Food & Food Equipment News

Vegetables Moving to Center of the Plate

Total menu incidence of vegetables has increased more than 11 percent in the past three years. Not only are these super foods more prevalent in restaurants today, but the most innovative operators are transforming vegetables like eggplant, cauliflower and zucchini into center-of-the-plate options.

"An increase in the price of proteins has given chefs the opportunity to introduce inventive vegetable formats onto the menu," says Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano. "For example, operators have found a variety of uses for kale, and it has grown in total menu incidence by almost 400 percent over the past five years. Additionally, different preparation methods, like roasting Brussels sprouts or caramelizing root vegetables, have had a big influence on the way vegetables are menued."

"Our new Category Close-Up report on vegetables reveals their growing prominence on menus. Increasingly, vegetables are being offered prime real estate on diners' plates," said Kimberly Perman, Senior Manager at Technomic. "No longer reserved for the perimeter, vegetables are featured more often in center-of-plate arrangements and, when done right as sides, are stealing the spotlight from protein-based entrées."

Of particular note is the diverse array of methods operators are using to incorporate vegetables into menus. Opportunities remain for the category to grow:

• More than three-fifths of consumers (64 percent) agree that it is important to eat healthy and pay attention to nutrition, up from 57 percent just three years ago.
• Nearly two-thirds of consumers (65 percent) agree that restaurants can offer healthy food without sacrificing taste. Operators look to key health-halo terms to suggest healthier dishes. For example, 87 percent of consumers believe that fresh foods are healthier. Similarly, 87 percent of consumers say that fresh foods taste better.
• More than nine out of 10 consumers agree that menu items containing a full serving of vegetables are more healthy.

Preview of Fresh Summit Produce Show

Click the image for your first look at Fresh Summit, which will be held on October 19-20 in New Orleans. 

The Power Of Pink: Juice It Up! Unleashes The Dragon With New Pitaya Superfruit

Juice It Up! the nation's largest raw juice bar and hand crafted smoothie franchise have once again added a powerful player to their healthy lifestyle options and offerings. The 82-store chain (who was first to introduce the benefits and flavor of the Acai super fruit) has now announced a new line of bowls and smoothies featuring the colorful and exotic Pitaya fruit, commonly referred to as Dragon Fruit.

Pitaya, (Pee-tah-yah) is native to Mexico, as well as Central and South America and is considered to be a super fruit by many, packed with antioxidants, Omega-3's, Vitamin C and a key source of magnesium. As with the launch of their famous Acai products, Juice It Up! is staying focused on the development of products that support a healthy lifestyle and provide consumers with delicious functional options to improve their overall well-being. 

"We were one of the first to introduce the health benefits of the Acai berry to the public" says Carol Skinner, Senior Director of Marketing for Juice It Up!. "With the addition of our new Pitaya line, and the infusion of the Pitaya super fruit into our smoothies and bowls, we have strengthened our platform of functional, delicious and healthy options for our customers."

The Pitaya fruit will be infused with other natural ingredients and presented in three great new Juice It Up! products; The Pitaya Sunset Smoothie, The Pitaya Passion Bowl and The Tropical Pitaya Bowl, each with its own unique flavor profile and each offering amazing health functionality. The low-sugar, high-fiber superfruit showcases a wealth of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients found to strengthen the immune system, neutralize cancer-forming radicals, improve healing and help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and arthritis.

"It simply is another powerful ingredient in our focus on healthy options for our customers." Says Frank Easterbrook, CEO and President of Juice It Up!. "We are excited to be bringing this amazing fruit into the public eye and making it part of our healthy line up."

The newly developed Pitaya products will be available at all 82 store locations for a limited time from September 1^st through October 30^th. For the nearest Juice It Up! location nearest you, or for more information on Juice It Up! and Juice It Up! products, please visit them on the web at www.juiceitup.com.

Kate Farms Functional Whole Foods Gains National Distribution

Kate Farms, the creator of Komplete Ultimate Shakes — the world's first organic dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free ready-to-drink meal replacement shake — is excited to announce that the first Komplete flavor, Vanilla Bliss, will be present in all 622 of The Vitamin Shoppe locations nationwide as well as online starting yesterday, Sunday, August 18th, 2013. The remaining two Komplete flavors from their flagship line including Cocoa Fudge and Jav'a Latte will be available for purchase at The Vitamin Shoppe and online starting Sunday, September 15th, 2013.

