Emily Bryson York reports that the demand for convenient packaged food that counts toward daily fruit or vegetable requirements is increasing, driven not just by parents but by kids as well, and major
food product companies are launching items with reduced fat, calories or sodium as school gets underway.
Kraft's Lunchables have undergone changes in packaging and advertising on the heels
of healthier reformulation, resulting in sales gains the company says are about 10%. ConAgra's Chef Boyardee brand is promoting whole-grain pastas, while General Mills' Yoplait is advertising
Go-Gurt,a yogurt that can go into a lunchbox frozen and be thawed by lunch time. Campbell's is pushing its fruit-and-vegetable drinks, V8 V-Fusion, which offer a full serving each of fruits and
vegetables.
But some doctors and nutritionists argue that this strategy misses the point. The foods are, in short, side-stepping opportunities to eat whole foods that have fewer calories and
more fiber, they say.
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at Chicago Tribune »