IRVINGTON, NY - A common New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier, but it can be difficult to stick to. BrightFarms wants to change that. Its campaign, Don’t Quit, Just Crunch, launched today in honor of National Quitter’s Day, the day most people fall off their New Year’s resolutions, and it has a valuable partner in Instacart to help drive campaign demand.

As part of the campaign, BrightFarms and Instacart have partnered to deliver free Crunch Kits™ salads straight to consumers’ doorsteps, while supplies last.

To learn more, I turned to Jessica Soare, BrightFarms' Vice President of Marketing.

“The Instacart partnership is a big deal,” shared Jessica as we hopped on the phone to discuss the campaign. “It builds brand awareness to be on a national platform, and we’re offering something to consumers that is beneficial to their health. We also wanted to present a positive outlook with the Don’t Quit, Just Crunch campaign, to let shoppers know that, as a brand, we’re here to help them eat better, not judge.”

BrightFarms’ Crunch Kits feature the brand's signature pesticide-free Crunchy Green Leaf lettuce, which is grown in nearby regional greenhouses for maximum crispness and freshness.

By leveraging its regional greenhouse production to its fullest, BrightFarms can deliver lettuce to partners faster.

“We’re just a few hours’ drive from most major population hubs, so we can deliver to market through our distribution network with the freshest greens possible. Rather than waiting for lettuce from California to arrive in 7—10 days, shoppers are getting access to lettuce that will make them a repeat customer,” Jessica told me. “It’s all about creating a better experience so that even non-salad users are converted after eating Crunch Kits.”

The eating experience, as Jessica explained to me, is crucial. Consumers can expect from each kit restaurant-quality toppings and a convenient clamshell format with a peel-and-reseal lid for quick, no-mess assembly.

Available varieties include Chickpea Caesar, Mediterranean, Southwest Chipotle, Bacon Ranch, and the newest flavor, Asian Sesame, currently available at Wegmans.

For the latest news across fresh produce, you know where to find AndNowUKnow!

NEW YORK, NY - New York Apple Association (NYAA) will launch new health-focused content and expanded digital outreach, introducing a series of initiatives designed to inspire consumers to consume more New York apples.

“Our outreach will elevate the health and nutrition benefits of New York apples and strengthen engagement throughout the year with the industry’s most loyal followers,” said Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the New York Apple Association, in the recent release.

A major focus will be new social media content featuring Kelly Springer, RD, MS, CDN. “Known for her approachable style and practical nutrition advice, Springer brings a fresh, family-centered voice to NYAA’s messaging. Her recipes and educational insights will begin appearing across NYAA’s social platforms as the winter season unfolds,” Haskins said.

After the holidays, many shoppers look for healthy meal ideas and renewed inspiration, making it an ideal moment to highlight apples as a versatile, nutrient-dense fruit.

NYAA will also collaborate with registered dietitian Julie Raway, MPH, RDN, CDN, SNS, FAND, who serves as the Farm to School chair of the New York School Nutrition Association and is a leader of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm to School Program Work Team. Raway will help integrate nutrition education from both a flavor and wellness perspective, supporting lifelong healthy eating habits. Her expertise will help NYAA translate nutrition science into practical stories that resonate with busy parents, health-conscious shoppers and individuals seeking simple ideas for eating well.

“We are excited to feature the upcoming Health and Nutrition Blog, and this is a wonderful opportunity to share the health benefits of consuming apples,” Haskins said.

The new Health and Nutrition Blog on ApplesFromNY.com will serve as a consumer-friendly space that explores topics central to family health, including heart-supportive habits, immunity support, balanced snacking, and creative ways to incorporate apples into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The blog will be educational while supporting the industry’s position on wellness. Content will also reinforce New York apples as a smart, everyday choice for people across the country.

To complement the blog, NYAA will send a monthly e-newsletter created specifically for consumers who have opted to learn more about New York apples. “The consumer newsletter will go out initially to more than 28,000 consumers, and we expect that number to grow,” said Haskins. This subscriber community has grown steadily over the years and represents one of NYAA’s strongest opportunities to build long-term loyalty. The newsletter will feature seasonal recipes, apple variety flavor profiles, orchard spotlights, nutrition tips, grower stories, and updates on cider destinations and events.

According to Haskins, interest in New York apples remains steady. “Our website welcomes more than 300,000 visitors each year and reaches millions through social media platforms,” she said. “This reflects the public’s enthusiasm for apples and the industry’s ongoing commitment to health and nutrition.”