As a former tennis professional and the cousin of world famous tennis legend Rod Laver, Richard Laver and his wife Michelle founded Kate Farms for the sole purpose of their daughter, Kate Laver. At the age of four, Kate was failing to "thrive" and was faced with numerous difficulties. The meal replacement beverage her doctors prescribed was overloaded with sugar and dairy for calorie enhancement. As a result, Kate had many complications, including bottle rot, sleep apnea and digestive problems. The Laver's then decided it was time to take matters into their own hands and started to develop their own hypoallergenic meal replacement shake in their very own kitchen. Together they blended 21 superfoods (including but not limited to acai, mangosteen, black currants, raspberries, green tea extract, etc.) with antioxidants, high plant based proteins and vitamin rich ingredients to fuel the body with the nutrition it needs and removed all the things that the body doesn't need like sugar and dairy. Within weeks Kate's condition improved greatly and she no longer needed breathing treatment for sleep apnea, her digestion problems were a thing of the past and her mouth was once again healthy.

"The Vitamin Shoppe is known for offering health conscious consumers a variety of high quality products and supplements and I'm thrilled that Kate Farms Komplete Ultimate Shakes will now be stocked on their shelves." says Richard Laver, CEO and Founder of Kate Farms. "When I was creating the Komplete formula I dreamed that it would end up in The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements stores worldwide."

Kate Farms Komplete Ultimate Meal Replacement Shakes can also be found and are available for purchase in more than 30 Super Supplements locations as well as many other fine grocery stores and retailers all over the United States. Please visit www.KateFarms.com for additional information and to find a local retailer.

Seattle's Metropolitan Market Celebrates 17th Annual Peach-O-Rama

For the 17th year, Metropolitan Market, Seattle's premier independent grocery store, is bringing measurably sweeter peaches directly from two orchards in Washington and California. Just like the peaches of yesteryear, the juice runs down the chin and off the elbow when eating Peach-O-Rama peaches out of hand.

The quest to find the sweetest peach began in 1995 when CEO Terry Halverson and team were determined to improve the quality of the peaches they sold in their stores.  Halverson explains, "Jon Rowley, who teamed with us on our on Copper River Salmon, was ready to make it happen". It took two years and 2000 miles through West Coast peach country to locate the great peaches and the right growers. Many innovations ensued including a single layer peach box, unrefrigerated storage, special ripening procedures, and a Brix (sugar) standard among others. "We were so excited and impressed with the results of having the best peaches, we had to celebrate with customers, calling it Peach-O-Rama."

In the stores each day, Met Market produce team members measure Brix, or sugar levels, in Peach-O-Rama peaches using a refractometer. By using the handheld device and drizzling a little peach juice on the device, the produce team can immediately determine the level of sweetness.  The higher the Brix level, the more flavorful, aromatic, sweeter and juicier the peach. Metropolitan Markets' minimum Brix standard is 13 and some of the peaches measure 18 or higher. An average grocery chain often sells peaches that measure 11 on the Brix scale.

Customers will discover and taste additional peach treats at the culinary kiosks in each store. Specialty Peach-O-Rama items and preparations include Coy's Fruit Cobbler, Quinn's Peach Salsa, Grilled Peaches with Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Sautéed Peach-O-Rama Chicken, or Frog Hollow peach Chutney. Peach-0-Rama will continue through August and availability can be checked daily here.    

Kendall-Jackson's 17th Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival Set for September 28

The annual Kendall-Jackson® Heirloom Tomato Festival returns on Saturday, September 28, for a one-of-a-kind celebration of Sonoma County's seasonal bounty. Now in its 17th year, the Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival is a full-day event showcasing more than 175 varieties of heirloom tomatoes (grown in the Kendall-Jackson culinary gardens); a chef competition featuring Bravo's Top Chef contenders; and tomato-inspired dishes from nearly 50 prominent wine country and Bay Area restaurants chefs and food purveyors. Guests will also enjoy wine tasting, live music and educational wine and garden seminars.

New this year, Kendall-Jackson will introduce a VIP event package featuring exclusive wine and food pairings and limited production reserve wines poured by the winery's Master Sommelier. The VIP experience also provides additional privileges such as access to a private lounge tent, valet parking and a dedicated entrance to the event. Tickets for this extra special VIP experience are $150 per person.

