Healthy taste of breakfast

Healthy breakfasts are of growing importance in the minds of consumers, who are becoming increasingly aware of the significance of diet on their health. A multitude of products have emerged to help satisfy consumers' needs. Griffin Dulany reports.

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Brand Central

AT A GLANCE: BREAKFAST

• Connacht Gold’s new Low Fat Butter won a gold star at the Great Taste Awards and is short-listed for the Irish Quality Food Awards
• Kelkin’s heart healthy initiative products are boosting sales by reducing cholesterol levels – a major concern for many consumers
• Nusli is a Swiss inspired product that combines Irish yogurt, wholegrains, fruit pieces, almonds, hazelnuts, and apple juice
• Odlums remains Ireland’s number one ranked home baking brand whose wheat products have been successful since 1845. Despite its age, the Odlums brand remains innovative and forward thinking
• Sqeez has launched a new range of juice drinks: orange, apple, tropical, and berry
• Sugar Puffs cereal is a vitamin rich, low fat, and preservative free breakfast
• Weetabix has developed a new range of breakfast biscuits
• Truly Irish rashers have 82% lean pork and come in three distinct flavours – back rasher, maple cured rasher, and beechwood smoked rasher
• Denny remains Ireland’s number one most frequently purchased meat brand and was voted Ireland’s tastiest sausage
• Galtee is ranked the number two meat brand and the tenth most frequently purchased
• The breakfast beverage Fruice provides consumers with essential nutrients to begin their day, providing 100% of an adult’s RDA of vitamin C

Real butter, half the fat

Connacht Gold Low Fat Butter is a great tasting, natural product. It’s real butter with half the fat.

Containing no vegetable oils or chemically treated fats, and with only 19 calories per serving, the whole family can enjoy the natural taste of butter at breakfast time, with all the health benefits of half the fat. The taste of Connacht Gold Low Fat Butter can be enjoyed by smothering it on hot toast, spreading it on brown bread, or spreading it on a bagel at breakfast.

Its great taste has been proven, having won numerous prestigious awards – the most recent being a gold star at the internationally recognised Great Taste Awards and the unique product has been short-listed for this year’s Irish Quality Food Awards.

Since the Connacht Gold Low Fat Butter TV ad was launched last year, Connacht Gold has become a popular choice for consumers right across the length and breadth of the country, leading to increased sales and market share for the growing brand.

Lowering cholesterol

Eight out of ten adults are looking for a natural way to lower their cholesterol as consumers are becoming more aware that diet and lifestyle play a key role in lowering blood cholesterol levels. That’s a great reason to stock up on Kelkin’s new healthy heart range of mueslis and flakes. Cranberry & apple muesli and mixed berries muesli, oat bran flakes, and oat bran flakes with mixed berries help make up Kelkin’s healthy heart initiative.

For those following a gluten free diet, Kelkin has launched organic healthy heart pure oat porridge. Healthy heart cereals contain oat bran, a natural source of oat beta-glucan* which is proven to help lower cholesterol levels. Adding at least 3g of oat beta-glucan to your daily diet has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels by up to 10%. One serving of Kelkin’s healthy heart mueslis or oat bran flakes provides at least one gram of oat beta-glucan, 33% of the suggested daily intake. They’re also a great source of fibre.

Kelkin’s new website provides information on all of its products as well as providing health advice and recipe inspirations. Further information is available at www.kelkin.ie, www.facebook/kelkin.ie, or by calling 01-4600400.

*(Oat beta-glucan (OBG) has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD has multiple risk factors, altering one of these risk factors may or may not have a beneficial effect. The beneficial effect of lowering cholesterol is obtained with a daily intake of three grams of OBG. One serving of Kelkin healthy heart cereals provides at least one gram of OBG (33% of the daily suggested intake).)

Alpine snacks

This new product is a combination of Irish yogurt, wholegrains, fruit pieces, almonds, hazelnuts, and apple juice mixed into one pot with a spoon included. Nusli is based on the Swiss recipe Bircher Muesli, and comes in three varieties: blueberries, apple and blackberries, and multi-berries. Nusli launched in February 2014 and is now found in the refrigerated section of Ireland’s leading retailers.

Nusli is a healthy option for busy people on the go. Nusli is healthy, fills you up, keeps you going, and celebrates the highest quality ingredients from a variety of Irish producers. Retailers have been quick to jump at the chance to work with Nusli, with the majority of Ireland’s retailers carrying the yogurt brand. Nusli is running a series of promotions for the back to school/college period in major chains.

Nusli is unique in that it took over two years to develop a recipe that maintained its texture without going gloopy and unpalatable. Nusli stays crunchy yet the recipe remains natural. The container is designed for convenient use with a spoon included and a re-sealable lid. The pack can be stacked vertically or displayed on its side. It comes in shelf ready cases of six.

