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Frozen potatoes are driving the veggie category’s 19.3% growth — and inspiring a whole host of new products. The segment is also seeing more healthy, air fryer- friendly and restaurant-quality offerings.

Kraft Heinz’s new Homebake 425°/:30 collection includes five veggie dishes and five sides in their own oven-ready pans.

Although units fell 7.0%, frozen vegetable dollar sales jumped 19.3% to nearly $1.61 billion during the 12 weeks ended April 23, reports Chicago-based market research firm Circana (circana.com), formerly IRI and The NPD Group. However, the growth is being driven largely by the frozen potatoes/onions category, where dollar sales shot up 42% to $792.48 million while units slid just 0.7%. In the frozen plain vegetables category, meanwhile, dollars edged up 5.6% to $730.80 million, but units tumbled 6.9%.

“Despite the increasing prices, consumers are intrigued by the broad variety of frozen potato products that are available on the market,” says Samuel Dennigan, CEO of Dublin, Ireland-based Strong Roots, which is launching a white-potato based line called Rootations in Q3 that includes new fry and hash brown varieties low in fat, salt, and sugar. “The ready-to-cook and -eat nature of the potato is driving growth in the sector as eating habits have dramatically changed and consumers are looking for convenient food options,” he explains, citing a shift to at-home eating.

Potatoes account for more than a quarter of U.S. vegetable consumption, and the reason boils down to convenience, adds Johnathan Bonnell, co-founder of Toronto-based Wholly Veggie. “The big problem with that is at least half of the potatoes that people eat are in the form of French fries or potato chips, which are high in salt and fat,” hence the demand for healthier alternatives, he explains.

General Mills combines precut sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli and chickpeas in its new Cascadian Farms Ready to Roast Vegetables SKU.

HEALTHIER VERSIONS OF OLD FAVORITES

Looking to combine the convenience and familiarity of fries with the health benefits of other vegetables, Elmwood Park, N.J.-based Dr. Praeger’s is introducing a new line of Veggie Fries, available beginning this month at select Target, Giant Eagle and Big Y supermarkets. The products are slated to expand to more stores in the summer.

Billed as a tasty way to add more vegetables to shoppers’ diets, the crispy snacks are gluten-free and non-GMO and come in two flavors: California and Cauliflower Broccoli. The California variety combines 10 vegetables — including carrots, peas and green beans — in a colorful fry that can be served as is or with a dipping sauce. In addition to the two superfoods in its name, the Cauliflower Broccoli version also includes navy beans for a bit of extra protein.

“[Market research reveals that] 56% of consumers want to eat more veggies but find it hard to do as they think they won’t like the taste and don’t know how to prepare them,” says Dr. Praeger’s brand marketing director Joe Wilbeck. “The desire for more veggies is a universal, unmet consumer need with consistent staying power.”

MEAL SOLUTIONS MADE SIMPLE

Despite the need for more convenient veggie-based products, “The majority of frozen vegetable purchases today are still frozen commodity vegetables,” reports Wholly Veggie’s Bonnell. In fact, sales of prepared veggies continue to fall (-31.8%) as consumers eschew heavily sauced and topped options viewed as less healthy.

Still, manufacturers hoping to capitalize on consumers’ desire for at-home products that mimic restaurant dishes continue to roll out new prepared veggie innovations. Last month, Kraft Heinz Co., Pittsburgh and Chicago, launched its new 15-SKU Homebake 425°/:30 line, which includes five frozen veggies and five frozen sides that consumers can mix and match with five “mains” to create more than 500 different meal combinations. The products all come in their own proprietary roasting pans, which are designed to be baked together in a standard oven for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. They require no extra ingredients or spices and can go directly from oven to table.

Conagra’s new Birds Eye Fire Roasted Vegetables allow consumers to enjoy the taste of grilled veggies without having to actually grill them.

The veggies include Italian Style Cauliflower, Cheesy Broccoli, Green Bean Casserole, Teriyaki Vegetable Blend and Mexican Style Creamy Corn. The side dishes include Parmesan Crusted Potato Medley, Southwest Style Cheesy Rice, Loaded Scalloped Potatoes, Homestyle Mac & Cheese and Creamy Tomato Tuscan Style Pasta.

The Homebake 425°/:30 line includes more complex dishes that echo restaurant offerings and would require multiple steps if home chefs were to create them on their own. Nearly two-thirds of consumers would prefer a homemade dinner each night,” explains Alan Kleinerman, Kraft Heinz’s vp of disruption.

“But many end up dissatisfied with the meals they prepare. Homebake425°/:30 aims to solve that problem by reimagining family dinner — giving busy consumers a convenient, satisfying, and delicious total meal system made with quality ingredients that requires limited planning and minimal clean up,” he says.

