Realising the growing demand for healthy convenient food options Mrs Crocket’s is increasing the health and nutritional value of fresh pre-prepared food.
With 80% of the company’s products containing less than 10 grams of fat per recommended serving size Mrs Crocket’s resident nutritionist, Lauren Harris, said the company’s strong focus on nutrition made it easier for retailers to provide healthy food options.
“There is a common misconception that convenient foods are unhealthy but this does not always have to be the case — serving Australians convenient, nutritious food is extremely important to us,” she said.
“Statistics show many Australians do not eat enough vegetables which are packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre – essential for good health – for this reason we ensure all of our leafy salads contain between one and four serves of vegetables per bowl.”
Harris said the brand’s strong emphasis on nutrition reflected the needs of retailers to provide healthy convenient meal solutions.
“Retailers recognise that we are the market leaders in this area and are constantly pushing us for new products to meet the demand for healthier, nutritious ready to eat meals solutions.
“We have eight team members dedicated to product innovation who conduct extensive research, testing and analysis to ensure we strike the right balance of health, flavour and cost to surpass consumer expectations.
“When developing our recipes we use an advanced software program to perform theoretical nutrient evaluations to ensure product nutrition profiles are on the right track.
“Once the product is created we send a sample to an external laboratory, where chemical tests are conducted to provide us with a detailed nutrient analysis and the Nutrition Information Panel which we scrutinise to make sure the product is nutritionally sound.”
Harris said all Mrs Crocket’s meals had the right balance of flavour and nutrition.
“From our Pumpkin Soup to Garden Salad and Light Alfresco Pasta Salad we offer options that are not only nutritious but also low in fat without forsaking flavour.
“We make sure we keep our salads low in saturated fat by using monounsaturated canola oil in our mayonnaises and dressings.
“Being a fresh food producer also means that unlike many other manufacturers we don’t need to use salt as a preservative, helping us control our sodium levels.
“We manufacture all of our products here in Australia so we know exactly what goes into them and can ensure every product is not only delicious but healthy and nutritious as well.”