Organic leader brings power, balance and energy to the salad category

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, Calif. (March 1 , 2011) — On the heels of the USDA’s recently released “Dietary Guidelines for Americans-2010,” which advises Americans to eat more nutrient-dense foods and to “increase whole grain intake” daily, there is now a healthy, ultra-convenient and organic solution in the salad category.  Earthbound Farm, the leading organic produce brand, has introduced a new line of naturally nutrient-dense and all-organic salad kits chock-full of vegetables, whole grains, plant-based protein, and flavor.  The three introductory Earthbound Farm Lifestyle Salad Kits — Whole Power, Fresh Balance and Mighty Energy — will be featured at Natural Products Expo West 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center, March 11-13, in booth 2420.

Each Earthbound Farm Lifestyle Salad Kit contains 410 or fewer calories while delivering on its packaging promise with one cup of certified organic vegetables and generous portions of organic whole grains and fiber-rich plant-based protein.

Earthbound Farm’s ready-to-eat Lifestyle Salad Kits provide flavorful organic options for time-starved consumers to conveniently increase their daily intake of vegetables, the antioxidant vitamin A, and fiber. According to the American Dietetic Association, the average American eats only 12 to 18 grams of fiber a day, well below the 20 to 35 grams recommended by the ADA, which also suggests that fiber intake come from a variety of plant foods. According to the Mayo Clinic, the benefits of fiber in one’s diet include lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes, improving bowel health and aiding weight loss.

Earthbound Farm’s Whole Power lifestyle kit provides 7 grams of fiber, and the Fresh Balance and Mighty Energy lifestyle kits provide 6 grams of fiber each.

Packaged in eco-friendly post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET clamshells, the Lifestyle Salad Kits contain individually wrapped ingredients in easy-to-open pouches that minimize preparation time and maximize freshness while enabling individuals to add the amount of dressings and toppings they prefer:

• Fresh Balance Lifestyle Salad Kit (7.25 ounces) includes organic baby spinach and quinoa (the only complete protein in the plant world) with sunflower kernels, dried blueberries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sea salt. Contains 9 grams protein and 6 grams fiber. 410 calories. Gluten-free.

• Whole Power Lifestyle Salad Kit (6.50 ounces) includes organic mixed baby greens, whole-grain bulgur wheat and wheat berries with garbanzo beans, dried cranberries and red wine vinaigrette. Contains 5 grams protein and 7 grams fiber. 350 calories.

• Mighty Energy Lifestyle Salad Kit (6.75 ounces) includes organic baby lettuces and black bean and corn salad with five-seed, stone-ground corn strips and green tomatillo vinaigrette. Contains 6 grams protein and 6 grams fiber. 290 calories. Gluten-free.

“The salad kit category was ripe for innovation and Earthbound Farm is excited to do that with these all-organic on-trend, naturally nutrient-dense salads,  just as American consumers are demonstrating greater interest in healthy eating,” said Craig Hope, Chief Customer Officer for Earthbound Farm. “Earthbound Farm is working to build this category with innovative new products that offer attractive solutions for consumers.” 

Lifestyle Salad Kits are currently available at Whole Foods Markets nationally with a suggested retail price of $5.99 each.

Editor Note:  High-resolution product photos are available upon request by contacting drew@freshideasgroup.com.

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About Earthbound Farm

Earthbound Farm was founded in 1984 when Drew and Myra Goodman started farming organically on a small 2.5 -acre garden with a big commitment to protect the health of the land and those who enjoy its harvest. Today Earthbound Farm’s produce is grown by 150 farmers on 36,000 acres using sustainable farming methods, keeping more than 11 million pounds of conventional agricultural chemicals out of the environment each year. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ebfarm.com.

FAST FACTS ON FIBER

• Dietary fiber plays an important role in digestion. Found in plant foods such as beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and whole-grains, fiber helps to keep food moving through the digestive tract.
• The soluble fiber in foods such as oats, apples and barley dissolves in water and may help to lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar. The insoluble fiber found in leafy salad greens such as spinach and lettuce helps to promote digestive regularity by adding bulk to ease the passage of food through the stomach and intestines.
• Dietary fiber has many potential health benefits: in addition to normalizing bowel function, it may help to improve and prevent constipation and hemorrhoids, as well as to increase satiety. According the Mayo Clinic, a diet high in fiber may help to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
• On average, Americans eat less than half of the 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber recommended by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) for a healthy adult. The ADA recommends that children should consume their age in grams, plus an additional 5g/day (so a 6-year old child would eat 11g/day).
• Earthbound Farm’s Fresh Balance and Mighty Energy Lifestyle Salads contain 6g fiber, while its Whole Power Lifestyle Salad contains 7g per 226g serving.  Quinoa, found in Earthbound Farm’s Fresh Balance Lifestyle Salad, contains approximately 36 percent soluble fiber and 64 percent insoluble fiber[1]. Black beans, such as those found in the Mighty Energy Salad Kit, contain approximately 15g of fiber per cup[2].  

[1] from www.quinoa.net.

[2] From the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582

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