Chicago-based Conagra is also tapping into demand for restaurant-quality dishes with its new steakhouse-in-spired Birds Eye Broccoli & Cauliflower Au Gratin Bake, featuring a creamy parmesan cheese sauce. The company also adds a one-step Garlic Butter Carrots flavor to its Skillets lineup and a Butternut Squash variety to its Microwave Roasters collection, giving an often-overlooked vegetable a sought-after crisp texture.

In addition, Conagra debuts Birds Eye Fusions with two varieties: Asian Mix with Sesame Soy Sauce, featuring broccoli and edamame, and Spring Mix with Garlic Butter Sauce, a blend that includes asparagus, peas, potatoes and onions.

All five new items contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, according to the company.

SOUTHERN COOKINGTHE EASY WAY

The Pictsweet Co., Bells, Tenn., also hopes to capitalize on shoppers’ desire for restaurant-quality veggies and sides that are easy to prepare at home. Among itsnewest offerings are several seasoned vegetables added to its Southern Cooking lineup: Baby Lima Beans, Collard Greens, Field Peas with Snaps, and Stewed Okra and Tomatoes. “Inspired by traditional, regionally relevant Southern food appearing on restaurant menus across the U.S.,” the pre-seasoned dishes are designed for easy stovetop preparation, says vp of branded sales Chris Wilkerson.

Pictsweet adds a whole host of frozen potato offerings — plus the category’s first seasoned cob corn — to its Air Fryer lineup.

‘Consumers use air fryers for potato products for the crispness, taste and convenience versus frying/oven preparation.’

“Historically, the process for cooking Southern sides from fresh can take hours,” he explains. “But the four new Pictsweet Farms Vegetables for Southern Cooking deliver traditional Southern taste in just 20 minutes.”

Pictsweet also added a new vegetable and several new potato offerings to its Air Fryer collection. The new veggie, Mexican Street Corn, is billed as the first seasoned cob corn in the freezer aisle, while the frozen potato lineup offers a wide variety of formats and flavors: Potato Bites with bacon seasoning, Red Potato Bites with sea salt and cracked pepper, Sweet Potato Bites with brown sugar and cinnamon, Sweet Potato Classic Fries with sea salt, Sweet Potato Crinkle Fries with sea salt, Sweet Potato Homestyle Fries with sweet heat seasoning, and Sweet Potato Waffle Fries with sea salt.

“Our research shows consumers use air fryers for potato products for the crispness, taste and convenience versus frying/oven preparation,” says Wilkerson. He adds that while restaurant takeout remains popular, “Take-out potato-based items are generally disappointing and do not travel well.” But air fryers and other fast-cooking appliances let consumers conveniently prepare crisp, restaurant-quality fries and potatoes in their own kitchens.

While veggies designed for air fryers are grabbing a lot of the headlines, consumers are exploring other preparation methods as well, including oven baking and grilling. For those who prefer the former, Minneapolis-based General Mills recently added Frozen Ready to Roast Vegetables to its organic Cascadian Farm brand. The high-fiber, low-fat side dish combines pre-cut sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli and chickpeas, all ready for the oven — no additional prep needed.

For consumers who like the taste of grilled vegetables but don’t want to actually grill the veggies themselves, Conagra recently debuted a line of Fire Roasted Vegetables under its Birds Eye brand. The newcomers include Peppers & Onions, Corn, Brussels Sprouts, and Carrots, all of which tap into growing demand for distinct textures and flavors. They began appearing in grocers’ freezers last month.

CONVENIENCE ON THE MENU

Dr. Praeger’s new Veggie Fries combines the goodness of vegetables with the handheld convenience of French Fries.

Even for home chefs who like to create their own side dishes, convenience is key, says Laura Morris, associate marketing director at Bayonne, N.J.-based Dorot Gardens, which offers frozen peeled and chopped herbs and garlic in pre-portioned tray. The newest addition to the line, flash-frozen, pre-portioned Crushed Turmeric, allows home cooks to utilize the best-selling herbal ingredient in the natural space without having to peel or chop it.

“Anything that helps people save time is great,” says Morris. “We’re taking the work out of preparation and giving consumers a ready-to-use product.”

So what’s next for frozen veggies and sides? Industry watchers expect continued innovation due to shoppers’ in-creased comfort re-creating restaurant-style meals at home.“

During the pandemic, consumers were re-introduced to frozen foods and the category saw a resurgence,” says Strong Roots’ Dennigan. “This renewed interest and greater demand created the need for more inventive options with elevated flavor profiles. For years, frozen veggies remained a sector stagnant in taste, health, and flavor, and it was often disregarded by consumers. Now, consumers are actively seeking out frozen veggies and sides because of the growth and diversity in flavors we’re seeing emerge.”