As the trend toward better-for-you menu items continues to grow, consumers—especially millennials—are dropping carbonated, sugary drinks loaded with artificial ingredients and seeking out better beverage options.
Smoothies and juices focusing on vegetable-and-fruit blends are appearing on more menus and in beverage cases—leaving added sugars behind. Green juices and smoothies have seen an especially large bump because the color inspires healthy feelings in consumers. Ingredients like spinach, kale, parsley, romaine, cucumber, and celery, usually paired with fruit juice for natural sweetness, are increasingly common. Operators are taking notice of the shift, and fresh-pressed juices and smoothies are projected to be the most frequently added beverages to menus in 2016. Part of the juice boost is the growth of the snacking segment, as more consumers enjoy these beverages as a snack instead of pairing them with a meal.
But delivering raw juices and smoothies is an expensive commitment for most operations. If made in-house, the cost of equipment and ingredients is high—not to mention staff training, special food preparation, and floor space for a station. Purchasing refrigerated pre-made juices and smoothies is also expensive, and the shelf life for most is about three days. These factors can make it challenging for those who want to capitalize on the better-for-you beverage trend.
For operators looking to keep costs down while satisfying customer demand, V8® Veggie Blends is the answer. These juices feature blends of vegetables with a touch of fruit in several delicious flavors, including Healthy Greens, a crisp blend of spinach, yellow carrots, apple, and pineapple juices; Purple Power, a smooth combination of purple carrot, beet, and apple juices; and Carrot Mango, a rejuvenating mix of carrots and mangos. They deliver 1½ servings of vegetables in each 12-ounce bottle and no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, or added sugar*. V8® also introduced V8® Infused Waters, a line of refreshing, fruity, low-calorie vegetable-infused waters. They have one serving of vegetables in each 16-ounce bottle, with no artificial ingredients, sugars, or preservatives.
With no waste, extra staff, training, equipment, or additional costs to consider, V8® Veggie Blends and V8® Infused Waters make it easy for operators to say yes to serving healthy beverages.
To learn more about V8® Veggie Blends, V8® Infused Waters, or other great products from Campbell’s Foodservice, visit CampbellsFoodservice.com.
*Not a low calorie food.
