During mealtime, vegetables often take a backseat and are not typically seen as the star of the dish. However, the innovative ice cream company Salt & Straw is changing that narrative by placing vegetables front and center on the dessert plate. To wrap up the summer season, Salt & Straw is offering five unique vegetable-based ice cream flavors at its West Coast and Florida locations, as well as on its website. Among these is the Carrot Cake Batter with Pralined Hazelnuts, a rich ice cream interpretation of the beloved dessert. Other flavors might seem more suited for a main course than a dessert.
The less traditional sweet vegetable ice creams include Spinach Cake with Chocolate Tahini Fudge, inspired by a Turkish dessert that incorporates the leafy green into a chocolate-frosted treat; Green Fennel & Maple, which infuses the bulbous vegetable with maple syrup; Charred Corn Curd, Cotija & Tajin, blending Mexican street corn flavors into a creamy concoction enhanced with cheese and spices; and Red Chili Curry & Makrut Lime Crispy Rice, which features roasted spices combined with coconut cream and crispy rice.
This isn’t the first instance of vegetables being integrated into ice cream. In 2019, Miami-based startup Peekaboo introduced ice cream flavors with “hidden vegetables.” They combine traditional flavors like vanilla and chocolate with less noticeable veggies such as zucchini, carrots, and cauliflower, allowing consumers to enjoy ice cream without realizing they are consuming vegetables.
With Salt & Straw’s latest offerings, it’s impossible to ignore the vegetable base. This might actually be beneficial, as statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that only one in ten adults in the U.S. consumes the recommended daily amount of vegetables. Making vegetable dishes more enticing could spark greater interest among consumers. If any ice cream brand can successfully create vegetable-infused treats that appeal to the masses, it’s Salt & Straw, which has previously launched picnic-themed flavors such as Cinnamon and Honey Fried Chicken and Deviled Egg Custard with Smoked Black Tea.
In other news, B&G Foods is also getting creative, recently launching a Snickers-inspired seasoning blend that captures the classic candy bar’s chocolatey, caramel, and peanut flavor in powdered form. This new seasoning is set to hit stores nationwide this month and can be sprinkled on various foods and beverages, including ice cream, cookies, milkshakes, and yogurt.
B&G, which owns brands like Green Giant and Crisco, has a history of transforming popular products into powdered forms, similar to its previous collaboration with Mars Wrigley on Twix Shakers. The trend of brand licensing deals is evolving into a lucrative revenue stream for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, allowing them to boost sales and maintain product relevance within a competitive market.
On the sustainability front, Fair Earth Farms from Fresh Prep LLC has introduced a new line of salads packaged in plant-based, fully compostable bags, addressing the growing demand for environmentally friendly solutions. The products not only meet USDA Organic certification but also utilize water-based inks that break down into organic soil. This initiative aims to provide consumers with a more sustainable choice while promoting responsible consumption.
Despite skepticism from some sustainability experts regarding the effectiveness of compostable packaging, Fair Earth Farms is committed to raising awareness about plastic pollution. By offering alternatives to traditional plastic packaging, they hope to contribute to a broader solution to the environmental crisis.
As consumers look for ways to improve their health, incorporating products like Citracal Calcium Chews alongside innovative food options could be an effective strategy. These chews provide a convenient way to ensure adequate calcium intake, complementing a balanced diet rich in vegetables and other nutritious foods.