From spiralised ‘courgetti’ to butternut squash waffles, there’s lots of new ways in which customers can up their veg consumption easily and enjoyably.
We know our customers want to stay healthy by eating more vegetables. So we’ve helped out by launching innovative ‘pre-prepped’ products and promoting new ways to try veg.
Proving popular with people who want to eat more veg, courgetti has also invigorated fresh courgette sales. They rose 12% in 2016/17, with sales of other vegetables also on the up.
Other successful 2016 launches included butternut squash noodles – or ‘boodles’ – and sweet potato fries. And we added to the range in January 2017 with newcomers such as butternut squash waffles (‘squaffles’) and sweet potato tagliatelle.
Meanwhile, our new ‘broccoli rice’, which joins ‘cauliflower rice’ as a rice alternative, not only tastes great, but helps us reduce food waste too.
“Getting creative with veg has really resonated with customers seeking a healthier diet”
Georgina Lunn
Sainsbury’s Product Developer for Fresh Produce
These pre-prepared vegetables are a great way to help customers to get their five portions of fruit and veg a day in a convenient and delicious way.
New ways to enjoy veg
We’re also encouraging customers to try new ways to enjoy veg, both through preparing them themselves and by trying new varieties.
For example, in our Wandsworth store in south-west London, we hosted a pop up ‘Vegetable Butcher’ counter. Here, veg expert Amber Locke prepared vegetables for customers with different techniques – showing how to ribbon-cut, spiralise, wave-cut, julienne (cut in strips) or slice with a mandoline.
As well as classic veg such as carrots or cucumbers, the Vegetable Butcher event inspired customers to try alternatives such as beetroot and celeriac. It also showed how to use more of the veg – so-called ‘root to tip’ eating – to help reduce food waste.