Seeing Green: Kale-Incorporated Product Sales Soar

Forget four leaf clovers, it seems kale is a lucky ingredient this year. According to a new data, foods that incorporate kale as an ingredient have seen substantial growth in sales over the last year.

Using ingredient data from Label Insight, Nielsen’s Product Insider tool found that the curly green vegetable has expanded beyond more traditional savory categories such as pasta sauce, prepared foods and side dishes to yogurt, breakfast and even frozen sweets. Between February 2016 and 2017 sales dollars increased by as much as 391 percent in frozen breakfast entrees with kale and 125 percent in vitamins and supplements with kale. Pasta sauce with the vegetable also saw substantial sales growth at about 60 percent.

But it seems that consumers prefer their kale in products rather than as the starring attraction. Kale on its own only saw dollar sales increase by about five percent during that same time period, according to the report.

Some brands debuting new items during last week’s Natural Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., are chasing this leafy pot of gold. Below are some of the new kale-infused products the NOSH team spotted during the show:

Solar Raw Food

Solar Raw Food

Solar Raw Food's kale chips are organic, raw, gluten-free, vegan and dehydrated. The chips also include six-eight grams of protein.

Beetnik

Beetnik

Beetnik's new line of paleo, organic, and gluten free single-serve frozen meals incorporates kale.

Little Duck Organics

Little Duck Organics

Little Duck's new line of bars not only uses kale as an ingredient, but also adds to the company's portfolio of probiotic toddler snacks.

Primizie

Primizie

Snack chip brand Primizie showed off its new look from last year's redesign.

LivBar

LivBar

At the show, LivBar debuted its new recipe, new flavors and certified organic status. Some new flavors included Raspberry Kale Maca and Blueberry Vanilla Kale.

Sprout Organic

Sprout Organic

One of the leaders in plant-based baby and toddler food, Sprout launched its lines of plant-based protein baby food purees and plant-powered toddler snacks during the show.

Rhythm Superfoods

Rhythm Superfoods

Austin-based Rhythm Superfoods announced in January that it had closed a series D round of funding, raising $6 million.

Dr. Praeger's

Dr. Praeger's

Dr. Praeger's debuted its new line of plant-driven bowls at Expo, but its complete line of products includes veggie burgers, cakes, puffs, seafood items and hash browns.

Cybele's Free To Eat

Cybele's Free To Eat

From sweet to savory, Free To Eat rolled out a pasta line using vegetables like kale. The company previously focused on cookies.

Kaley's

Kaley's

Utilizing kale from its inception, Kaley's showcased its "air dried, not fried," Canadian-made, sea salt chips.

Grainful

Grainful

One of Grainful's three new internationally-inspired flavors that debuted at the show is Tuscan Bean and Kale.

Foods Alive

Foods Alive

From Foods Alive, comes Coconut Curry Power Crackers, Lemon Chia Crunch Power Snackers and its hearty onion ring line featuring kale.

Cuisine Adventures

Cuisine Adventures

Frozen meal brand Cuisine Adventure's newest product, a Chicken, Quinoa & Kale meal, became available at Kroger's earlier this month.