Wonderful wheat

Odlums is Ireland’s number one home baking brand. The company has been milling the finest wheat for over 160 years. Its expertise began in 1845, when the Odlum family opened their first flourmill in Portlaoise. Their flour is milled in Portarlington, Co. Laois to this very day. Bake with the best is the company’s philosophy and it ensures that its products are of the finest quality. Innovation is an integral part of Odlums brand offering, with the recent launch of re-sealable tubs, convenience packs, and specialty spelt and organic range. For the second year running, Odlums is sponsoring TV3’s Great Irish Bakeoff, showcasing Ireland’s ultimate baking battle where passionate amateur bakers compete to be to be crowned Ireland’s best-amateur baker.

Juicin’

Sqeez is delighted to launch a new range of four juice drinks. The range contains apple, orange, berry, and tropical. The new range is packaged in Ireland and will be hitting the shelves during the month of August. Be sure to keep an eye out for these juicy new thirst quenchers.

A healthy classic

Sugar Puffs are the original puffed wheat cereal, glazed with honey and brown sugar to start the day. A family favorite for many years, they are a source of fibre and are fortified with vitamins and iron (see GDAs). Sugar Puffs are also low in fat, low in salt, and are guaranteed to be free of artificial colors and preservatives. If you missed the outpouring of nostalgic pining for Sugar Puffs on the 2fm Tubridy show it goes to show the regard in which Sugar Puffs are held across Ireland. Sugar Puffs are one of the true originals of the cereal category.

Breakfast on the go

Weetabix has launched new “Weetabix On The Go” breakfast biscuits. Designed to be a breakfast solution, the biscuits boast the Weetabix wholegrain fuel credentials for those mornings when there isn’t time for a bowl of breakfast cereal. The product launched in singles and multi-packs and will be rolled out across both major multiples and convenience outlets.

The breakfast biscuits, baked in the distinctive Weetabix lozenge shape, are available in two flavors; milk & cereal and apple with a hint of cinnamon, to appeal to a wide range of consumers who are looking for an on-the-go breakfast solution to deliver the fuel they need.

This new range comes in case sizes of 16 x 50g packs, with each pack containing four biscuits. Multi-packs are also available with the additional flavor of fruit and fibre in five x 50g packs.

Containing real wholegrain Weetabix, the tasty breakfast biscuits are crammed with goodness to fuel those extra busy days.

Not just a name

Truly Irish Country Foods has seen major success in using its experience in the pork-farming field to supply exceptionally high quality pork for ale in the local and international marketplace. Both its name and label is committed to supporting local jobs with all products fully DNA traceable back to the farm.

Truly Irish Country Foods offers proper thick cut, old style, premium bacon and pork products with no MSG and low fat and low salt content. Truly Irish has developed a unique rasher that holds its shape when cooking and leaves minimal white residue in the pan, proving no excess water is added, therefore giving the consumer better value for money.

The pork farmer co-op is currently undergoing research trials feeding seaweed extract to pigs in order to enhance productivity, quality and health, as well as deliver more naturally healthy products to customers. Truly Irish’s rashers come in three flavour options: traditional back rasher, maple cured rasher, and beechwood smoked rasher. Truly Irish sausages have 82% lean pork content making it a healthy low-fat nutritional meal.

The range also includes traditional black and white puddings created from a unique recipe that has been handed down for generations of Irish pork butchers. All of the award-wining products display the Bord Bia quality assurance mark. Many processors claim to be ‘farm to fork’, but Truly Irish goes one step further. It operates from conception to fork. Contact Truly Irish at office@trulyirish.ie for more details.

Quality meats

Denny still remains Ireland’s number one and most frequently purchased meat brand*. Denny’s Gold Medal range, which was voted Ireland’s tastiest sausage, was re-launched in March 2014 with a new packaging look for the brand, a high quality recipe, and a full support campaign including TV advertisements. The re-launch has driven great performance in the last quarter for both sausages and rashers. Denny has always been a favourite of Irish families, and a must stock line – due to its commitment to delivering quality products at the right price. Denny is going to continue its TV ad campaign throughout 2014 and supplement that through promotions to both retailers and consumers.

Galtee provides delicious rashers, sausages, and pudding in the Irish market. Galtee’s heritage in rashers and its consistent commitment to providing consumers with high quality and a great value range of products help explain why it is still ranked the number two meat brand and the tenth most frequently purchased brand in the country**

*(Source: Kantar 2014)

**(Source: Millward Brown Aug 2013)

A healthy boost

Fruice, launched in Ireland in 1991, is an Irish ambient juice brand and a proud member of  “Love Irish Food”, which represents Irish producers and brands. Fruice is available in 100% orange and apple juice, as well as 24% cranberry juice. The drinks are packaged in 1Litre packs and handy 330ml PET bottles, which are perfect for the breakfast table or for breakfast on the go. With increasing demand for the refreshment and health benefits juices offer, Fruice delivers a variety of high and low juice content options combining drinkability and naturalness, offering a range of pack formats for consumption at any time.

An exciting new Fruice integrated marketing campaign launched in March 2014, entitled ‘Fruice, Your Daily Delivery of Vitamin C’. The campaign communicates the health benefits of Fruice, as a 270ml serving of Fruice orange or cranberry deliver 100% of an adult’s RDA of vitamin C, along with a number of other vitamins.

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