Del Monte has launched its new Fruit and Veggie Fusions, a blend of fruit in a lightly sweetened vegetable and fruit juice that equals one combined serving of fruit and vegetables in each cup, to help children get back to school in a healthy way.
Ideal for school lunchboxes, the fruit cups are designed to nourish and energise so kids can go above and beyond in all of their school pursuits.
A 2014 report from the Centers for Disease Control shared some good news with an increase in the amount of whole fruit being consumed by US children aged 2-18. However the total amount of fruit consumed is still low and vegetable consumption was also low, and has not seen an increase in recent years.
'As parents work to increase the amount of healthy meals and snacks their families enjoy they are looking for clever solutions,' said Neeta Pramanik, associate product manager for Del Monte Fruit Cup Snacks. 'Del Monte is already a trusted brand for lunchboxes and after school snacks, so we are excited to offer Del Monte Fruit and Veggie Fusions as an innovative solution that is the perfect sidekick to accompany little superheros through their busy days. It has the goodness of veg with the yumminess of fruit for a snack that both parents and kids can love.'
The cups come in three flavours – Peach Mango, Apple Pear Watermelon, Cherry Fruit Trio – and contain no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial flavours or sweeteners.
Meanwhile, the Dole Nutrition Institute, the nutritional research and education arm of the Dole Food Company, has created and filled the new position of Director of Culinary Nutrition as part of a long-range plan to expand the culinary-focused educational offerings at its nutritional research facility at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, near Charlotte.
Mark William Allison, former dean of culinary arts at the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute and the Charlotte campus of Johnson and Wales University, will leverage his culinary education experience to equip the next generation of chefs, dietitians, retailers, social influencers and food and medical industry professionals with the recipes and other resources they need to make long-term improvements to America’s nutritional health.
