Food and Health Trends Drive Demand for Root Vegetables

Retailers can meet the growing demand by stocking a variety of colorful roots in their wet veg sets

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (February 2016) – Health conscious shoppers and trend-chasing foodies are driving the vegetable-centric menu trends, and they are looking for a greater variety of root vegetables to add nutrients, color, texture, and flavor to their dishes. Retailers should ready their wet veg sets to take full advantage of this growing demand by building a beautiful display to showcase the wide selection and brilliant colors that can be found in root vegetables, from specialty carrots to radishes, parsnips, and beets.

The rising stars of the radish world are multi-colored Easter egg and French breakfast varieties, as well as Asian flair daikon and beautiful watermelon radishes. For roots with tops, occasional long truck rides can cause wilted or yellowing green tops. With food waste reduction top of mind, Frieda’s Specialty Produce has worked with its retail partners on trimming yellow tops or soaking the greens to revive them instead of rejecting product.

Over in your fresh beet display, shoppers continue to find ways to add these nutritious and colorful roots to every meal. Make sure to always have multiple varieties on hand, like red, gold, and striped (chioggia) beets.

In the “ugly duckling” category are roots like jicama, celery root, parsnip, kohlrabi, and Sunchokes®. These humble roots do not win any beauty contests, but shoppers in the know will be looking for them. In the wintertime, consumers can roast these vegetables, and in spring and summer, they are added to salads. Attract shoppers to the “beauty within” with big, bold, colorful signage.

Interested retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice distributors who carrot all about food trends should contact Frieda’s to keep their wet racks well stocked, to find out more information, and to gain access to Frieda’s extensive product information, high resolution images, and recipe database.

About Frieda’s Inc.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrates a 53-year legacy of inspiring new food experiences for friends, family, and food lovers everywhere. Credited with introducing more than 200 specialty fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets, Frieda’s has helped launch unique items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Sangria artichokes, habanero peppers, Sunchokes®, and organic finger limes. Founded in 1962 by produce industry icon Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is now owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins in Orange County, California. Inspire. Taste. Love.