CHICAGO, IL - FOODWORKS, a national restaurant incubator under Compass Group USA, is proud to announce Roots to Rise the grand prize winner of their first Annual Global Street Food Competition. Chef Heather Klein, the mind behind the winning dishes and recipes through four stages of the recipe contest, received the FOODWORKS grand prize of two tickets to the Culinary Institute of America’s Menus of Change, an initiative dedicated to supporting the best possible future for the overall foodservice industry.

FOODWORKS Annual Global Street Food Competition is part of the brand’s mission to elevate local restaurants by creating high-quality, scratch-made plant-based cuisines. The goal of FOODWORKS is to foster inclusion and cultural appreciation by embracing modern food movements and health-conscious dining. This collaboration is a testament to the food incubator's support for businesses that are not only culinary innovators but also social agents, actively working to increase food access in underserved communities. FOODWORKS seeks to elevate diverse culinary perspectives while simultaneously contributing to positive systemic change in the food industry, and spotlights this through initiatives like their Annual Global Street Food Competition.

Consistently receiving top recognition throughout each phase of the recipe contest focused on seasonal produce, one particular dish that caught the judge’s eyes was Chef Heather Klein’s plant-based Peanut Buta Pizza, wowing the judges with its complex flavors and savory peanut curry sauce.

“I am beyond grateful and blown away as I watch my work touch so many hearts and stomachs,” said Chef Klein in the recent release. “It means so much to have my recipes recognized by FOODWORKS. As a partner, each contest has pushed me to grow, trust my instincts, and keep flourishing through creativity. Winning the grand prize and heading to the CIA for Menus of Change 2026 feels like the most meaningful celebration of this whole journey.”

Starting in 2016 with pop-up 12-course dinners and catering, Roots to Rise rapidly expanded into mainstream markets and large festivals, significantly impacting public perception of plant-based cuisine. The organization prioritizes highlighting the benefits of plants and creating generational community wealth by increasing access to healthy, affordable foods in underserved communities through local systems of growing, production, and distribution. Their commitment to the health of the planet and its inhabitants follows a similar mission to FOODWORKS, reflected in the brand’s scratch-made dishes using high-quality, mostly organic plant ingredients. Ultimately, Root to Rise aims to raise the bar for plant-based foods, creating new systems and meaningful, unique meals to help save the planet.

Competition Details:

The Annual Global Street Food Competition was exclusively available to FOODWORKS partners. Participating partners had the unique opportunity to showcase their culinary expertise in one of four semifinals by crafting and presenting plant-forward recipes incorporating peanuts, honey, lentils and mushrooms, respectively. All recipes had to be 51% plant-based ingredients, furthering FOODWORKS overall mission of celebrating the importance of fruit and veggie-forward cuisine, shown through their vast partner list of plant-forward chefs and restaurateurs across the country.

The FOODWORKS recipe panel internally recreated and evaluated each submitted recipe based on creativity, taste, and presentation. The top four recipes from each category were entered into the running for the grand champion prize–two passes to the CIA Menus of Change, courtesy of FOODWORKS.

For more information and to see the documentation of this national culinary expedition, visit https://www.foodworks.org/
or check out FOODWORKS social media channels (@foodworkslocal) for behind-the-scenes recipe development and the winning partner’s experience in the competition.

BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart Inc. announced the appointment of Shishir Mehrotra, Chief Executive Officer at Superhuman (formerly Grammarly), to the company’s Board of Directors. He will serve on the Board’s Compensation and Management Development Committee and the Technology and eCommerce Committee.

“Our focus remains on serving customers through a people-led, tech-powered approach,” said Greg Penner, chairman of Walmart’s Board of Directors, in the recent release. “Shishir’s background adds to our boardroom the insight of a proven builder, offering a distinguished track record scaling platforms relied upon by millions.”

Randall Stephenson, lead independent director, added: “Shishir brings a rare combination of technical depth and product leadership. He has helped create and scale platforms that unlock creativity and productivity for people and teams at global scale. We’re excited to welcome him to our Board.”

“I have long admired Walmart’s ability to innovate while staying true to its core values, and joining the Board as the company builds for an agentic AI future is a rare opportunity,” said Mehrotra. “This era is the most significant technological shift I’ve seen in my career, and I look forward to working with the team to shape the future for the millions of people Walmart serves.”

Mehrotra is a 25+ year technology veteran with a track record of building category-defining platforms. Prior to joining Superhuman, he was the CEO and co-founder of Coda, a productivity and AI platform that grew to serve millions of users and tens of thousands of teams.

Before founding Coda, Mehrotra served as YouTube’s Chief Product Officer and Chief Technology Officer, helping grow YouTube into the world’s largest video destination and one of Google’s largest and fastest-growing businesses, as well as a platform of choice for a new generation of creators. He holds a dual Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.