits,” said Cassie Howard, Director of Category Management at Sunkist Growers. “The IRI data also shows that people are reducing their number of trips to the store, doing more weekday shopping, and making more meals from scratch.”
With citrus season in full swing, Sunkist is sharing new recipes, including orange almond ricotta toast, Moroccan chickpea citrus salad, and Cara Cara orange cardamom skillet pancake. According to the National Institute of Health, “Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin C, and vitamin C plays an important role in immune function.” For example, one Cara Cara orange offers 100 percent of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C.
“The latest IRI data shows that oranges are up 60 percent versus a year ago,” said Christina Ward, Director of Global Brand Marketing. “Health and wellness are on top of everyone’s minds, and consumers are extra focused on vitamin C and fresh foods that have some shelf stability. When refrigerated and stored properly, fresh citrus can last up to four weeks, providing consumers with even more versatile options.”
To inspire new healthy habits, Sunkist encourages consumers to bring fresh citrus to the table by sharing their healthy citrus creations over social media using #MySunkistTable and tagging @SunkistCitrus on Instagram. Citrus can be zested, charred, preserved, added to spring mix salads, blended into smoothies, squeezed for fresh juice, cut into wedges and dipped in sugar-free chocolate, infused into water, and so much more.
For more Sunkist recipes, visit sunkist.com/recipes.
###
Sunkist Growers is a citrus marketing cooperative, founded in 1893, which is owned by and operated for thousands of family farmers growing citrus in California and Arizona. For more information, visit, www.sunkist.com.
