The world’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable provider selects Tampaas one of 15 launch markets for new DOLE® Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kits,which combine flavorful seasoning with fresh vegetables to pair with a favorite proteinand create a restaurant-quality meal in minutes, using only a single dish.Google data shows a 500% increase in searches for “sheet pan dinners” since 2016,as consumers seek healthy, convenient, hassle-free meals at home.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Dec. 15, 2021) – The world’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable provider is tapping into the latest culinary trend to give Tampa residents a new way to enjoy their choice of healthy plant-based or lean protein single-pan fresh vegetable meals at home.
Today, Dole announces that Tampa is one of a select number of major metropolitan areas across the eastern and southeastern United States that will serve as launch markets for its new DOLE®Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kits. The kits represent the industry’s first new fresh vegetable product line catering to the growing sheet pan meal trend; fulfilling the growing consumer need for easy, single-pan meal options within the value-added vegetable category. Available in Homemade Roasted Herb, French Onion and Lemon Parmesan flavor varieties, DOLE® Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kits combine fresh, ready-to-roast vegetables with a perfectly paired seasoning, which can be used for both the vegetables and a favorite added protein such as chicken, seafood or tofu. When mixed and cooked on a conventional sheet pan, the ingredients combine to create a restaurant-quality meal in minutes, with only one dish to clean.
“Dole strives to always be at the forefront of food and culinary trends that can drive product innovation and exploration in the kitchen,” said Dole Food Company Director of Product Innovation Shannon Yamada. “Our new Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kits are the culmination of considerable research and trend analysis and allow us to deliver on exactly what consumers are looking for – great-tasting, one-pan healthy meal solutions. In addition to the farm fresh DOLE vegetables, Tampa residents can add their favorite protein along with the delicious seasoning to easily create a personalized one-pan masterpiece.”
Sheet pan meals have exploded in popularity over the past few years. According to Pinterest trend data, searches for “sheet pan dinners” more than doubled over the last 12 months as consumers searched for convenient ways to satisfy healthy meal cravings during the pandemic. Google searches for “sheet pan dinner” recipes have increased by more than 500% in the last five years, peaking in Q1 2021. There are currently more than 137 million results for “sheet pan dinners” on Google, consisting of primarily preparation techniques and recipes, including over 5,800 sheet pan meal options on Allrecipes.com alone.
According to Yamada, Dole leveraged its category leadership in salad kits to develop popular flavors that are validated through market research to deliver a flavorful meal experience. “Our new line adds three unique products that disrupt the refrigerated vegetable aisle,” she explained. “DOLE Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kits provide a fresh, flavorful solution for busy consumers who want to make healthy eating simple and enjoyable.”
The DOLE® Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kit line evolved through extensive product development in Dole’s research and testing environment. Through this process, specific ingredients, spices and flavors were tested by culinary experts, including Melanie Marcus, Dole’s in-house registered dietitian nutrition and health communications manager:“The foundation of our Sheet Pan Meal Kits is a robust seasoning flavor that can spark creativity in the kitchen and allow for customization, based on the amount of seasoning you choose to use,” Marcus explained. “In addition to lean proteins like chicken, turkey and different varieties of seafood, this seasoning works equally well with tofu and legumes for a fully plant-based meal that tastes great.”The DOLE® Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kit line is launching with three distinct flavor varieties, and Dole’s in-house product innovation team is working on additional future flavors.
- DOLE® Homestyle Roasted Herb Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kit – Whole baby carrots, mini red potatoes, green beans and rosemary thyme seasoning.
- DOLE® French Onion Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kit –Whole baby carrots, mini red potatoes, green beans and onion, garlic and parsley seasoning.
- DOLE® Lemon Parmesan Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kit –Whole baby carrots, mini red potatoes, broccoli florets and garlic parmesan and lemon pepper parmesan cheese seasoning.
In addition to the greater Tampa area at Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie locations, DOLE® Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kits are exclusively available in supermarkets across select launch markets in the eastern and southeastern United States.
These 3 new products join 60 other Dole salad kits, salad mixes and slaws including the popular Chopped! and Premium salad kit lines and 15 ready-to-eat bowl salads, for a total of 78 product offerings. To see the complete Dole salad family, visit www.dole.com.
For all Dole fresh fruit and vegetable products plus recipes and nutritional resources, visit www.dole.com and Dole’s Facebook,Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest pages.
About Dole plc Dole plc is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education and research. For more information, please visitwww.dole.com.