The plant-based turkey and ham in the lunch kits are now made with vegetables, including parsnips, chickpeas, sweet potatoes and tomato puree.

Salad company Fresh Express expanded its brand with an Asian apple salad and a twisted Caesar creamy truffle chopped salad.

Health has been one of the main drivers of demand for fresh meal kits at retail, said Tony Phi Dang, executive chef at Southern California retailer Gelson’s.

One of Home Chef’s newer recipes featuring harissa, Moroccan-Style Harissa Shrimp, has received very positive ratings from customers, the company said.

For kits that include uncooked proteins, the meat and seafood sections are often the home of choice.

New at Southern California retailer Gelson’s are two all-in-one meal kit programs: “What’s 4 Dinner” and “Dinner 2 Night.”

BrightFarms will be exhibiting at Booth #324 at the SEPC’s Southern Exposure.

The top category consumers regularly purchase as a treat is snacks, according to a recent report from 84.51°.

More grocery meat departments are turning to sous vide for the category’s combination of freshness and convenience, and sous vide suppliers are meeting the demand with new and innovative products.

In 2024, BrightFarms is launching two new flavors of its Crunch Kit Salads: Southwest Chipotle and Mediterranean.