NEWPORT BEACH, CA - As younger consumers rediscover hands-on experiences in the kitchen, Fresh Solutions Network® (FSN) is highlighting Side Delights® potatoes as a natural fit for the return to comfort cooking, nostalgic recipes, and updated family favorites.

Nostalgia is increasingly influencing what consumers put on the table. According to the 2026 IKEA Cooking & Eating Report, 40% of consumers actively seek foods that remind them of childhood, compared with just 25% who want to try new foods more often.

At the same time, younger shoppers are showing enthusiasm for getting into the kitchen. FMI – The Food Industry Association reports that 51% of Gen Z consumers like or love meal preparation, compared with 46% of consumers overall. When asked how retailers could make meal preparation easier, Gen Z’s top request was better-value food options, cited by 49%.

For retailers, potatoes sit naturally at the intersection of these trends: familiar, versatile, and value-oriented, while providing a foundation for traditional favorites and globally inspired meals.

“Potatoes have always been one of America’s great comfort foods, but today’s younger cooks are finding new ways to make them their own,” said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network, in the recent release. “Side Delights gives retailers an opportunity to connect the potato category with shoppers looking for affordable comfort, cooking inspiration and fresh takes on familiar favorites.”

The trend is appearing in movements such as “analog cooking,” “nowstalgia” and “grandmacore,” where younger consumers are embracing traditional recipes and cooking techniques while adding contemporary flavors, global influences, and better-for-you twists.

Side Delights recipes bring those influences to familiar favorites, including Spanish Potato Frittata and Slimmed-Down Scalloped Potatoes.

Interest in hands-on cooking is also renewing enthusiasm for traditional cookware such as cast-iron skillets and Dutch ovens. Side Delights bagged, convenience, and petite potatoes work across these preparation methods, from Easy Potato Breakfast Skillet to simply prepared Dutch oven baked and Dutch oven petite potatoes.

For retailers, the opportunity extends beyond the traditional potato side dish. Side Delights varieties, pack sizes, and convenience options can connect the potato category to some of today’s strongest consumer motivations—comfort, value, cooking inspiration, and nostalgia—while introducing a new generation of shoppers to fresh potatoes.

For recipes and more information, visit SideDelights.com.

LAGRANGE, GA - The National Watermelon Association (NWA) has launched Inside the Melon: The Watermelon Industry Podcast, a new monthly podcast featuring conversations with experts and leaders on the issues, innovations, and opportunities shaping the watermelon industry.

Hosted by NWA Executive Director George Szczepanski, Inside the Melon is designed to connect growers, shippers, and other industry stakeholders with timely information and perspectives from across the watermelon industry and beyond.

“One of the best parts of this job is getting to talk with people who are doing groundbreaking work and helping shape the future of our industry,” Szczepanski said in the recent release. “Inside the Melon gives us a chance to bring our industry into those conversations, dig deeper into the ideas and innovations driving change, and hear directly from the people leading that work.”

The inaugural episode, “The Future of Precision Weed Control in Watermelon Production,” features Dr. Nathan Boyd, associate professor and weed science specialist at the University of Florida. Boyd joins Szczepanski for a conversation about emerging technology in watermelon production and how new tools can help growers address real-world production challenges.

The second episode, due out later this month, will feature Bob Redding, NWA’s public policy representative and founder of The Redding Firm, for a conversation about public policy and the issues affecting agriculture and the watermelon industry. The discussion will cover recent developments in Washington, D.C., while also taking a broader look at why advocacy matters and what is at stake for growers and agricultural businesses.

The inaugural season of Inside the Melon will feature six monthly episodes with researchers, growers, industry leaders, and other experts. Conversations will range from production and technology to labor, policy, marketing, and the people shaping the future of the watermelon industry.

Listen now at watermelon.ag/nwa-launches-inside-the-melon-the-watermelon-industry-podcast/ or find Inside the Melon wherever you get your podcasts. The show is available on most major podcast platforms.