Healthy heroes!

After numerous excesses of festive feasting and indulgence, January is a time of year where consumers’ thoughts turn to healthy resolutions such as hitting the gym and cleaning up one’s diet. This month’s issue therefore focuses on the top sellers that can help shoppers achieve these goals and get 2019 off to a slimming start

Print

Print

Brand Central

With one of the highest obesity rates in Europe, healthy eating has become increasingly important in Ireland during the past decade. Startlingly, one in four adults in Ireland are now classed as obese while one in four children are overweight.

Research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that in 2016, almost one in three women and 23% of men worldwide were not reaching the recommended healthy levels of physical activity. Within Ireland, a third of adults do not get enough exercise, which is defined as a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity every week. A gender gap also exists in this regard, with 28% of Irish men being overly inactive compared with 37% of women. Despite this fact, more men are overweight in Ireland compared to women, The Irish Times reports. SafeFood attributes this to the fact that men tend not to go on diets or be as aware of their size as women are.

Forward-thinking retailers have clearly focused on meeting the greater consumer demand for healthy options, by developing their own ranges and concepts within this area. The latest study of Ireland’s foodservice market by Bord Bia also reported an increased focus on health. One of the specific findings highlighted was the changing palate of the Irish consumer. According to Bord Bia, this has seen a rise in demand for fresh and locally sourced foods, not only to meet the needs of ‘health and wellness’ but also for sustainable business practices. Plant-based diets are no longer fringe and while the percentage of consumers that are vegan or vegetarian remains small, consumers are increasingly looking for alternative options.

Another trend relevant to healthy snacking reported by Bord Bia, was that three meals per day is no longer ‘the norm’ as day-stages blur and traditional ways of dining are disappearing. The food board states that onthe-go dining will continue to grow and snacking and late-night occasions will grow in importance as consumers look to source food at any time.

Low calorie sweeteners can also be a useful means of helping consumers to manage their weight. Speaking at the recent third International Sweeteners Association (ISA) Conference in London, professor Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, presented recent studies showing that low calorie sweeteners’ use is related to a higher overall diet quality and can help people meet nutrition recommendations to reduce excess sugar intake. Dr John Sievenpiper, associate professor at the University of Toronto, Canada, made the point that people shouldn’t expect lowcalorie sweeteners to cause weight loss by themselves but they can be useful if used to replace sugars, leading to a reduction of energy intake over sufficient periods of time.

Activia Breakfast Pots are available in two varieties, ‘Low Fat Natural Yogurt & Cereal Flakes’ and ‘Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt & Granola’

Pots of happiness

Enjoyed by over a quarter of Irish households, 2018 has proved a step-changing year for the Activia brand; delivering exciting and relevant innovations to meet the needs of Irish consumers. In fact, Activia has fuelled overall brand growth of +15% year-to-date (YTD), with its no added sugar range enjoying YTD growth of +20%*.

Activia Breakfast Pots are ideal for on-the-go consumption and come with a spoon Avonmore

The latest addition is the launch of Activia Breakfast Pots; a tasty new breakfast solution, which is perfect for on-the-go as it comes with a spoon. Available in two tasty flavours, Activia Breakfast Pots come in ‘Low Fat Natural Yogurt & Cereal Flakes’ and ‘Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt & Granola’ varieties and deliver a source of fibre.

The pots offer a satisfying crunchy texture and are a tasty way to look after consumers’ digestive wellbeing in the morning.

The new development is broadening breakfast occasions for Irish consumers by offering a source of fibre, protein and of course, Activia’s exclusive yogurt cultures. (Enjoy as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes) *(Source: Nielsen ending 17 Oct 2018)

Avonmore Slimline Milk is helping consumers kickstart 2019 on a healthier note by offering them the chance to win €150 worth of fitness gear every day throughout January

Start strong in 2019

While Christmas is the perfect excuse to indulge in some treats with family and friends, come January, consumers will be looking for a little help to kickstart the New Year on a healthier note and get back to their fitness routines.

Avonmore Slimline Milk is launching a campaign in January to help consumers do just that. Avonmore is encouraging consumers to ‘Start Strong’ in 2019, by giving them the chance to win €150 worth of fitness gear every day throughout January. This nationwide campaign will be supported through outdoor and shopper advertising, radio, print, digital and social media.

Over 60% of Irish women aged 18-50 years don’t get enough iron in their diets*. Avonmore Slimline Milk is the only fat-free milk on the market with added iron and Vitamin C, to help reduce tiredness and fatigue. Avonmore Slimline milk is also enriched with folic acid and vitamin D; essential nutrients to help individuals feel their best. For more information, visit www.avonmore.ie. *(Source: National Adult Nutrition Survey, IUNA 2011)

Jelly a firm favourite!

