March 2012 Newsletter | Veggies Made Easy

It depends on where you live if March came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. The weather has been more like winter in California, and now its 67º outside. National Nutrition Month is paired perfectly with spring arriving, reminding us we have a new beginning and now is the time to shed our winter coats and get back in shape. Sounds like fresh veggies and exercise are in order!

National Nutrition Month
The 2012 motto for National Nutrition Month is “Get Your Plate in Shape”. This is something that should happen every day of the year. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has provided some easy tips to follow:

Include food from all food groups.
Be mindful of your calorie needs and avoid oversized portions.
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
Make at least half of your grains whole.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk.
Vary your protein choices with seafood, nuts, beans, lean meat, poultry and eggs.
Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added sugars.
Enjoy your food, but eat less.
Be physically active your way. Children and teens should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Adults should get at least 2 ½ hours of physical activity each week.

USDA Choose My Plate has some tools to help you:

Favorite Health Apps for Mobile Devises
The LIVESTRONG.COM Calorie Tracker application is the companion tool to MyPlate online, available for $2.99. This app can be purchased for iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry mobile devices. MyPlate at LIVESTRONG.COM helps you determine a daily calorie target based on your weight and weight goal. Then you can search the extensive database of more than 1.3 million foods for nutritional information including fat, sugar, carbohydrates, cholesterol and more. You can also search 2,000 fitness items and calculate how many calories you can burn with those activities. With a simple tap, you can track how many calories you can consume, burn and net on a daily basis.

Lose It! is our other favorite. This app can be purchased for iPhone, iPad or Androids. And bonus, it is free if you want to use it online on your computer. It tracks your daily food consumption, exercise level, calories burned, calories left to consume and based on the information you start with, it calculates when your goal is will be met, if you stay on track. If you are a Fitbit Ultra user, connect it to Lose It! And your activity will automatically be updated.
These are just two of many great tools available to help you succeed in reaching your health goals.

Spring Menu Ideas
There is so much to celebrate in the spring. More holidays are just around the corner and I hear the rabbits are ready to run through the meadows with fun filled baskets of colorful eggs and other delicious treats. Mann has some great recipes for your gathering. These work for brunches, lunches, dinners and picnics. Whatever you choose for your friends and family we can help you finish off your menu.

Retail News
We have some exciting retail distribution news this month!

On the East Coast we have starting shipping to Supervalu, which includes Acme, Shoppers and Farm Fresh Markets. Look for our fresh-cut veggies there, including Broccolini
Render’s chain of 40 stores in Pennsylvania has started receiving eight of our convenient vegetables, including Snacks on the Go and Mann’s Meat and Cheese Tray.

Welcome to our new distributors, it is our pleasure to partner with you.

What’s New at Mann?
Brussels sprouts are members of the Brassica family and are related to broccoli and cabbage, all cruciferous vegetables. Researchers have found they fight cancer, lower cholesterol, help decrease inflammation, improve cardiovascular health, are rich in antioxidants, and are a natural choice for our digestive support system. They are rich in vitamin K, A, B1, B2, B6, E, calcium, niacin and omega 3 fatty acids.

This month we are proud to start shipping Brussels sprouts in our 12 oz steam in bag packaging nationwide to: Weiss; Walmart; Acme (Supervalu); Lund’s; Brookshire’s; Meijer; Miner’s; Safeway and Solaris’s. We will also start shipping to Loblaw’s in Western Canada.

You can find some delicious recipes on our website
Mann’s Brussels Sprouts

Mann’s Rainbow Salad has a new look this month too. We have changed the mix to include miniature broccoli florettes in place of the broccoli shreds. This pairs with the cauliflower, carrots and cabbage and makes for a very attractive salad mix. The new mix started going out last week, so we hope you enjoy it! New Rainbow Salad

March Highlights and Fun Facts

Daylight savings time started March 11, more sunshine and time outdoors.
Spring Equinox celebrated March 20, time to clean out the winter weeds and plant your garden.
Agriculture Day March 21, to applaud everyone that is part of the growing community.
National Broccoli Day March 22, enjoy the fresh flavor of the veggie that started Mann on its 73 year road to bring you fresh, delicious vegetables!
Broccoli contains twice the vitamin C of an orange.
Broccoli contains selenium, a mineral that has been found to have anti-cancer and anti-viral properties.
Butternut squash is a pear-shaped winter fruit that belongs to the gourd family.
Eating butternut squash adds fiber to a diet, which may help lower cholesterol levels and the risk of colon cancer.

How Do You Feel About Sweet Baby Bell Peppers?
We are always looking for new items for our faithful consumers and are currently exploring Sweet Baby Bell Peppers. Can you take one minute and answer a few questions for us?
Take this survey……

Consumer Questions and Answers

Question: Zoe, NJ I am just starting to eat vegetables and was wondering if there are there any preservatives in your products?

Answer: No, our fresh veggies are washed, cut and packaged without any preservatives or additives.

We are looking forward to warm weather and getting a garden planted. We will have garden tips for you next month. Enjoy the springtime and eat your broccoli!

Sincerely,

Susan Cameron
Mann Packing Co.

Fresh Vegetables Made Easy!

Mann's March 2012 Newsletter