What is in this article?:
- Get functional in your deli
- Health-smart ingredients to look for
Kantha Shelke, PhD, food scientist and principal of Corvus Blue suggests several functional food ingredients to serve in your deli, bakery or juice bar, from grains, seeds and beans to yogurt, cocoa and pure maple syrup.
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Delis, bakeries and juice bars can be an oasis of options for consumers who want to introduce healthy and functional foods into their diets without investing too much time or money. As the nation increasingly focuses on getting healthier and more crossover consumers enter your doors looking to address various nutritional concerns, now is the time to attract shoppers to your store by advertising your foodservice’s functional ingredient quotient.
Punch up your FIQ by highlighting the nutritional value of ingredients in various prepared food items, such as calcium-rich kale, omega 3–infused tuna and low glycemic–index agave or coconut sugar. You can also change the names of dishes to showcase their high nutrient profiles. Your deli case should lure customers with offerings such as antioxidant-rich superfruit salad, calcium-rich greens or whole-grain brown rice.
For those looking for foods that address specific health concerns, well-stocked deli and bakery cases with healthy reminders tell shoppers that your store cares about their well-being. That’s a great way to set your store apart from mainstream groceries.
The following ingredients can serve as beacons for consumers looking for foods that promote gut, heart, brain, bone and nervous-system health; boost immunity; and fight diabetes and obesity.