Chivers 9 cal jelly pots offer a low-calorie, gluten-free, fat-free treat in a range of seven tasty flavours

Generations of Irish families have grown up enjoying the great taste and range of Chivers jams and jellies. Chivers was established in Dublin in 1932 and for over 80 years has been a consistent favourite in the weekly shopping basket. This popularity has been driven by the brand’s dual ability to continue to offer the muchloved classic ranges and also to keep innovating to meet the needs of the modern consumer. One of the most successful innovations has been the Chivers 9 cal jelly pots.

The 9 cal jelly pots were introduced in 2014 and have become a fast-growing versatile snack with Irish consumers. The Chivers jelly range includes the traditional jelly cubes, jelly crystals and the popular range of standard jelly pots.

Jelly makes an ideal snack and Chivers 9 cal jelly pots have the added benefits of offering a lowcalorie, gluten-free, fat-free treat in a range of seven tasty flavours. The handy size 150g pot is perfect for on-the-go, after the gym, or between meals.

All Chivers jelly pots are made in Ireland, come in a range of refreshing flavours and are popular all year round. The 9 cal pots are particularly popular with consumers who want to start January with a focus on health and wellness.

Sweetness and light

Ireland’s obesity level is 26.9% and ahead of most Europeans. Bearing this in mind, how do we limit ourselves to the recommended 5% of dietary energy via free sugars? SteviaSweet Crystal, the sweetener made in Switzerland from 100% natural sources, is now available in Ireland in a new design. It provides all the sweetness consumers seek from sugar but with zero calories and is perfect to assist in weight management.

With a sugar-like crunchy texture and mouthfeel, SteviaSweet Crystal is perfect for those who want to bake or cook with it or add to fruit, yogurt, porridge, cereals. In taste tests, over 88% of consumers rated the taste good or excellent and 90% wanted to buy it. It is an ideal alternative to sugar but with zero calories for a healthier lifestyle.

In fact, SteviaSweet Crystal (and SteviaSweet Tablets for hot beverages) are the fastest selling branded stevia-based SKUs in UK supermarkets in the sweetener category. Even better news for retailers is that research shows SteviaSweet is adding sales to the category by converting sugar users and not cannibalising other alternatives (Source: IRI). It is therefore highly positive for generating category growth.

For cutting back on sugar and calories in an everyday cup of tea or coffee, consumers can use SteviaSweet Crystal but there is also SteviaSweet Tablets; convenient for out-ofhome as well as in-home use. SteviaSweet Tablets come in a unique, translucent oneby-one tablet dispenser. With the brand’s website mysteviaswe et.com providing lifestyle hints and tips, low calorie recipes and information, it is a useful help and support for managing weight.

From Hermesetas, there is also the traditional sweeteners that consumers know and love, Hermesetas Mini Sweeteners – Ireland’s number one volume tablet sweetener. What’s more, for cooking, baking, sprinkling on cereals or into hot drinks, there’s Hermesetas Granulated. This has recently been reformulated for an even better sweet taste yet remains the best value premium sweetener in Ireland. Visit Hermesetas.com or contact Allegro on 01 858 0600 for further information and purchasing.

Deliciously healthy!

Unislim celebrates eating tasty, nutritious food which comes from a reliable source, so it stands to reason that it has selected the best potatoes and finest ingredients ingredients for its Gorge Us range. The range currently has four popular products on the market; Rustic Cut Chips, Sweet Potato Fries, and two impressive new additions, Sweet Potato Wedges and Organic Skinny Fries (the first frozen organic chip on the Irish market). Where healthy meets delicious, the Gorge Us family views its role as offering a wholesome and tasty option for slimmers and health-conscious foodies.

Created by Unislim’s top food experts, the Gorge Us range is gluten-free, vegan-friendly, low in saturated fats and contains no artificial colours, preservatives or flavourings. It has also been approved by Ireland’s top dieticians. The range is now stocked by Tesco, Dunnes Stores, SuperValu, BWG Stores, Iceland, Dollard & Co. and other stores nationwide.

Unislim has been Ireland’s leading slimming and healthy lifestyle club since 1972. The club offers members a personalised and effective weight loss plan, which encourages them to make healthier food choices, through a network of supportive weekly classes all over Ireland. For more information, visit Unislim.com.

Related Articles

I’m with the brand: Aaron Mulligan, brand ambassador for Diplomatico Rum →

Harley & Marley unveils Ireland’s first sustainable fish pet food →

Milish Bakery secures multi-million euro deal with M&S →

On your team →