In addition to wine and food, guests at the 2013 Tomato Festival can discover the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate's recently expanded culinary and sensory gardens. Culinary gardener Tucker Taylor will lead educational tours throughout the day to reveal the captivating garden transformation, including an exploration of the garden's wide variety of organic specialty produce and beautiful design enhancements. For the first time, the event's popular heirloom tomato tasting will take place in the gardens to celebrate just-picked tomatoes fresh from the source. 

General admission tickets for the Heirloom Tomato Festival are $95 for the general public or $50 for wine club members and are available online at www.kj.com. Proceeds benefit Guy Fieri's Cooking with Kids Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that encourages kids to develop healthy eating habits, addresses childhood obesity and works to strengthen families by sharing quality time in the kitchen. The event will be held at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate and Gardens, 5700 Fulton Road, in Fulton, CA, just a few miles north of Santa Rosa.

Restaurant Gardens Sprout From EarthBox Containers

Restaurant gardens are springing up all over the country, thanks to the surging interest in local, sustainable and super-fresh produce. The use of EarthBox container gardens (www.earthbox.com) in particular have allowed restaurant owners to grow produce in unlikely places, including rooftops, patios and parking lots.

Renowned Chef Rick Bayless grows tomatoes, chili peppers and herbs on the rooftop of his restaurants, Frontera Grill, XOCO and Topolobampo, located in a 4-story building north of downtown Chicago on Clark Street. The 60 EarthBoxes in this restaurant garden overflow with fresh produce used in salsa, guacamole, sauces and garnishes.

Garden Manager Bill Shores explains why they went with Earthbox's sub-irrigated planters: "What we like best about EarthBoxes is the straightforward set-up and good trellising system. The boxes have been stored outside for five years and are still in good shape." 

As a vegan restaurant, Scranton, PA's Eden-A Vegan Cafe showcases locally grown produce. For fresh herbs, their chefs need go no further than the EarthBoxes conveniently located on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

Hale Holistic Studio, a San Diego fitness center, serves freshly harvested EarthBox produce in the form organic green smoothies made for clients. Personal trainer Kirk Hensler remarks, "I like to provide people with food that is alive and packed with nutrients, so I usually make smoothies the day I harvest. I think clients can feel the health and vitality of the food, which is especially rewarding after a nice yoga or martial arts practice."

Hale started their EarthBox rooftop garden a year ago, and now grows spinach, kale, rainbow chard, and strawberries, among many other things.

Thanks to container gardening on rooftops and sidewalks, even chefs in urban areas can start their own restaurant gardens to supply patrons with fresh, just-picked flavor. Local food can't get much more local than that!

Fresh & Easy Hitting the Road With Summer Street Fair

Fresh & Easy is spicing up the summer with its Fresh & Easy Street Fair which will be traveling to select locations across California, Arizona, and Nevada through September. The street fair features Fresh & Easy’s first-ever food truck, which will be serving a delicious menu of free items made exclusively with Fresh & Easy products. The menu includes Southwest Chicken Tacos, Spicy Soyrizo Tacos, Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps, Tangy Bleu Cheese Sliders and Mango Carnitas Stuffed Peppers.

Recipes and picnic tables will be available for neighbors to enjoy along with local musical acts and other exciting event features such as:

• "Take It Easy" tent with massage therapists offering free chair massages
• "Meals Made Easy" tent where neighbors can talk to a nutritionist about meal ideas and healthy eating tips
• "Shopping Made Easy" with a Fresh & Easy team member on hand to help customers find all the products needed to recreate the tasty food truck menu options at home

The Fresh & Easy Street Fair will stop at about four stores a week and will be visiting other local events as it tours around. Customers can follow the F&Easy truck on Twitter at @fneasytruck, which will update where it will be daily. Events kick off this week in Los Angeles, schedule below will be updated every week:

July 11 – July 14:                    Los Angeles

• July 11th          Whittier                       13301 Whittier Blvd    4:00pm-8:00pm
• July 12th          Downey                       8320 Firestone Blvd    4:00pm-8:00pm
• July 13th          Norwalk                       10930 Rosecrans Ave  12:00pm-4:00pm
• July 14th          Long Beach                 3300 Atlantic Avenue  12:00pm-4:00pm

 

