Kroger’s ‘Our Brands’ developers curate 5 food trends for 2020
Picking the brains of the chefs, food experts and product developers behind its roster of store brands like Simple Truth, Kroger and Private Selection, Kroger released a list of food trend predictions for the year ahead and debuted a new podcast called “Noshtalgia.”
The company said the food predictions reinforce the company’s mission to provide fresh foods and innovative store brands for its shoppers and to be “Fresh for Everyone,” as its new tagline proclaims.
Cookbook author and TV personality Danielle Kartes will host the "Noshtalgia" podcast — which is available through Apple and Google podcasts and streaming on Kroger.com — is meant to offer a unique way to provide content around Kroger's "Fresh for Everyone" messaging. The podcast site also has links to buy ingredients for the salad on Kroger.com, highlighting store brands and national brands.
In the debut episode, Kartes speaks with a Kroger customer about a comforting dish she had growing up, her grandfather’s Waldorf salad, and speaks with a Kroger chef at the company's culinary center about how to make this version of the Waldorf salad.
The podcast is the embodiment of Kroger’s first food trend of five that the Our Brands team curated. The trends are:
NOWstalgia
Kroger highlighted consumers' interest in foods and flavors that hearken back to childhood memories. A case in point is the Kroger shopper in the podcast reminiscing about her grandfather’s Waldorf salad.
Along with the trend, Kroger recommended products from its Our Brands list that embody it, including Kroger Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream, Kroger Black Cherry Root Beer Float Ice Cream, Kroger Edible Cookie Dough, Private Selection Mac & Cheese Sauces, Simple Truth PB&J Bites, Simple Truth Orange Cream Seltzer Water and Kroger Mini Alphabet Cookies.
Food as medicine
This encompasses products that promote wellbeing and help customers manage conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. To further support this, Kroger Health is testing a food prescription service that a primary care physician would recommend to a patient to receive customized advice on nutrition and foods healthy for that patient. The “prescription” of recommended foods gets filled out at the Kroger store.
Store brand products curated for this trend include: Simple Truth Raw Almonds, Simple Truth Freeze Dried Strawberries, Simple Truth Organic Cold Pressed Juice, Private Selection Protein Pancake Mix, Private Selection Frozen Edamame, Kroger Prepped Spaghetti Squash, Kroger Probiotic Dried Berries and Kroger Adorbs Easy Peel Mandarins.
Flexitarian foods
This encompasses healthier foods that don’t go all-in on the vegan lifestyle but flex between plant-based, vegan and healthy foods. Kroger’s Simple Truth Plant Based line and Emerge plant-based patties and grind supports this trend.
Curated items: Simple Truth Plant Based Chocolate Chip Cookies, Simple Truth Organic Oat Milk, Simple Truth Organic Plant-Based Sour Cream, French Onion Dip, Cream Cheese, Butter, Bolognese Sauce and Alfredo Sauce.
Global flavors
Focusing on foods and flavors that reflect tastes and styles from around the world, this trend is fueled by the millennial generation, which likes to travel. Kroger said millennials expect to take five trips a year, with an emphasis on international travel.
Curated private brand products: Private Selection simmer sauces inspired by India, Malaysia and Morocco, Private Selection Filipino Pork Lumpia Spring Rolls, Private Selection Peruvian Aji Amarillo Hot Sauce, Private Selection Korean Inspired Gochujang Wing Sauce and Kroger Cuban Sandwich Kettle Chips.
Food for good
Similar to the other trends around wellness and healthy eating, these foods support sustainability and a socially conscious consumer.
Recommended items include: Fair Trade Certified Simple Truth Organic Cold Brew Vanilla Arabica Coffee, Simple Truth Organic Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Croquant Bar, Simple Truth Organic Sea Salt & Toffee Almonds, Simple Truth Organic Chamomile Lemon Tea, Simple Truth Organic Cane Sugar, Simple Truth Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Simple Truth Organic Coconut Water.