UNFI Adds Meal Kits, Frozen Meals to Meet Growing Demand

United Natural Foods, Inc. has added two meal solutions – meal kits and frozen meals – to its offering to better allow retailers to meet the growing demand for quick, restaurant quality meals, while reducing in-store labor and the time required to create similar products on their own. The meal solutions are available nationwide to the more than 30,000 customer locations UNFI services.

The on-trend meal solutions, fresh meal kits from Cook•Able and flash-frozen meals from Cadence Kitchen, allow UNFI to quickly deliver additional high quality product choices that help customers differentiate their offerings at a time when consumers increasingly rely on their local retailer for meal options.

“With consumers continuing to favor eating at home versus away, retailers are looking to offer delicious and effortless products to time-challenged consumers that replicate the restaurant experience at budget friendly pricing,” said Jody Barrick, vice president of Bakery/Deli at UNFI. “These chef-inspired offerings from Cook•Able and Cadence Kitchen give retailers a fast, delicious and reasonably priced turnkey experience, affording their teams additional time to focus on serving their customers.”

The fresh, simple and flavorful meal kits from Cook•Able feature quick and convenient recipes with pre-portioned ingredients that serve 2-4 individuals and are ready in 20-25 minutes. Shelf stable for 14 days and available at a suggested retail price of $12.99 to $19.99, the meal kits come in familiar flavors, including:

• Chipotle Chicken Tacos
• Creamy Bacon & Parmesan Pasta with Broccoli
• Hot Honey Chicken with Seared Garlic Broccoli and BBQ Roasted Potatoes
• Mediterranean Chicken with Olives, Feta & Rice
• Pan Seared Orange Chicken with Broccoli
• Tuscan Herb Chicken in a Creamy Parmesan Sauce
• Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls with Broccoli & Peanuts
• Weeknight Chicken Pad Thai with Broccoli and Peanuts

With a wide range of international menu items, creative flavor profiles and thoughtfully sourced ingredients, Cadence Kitchen meals go from flash-frozen to ready-to-eat in 15 minutes or less. Designed to provide consumers with planning flexibility, the following frozen entrees and sides are available at a suggested retail price of $5.99 to $9.99.

Entrees:

• American Beef Stew
• Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Five Cheese Pasta (Fiocchetti) in Bolognese Sauce
• Gluten Free BBQ Mac and Cheese
• Lobster Tortellini
• Prime Rib Stroganoff
• Prime Rib Beef and Broccoli
• Prime Rib with Mushroom Gravy
• Shrimp Scampi

Sides:

• Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
• Mexican Style Street Corn
• Vegan Latin Bowl

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