The Green Giant’s Healthy Return

09 Sep 2016 --- Green Giant wants its new portfolio of modernized mealtime classics to help turn its fortunes as the iconic brand begins a drive to appeal to health-conscious consumers. 

Driven by the continuing trend for low-carb alternatives, cauliflower as a rice substitute has been gaining traction for some time. The new Green Giant range includes a ‘Riced Veggies’ line alongside its ‘Veggie Tots’, ‘Mashed Cauliflower’ and ‘Roast Veggies’. 

B&G Foods acquired the Green Giant frozen vegetable brand from General Mills last year and the cauliflower rice and ‘veggie’ innovations mark a return to the market with a defined purpose of helping Americans swap in more vegetables, easily and conveniently. The new lines are due to hit stores across the US throughout September. 

"Since the acquisition of this iconic brand, we have been working tirelessly to meet consumer desire for new, delicious ways to incorporate more vegetables into their daily lives," said Robert Cantwell, chief executive of B&G Foods. "This consumer desire has inspired the creation of new Green Giant frozen innovations, as well as the brand's modernized persona, with the intention of bringing back the Green Giant with a purpose—adding more vegetables to America's plates."

The new Green Giant frozen vegetable products include:

- Veggie Tots: Child-friendly alternative to french fries and potato tots, filled with vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli instead of potatoes. 
- Riced Veggies: Made from 100 percent vegetables and with no sauce or seasoning, these veggie alternatives to traditional rice have 70 percent to 85 percent fewer calories per serving than the leading brand of prepared white rice.
- Mashed Cauliflower: An alternative to the typical potato side dish. Each half-cup serving contains one full serving of cauliflower and 40 percent to 45 percent fewer calories than the leading brand of prepared mashed potatoes. 
- Roasted Veggies: Roasted vegetables without the hassle of roasting and cleaning up. These items contain no sauce or seasoning. 

The company says the new Green Giant vegetable innovations connect well with how consumers prepare vegetables and meet the increasing demand for nutritious, time-saving food options to match on-the-go lifestyles. 

In conjunction with the new frozen products, Green Giant is rolling out the $30 million "The Giant Awakens" media campaign. The brand will take consumers down memory lane to remind them of the iconic Jolly Green Giant character and his part in serving generations of American families their vegetables. Green Giant will bring forward its approach to creating products that meet current consumer eating patterns, ushering in a more contemporary era for a classic American brand and icon.