Instagrammable snacking: Dole releases low-calorie fruity smoothie bowls

16 Apr 2019 --- Dole Packaged Foods is releasing ready-to-eat, spoonable fruit smoothie bowls. Designed for convenience, the Dole Whip Spoonable Smoothies make a quick and nutritious breakfast or snack, coming in at under 200 calories. Snacking and on-the-go meals have become a part of daily life and consumers increasingly demand healthy and convenient options. The smoothie bowls are available in two flavors, Pineapple Banana and Strawberry Banana.

“What began as a trend with açai bowls has translated into a broader smoothie bowl trend. We’re seeing them pop up all over Instagram and Pinterest as consumers hunt for a delicious new take on fruit for breakfast,” says Erin Fasano, Director of Marketing, Frozen, at Dole Packaged Foods. “Recognizing consumer demand for a delicious, no-prep, no-mess smoothie option, we developed Dole Spoonable Smoothies to serve that need.”

Consumers are seeking healthy, indulgent, yet convenient solutions that fit busy lifestyles, while brands increasingly expand their portfolios by creating snacking versions of their existing products. Snacking is a central focus of innovation across all food and beverage categories, with 10 percent average annual growth of global launches with a snacking claim over the past five years (CAGR, 2013-2017). 

Research suggests that Millennials are more likely to snack four times a day than any other generation. Targeting this demographic is now a well established and widely utilized marketing tool. Innova Market Insights reports that 63 percent of Millennials are replacing meals with snacks because they are busy (Consumer Lifestyle and Attitudes Survey, 2018). 

But it is not only about Millennials. With 50 percent of Gen X’ers “inclined to cut down on their sugar consumption” and 67 percent of boomers “making changes to their diet to become healthier,” you could argue that there are numerous product development avenues to follow for healthier snacking.

Health indulgence with fruity smoothie bowls
Dole Whip Spoonable Smoothies Pineapple Banana was inspired by pineapple soft-serve ice cream, the company says. It boasts a thick and creamy smoothie base, topped with pineapple, crunchy honey oat granola and coconut shavings. The product has 180 calories per serving and the company says it makes for a good breakfast or snack.

Dole Spoonable Smoothies Strawberry Banana has 170 calories per serving. The smoothie blends strawberry with banana for a light and fruity base topped with toasted granola. Being classic flavor combination, the Strawberry Banana Spoonable Smoothies are a traditional smoothie flavor that most consumers are acquainted with already.

The smoothies are frozen and can be thawed out within 35-40 minutes on the counter or just 30 seconds in the microwave. Both varieties retail for approximately US$4. 

Within the snacking genre, bowl meals are a good example of convenient meals, as their success in restaurants is now being extended into retail options for the grocery trade. Bowl presentation is increasingly being thought of as convenient, novel, healthy and highly customizable, where any flavor profile/cuisine can be incorporated. Options include poke bowls, Buddha bowls, smoothie bowls, açai bowls and more.