<p>After research conducted by the NPD Group and the Hartman Group on American eating patterns, Wegmans Food Markets have taken a cue and introduced “Fresh Cut Snacks,” to its check out isles, realizing that snacking now accounts for 53% of all “eating occasions” in the U.S.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Freshly washed and cut fruits and vegetables, healthy dips like hummus, and delicious whole-grain crackers are some of the snack combinations the culinary team at each store puts together for kids and grownups, according to a press release. Tom Colopietro, category merchant at Wegmans, says, “We’re learning that for many customers, ready in a few minutes isn’t fast enough. What they’re really looking for is something that’s healthy, tastes good, and is ready to eat right away.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">These “Fresh Cut Snacks” are now available at checkout lanes near the Market Café and offer combinations like raw veggies with roasted red pepper hummus dip, mixed fresh fruit cups, or Blueberry Greek Yogurt Parfaits. Colopietro adds, “They’re priced at $4 or less each, and have a calorie range of 280 to 520 calories. Several are made with no gluten ingredients and feature organic items.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Eric Wendorff, corporate operations executive chef, leads the Wegmans culinary team in creating new snack combinations in the test kitchen, focusing on “taste appeal and texture contrasts” and customers’ favorite snack ideas. These ideas are brought to the nutrition team at Wegmans, who offer a few tweaks to boost the nutritional values.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Customers have been snapping up these “Fresh Cut Snacks” since they were introduced at the Pittsford store. “The rush to get everybody where they need to go sometimes leaves too little time for a sit-down meal, and not much time for washing and cutting up vegetables, either,” says Wendorff. “So we’ve done the planning and prep with these new fresh snacks – they’re grab-and-go easy.”</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10052&identifier=CATEGORY_2501" target="_new"> Wegmans</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