July 18 – July 21:                    Orange County

• July 18th          Fullerton                      1207 S. Euclid              4:00pm-8:00pm
• July 19th          Orange                         146 S. Main St             4:00pm-8:00pm
• July 20th          Fountain Valley           9380 Warner Ave        12:00pm-4:00pm
• July 21st          Costa Mesa                 3151 Harbor Blvd        12:00pm-4:00pm

 

July 25 – July 28:                 San Diego

August 1 – August 4:             Phoenix

August 8 – August 11:           Las Vegas

August 15 – August 18:         Los Angeles

August 22 – August 25:         Ventura

August 29 – September 1:    Central Coast/Valley

September 5 – September 8: Bay Area

 

Research Suggests Mango Consumption Linked to Improved Diets

The Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences published research linking mango consumption to a better diet quality and nutrition intake in adults and children. This research, funded in part by the National Mango Board (NMB), suggests that consumption of mangos in adults is not only associated with an overall better diet, higher intake of whole fruit and certain nutrients, like dietary fiber and potassium, along with lower body weight and C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation that may be associated with cardiovascular risk.

The study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences suggests that adults who consume mangos tend to have a higher intake of certain nutrients like potassium and dietary fiber than those who do not eat mango, which contributes to a balanced diet. The researchers compared the diets of more than 29,000 children and adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2001 and 2008 and used the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to determine diet quality relative to federal dietary guidance.

The researchers found those that ate mangos scored higher on the HEI than those that did not. Compared to non-mango consumers, mango eaters, on average, had higher intakes of whole fruit, vitamins C, potassium, and dietary fiber (in adults only) while having lower intakes of added-sugars, saturated fat (in adults only) and sodium (in adults only).

Additionally, lower levels of C-reactive protein were found in adult mango-consumers. C-reactive protein is a marker of inflammation and it has been suggested that high levels of it in the blood may be linked to increased risk for heart disease.

"Overall, the results found in this study show that people who consume mangos tended to have better intake of nutrients like potassium, vitamin C and dietary fiber, contributing to better overall diet quality than those who do not," explained Dr. Victor Fulgoni III, of Nutrition Impact, LLC. "This research also underscores the importance helping individuals identify fruits such as mangos that can be readily incorporated into their diets for greater variety."

This research, "Mangoes are Associated with Better Nutrient Intake, Diet Quality, and Levels of Some Cardiovascular Risk Factors: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey," was co-authored by Dr. Carol E. O'Neil of Louisiana State University's Agricultural Center; Dr. Theresa A. Nicklas of USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine; and Dr. Victor Fulgoni of Nutrition Impact. The research was supported with funding from the National Mango Board (NMB) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. NMB supported it with the goal of better understanding the relationship between mangos and healthy diets.

For more information about fresh mango varieties and availability, storage, handling tips, recipes and nutrition, visit www.mango.org.

Gluten-Free Trend Translates to Takeout; GrubHub Identifies Top Cities for Gluten-Free Ordering

With approximately one in three Americans trying to cut back or avoid gluten in their diets, the analysts at GrubHub, a leading online and mobile food ordering service, tracked the trend at U.S. takeout restaurants. An analysis of 2013 GrubHub orders reveals that menu items identified as gluten-free have grown in popularity with diners by nearly 60 percent since April 2012.

To better gauge the demand for gluten-free takeout, analysts examined orders from GrubHub's network of more than 20,000 restaurants in 500+ cities. Findings suggest that diners in the Pacific Northwest lead the demand for gluten-free goodies, with Seattle, Portland and Eugene, Ore., topping the list of cities with the highest percentage of gluten-free orders.

Where Are Diners Going Gluten-Free?

1. Seattle
2. Portland, Ore.
3. Eugene, Ore.
4. San Jose, Calif.
5. Chicago
6. Raleigh, N.C.
7. Denver
8. Minneapolis, Minn.
9. Los Angeles
10. Albany, N.Y.

In addition to identifying the U.S. cities with the highest gluten-free demand, GrubHub analysts determined the most popular gluten-free dishes. More than four percent of GrubHub restaurants now offer gluten-free options, and order data reveals specialty pizzas, salads, burgers, wraps and sandwiches to be the most-ordered gluten-free items.

"Local restaurants are continuing to meet the evolving needs of diners, and takeout is no exception," said Mike Evans, GrubHub co-founder and COO. "Whether our diners are searching for food that meets a dietary restriction, or are craving something very specific, GrubHub offers cuisine filters and smart searches that make it easy to find exactly what they want."