ROCHESTER, NY – Americans are really big snackers, multiple studies of eating patterns show. The NPD Group, which conducts research for business on behavior trends, estimates the typical American eats more than 1,000 snacks a year. Another research organization, The Hartman Group, says snacking now accounts for 53% of all “eating occasions” in the U.S. Folks at Wegmans Food Markets reasoned that with all that snacking going on, the time was right to introduce “Fresh Cut Snacks.” They arrive in all Wegmans stores for the Back-to-School season.
Every day, the culinary team at each store puts together snacks that kids and grownups love – freshly washed and cut fruits and vegetables, healthy dips like hummus, delicious whole-grain crackers, and protein for staying power. It’s “just one more way we’re helping busy families find healthier choices when time is short and the next meal seems far away,” a spread in the upcoming fall issue of Wegmans Menu Magazine notes.
“Our people and our customers often tell us that healthy eating is important, but they struggle with finding the time to plan and prepare fresh, healthy choices,” says Tom Colopietro, category merchant at Wegmans. “We’re learning that for many customers, ready in a few minutes isn’t fast enough. What they’re really looking for is something that’s healthy, tastes good, and is ready to eat right away."
A Wegmans culinary team led by Eric Wendorff, corporate operations executive chef, started working up combos in the test kitchen. “We focused on taste appeal and texture contrasts – crunchy versus smooth and creamy, chewy versus silky soft. Our people also tweeted customers to find out about their favorite snack ideas. Then we took the ideas to the nutrition team at Wegmans, which offered a few tweaks to boost the nutritional values.”
The “Fresh Cut Snacks” are now available at checkout lanes near the Market Café in combinations like these:
- Cut carrots and hummus dip, with organic turkey strips and whole-grain crackers
- Raw veggies (like carrot, bell pepper and jicama sticks and snap peas) plus roasted red pepper hummus dip
- Carrot and celery sticks and hummus dip
- Apple slices and celery sticks, with organic peanut butter and whole grain rice cakes
- Mixed fresh fruit cup – berries, pineapple, cantaloupe and honeydew melon
- Blueberry Greek Yogurt Parfait
- Mixed dried fruit and nut cups
“All of the snacks are quick ways to add healthy fuel to your tank when it’s running low and your next meal is an hour or two away,” Colopietro says. “They’re priced at $4 or less each, and have a calorie range of 280 to 520 calories. Several are made with no gluten ingredients and feature organic items.”
When might they come in handy? Here are some possibilities:
- After-school snack, ready to eat when the kids get home
- Mini-meal before team practice or a game
- Quick bite for fans in the bleachers
- Light meal before an after-work meeting or evening activity
- Snacks for road trips or travel
Since “Fresh Cut Snacks” were introduced at the Pittsford store a few months ago, says Wendorff, customers have been snapping them up. When school opens again in the fall, he says, the pace for many families will quicken. “The rush to get everybody where they need to go sometimes leaves too little time for a sit-down meal, and not much time for washing and cutting up vegetables, either. So we’ve done the planning and prep with these new fresh snacks – they’re grab-and-go easy.”
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is an 81-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 16 consecutive years. In 2013, Wegmans ranked #5 on the list.
Source: Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
