ONTARIO, CA - With working and learning from home a new reality for many consumers across the nation, now more than ever the need for fresh, convenient, ready-to-eat meals is surging. FiveStar Gourmet Foods knew it could help and developed Simply Fresh 2Go®, its first product line targeted concurrently to both retail and school foodservice channels. With 12 new SKUs, each meal is nutritionally compliant to meet strict national school lunch dietary standards. Each item in the line is a ready-to-eat balanced complete meal including protein, grains, fresh vegetables, and fruits—even a healthy fruit and veggies drink.
“We knew that families, schools, and retailers had the same pain points in trying to provide portable, healthy, and easy meals for students and stay-at-home adults, navigating this pandemic,” said Mark Baida, CEC, CCA, and Director of Culinary at FiveStar Gourmet Foods. “Our team of chefs spent countless hours to develop the most cutting-edge line of nutritionally-balanced and flavorful fresh meals available for retail and schools. We are very proud and excited to get this very important and timely product line launched.”
As consumers manage through today’s life events, many are now insisting on time-saving preparation.
FiveStar’s Simply Fresh 2Go line makes it simple and easy with no prep required. The Simply Fresh 2Go products range from 7.3 to 12 ounces and each complete meal is under 480 calories, with salads as low as 240 calories.
Each item meets the nutritional requirements in compliance with the USDA’s National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
Not only do all the products meet strict school nutrition criteria, but they are also pre-packaged in a retail-ready design to be shelf-merchandised in the produce and grab-and-go sections of the supermarket.
“We have always focused on nutrition with a mission,” said CEO Tal Shoshan. “We are known for providing fresh, healthy, and convenient salads, snacks, and entrees to consumers. We realized that people have grown tiresome of preparation and knew we had the solution to their fatigue."
The new Simply Fresh 2Go meals currently being served in schools will launch in retail nationwide this month and are produced in FiveStar’s state-of-the-art facilities that are USDA and SQF Level 3 certified.
