CONTACT: Mary Krier, VP/Communications, Flowers Foods
(229) 227-2333 or mkrier@flowersfoods.com
Brown Bags are in Fashion this Fall
November is National Bread Month and the Perfect Time to Brown Bag It
EL PASO, TX October 16, 2008 – What is this fall’s hottest must-have accessory? It’s the brown bag lunch. Adult consumers in the U.S. will be carrying more than 8.5 billion brown bag lunches this year, according to the NPD Group, a national market research company. And food fashionistas will want to make sure their brown bag is outfitted with delicious sandwiches made with Nature’s Own and Whitewheat® breads.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of women at some time pack a lunch for themselves, with 39% indicating they do so at least once a week, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Grains Foods Foundation and conducted by Harris Interactive®. That number is expected to grow, with more than one-third (37%) of U.S. women who pack their own lunches indicating they plan to do so more often in the coming year than they have in the past.
"Since November is National Bread Month, now is the perfect time to brush off your favorite sandwich recipe and join others across the country who are brown bagging it," said Eddie Morris, president, Flowers Baking Company of El Paso. “Sandwiches are delicious, easy to make, and a more cost-effective way for adults to use their lunch money.”
The current state of the economy seems to be driving the brown bag craze, with 81% of women indicating that money is an important factor for packing their own lunch. Almost half of U.S. women eat lunch out at least once per week, spending an average of $9 each time, according to the survey.
Brown bagging also makes sense for kids. Lunches from home can save hundreds – even thousands – of dollars per year for many families. The Harris survey found that women with school-age children at home are more likely than those without children (59%) to pack a lunch.
“These days, managing expenses is a priority for many of us,” said Morris. “Making sandwiches and packing healthy lunches is a relatively easy way to save money and control your diet since brown bag lunches tend to be smaller in portion and lower in calories.”
Not surprisingly, sandwiches are the number one choice for take-from-home lunches. Portable, easy to eat, and offering infinite variety, sandwiches made with bread provide much-needed energy during the middle of the day.
“Today’s supermarket bread aisle is filled with an incredible variety of breads for every taste and diet concern,” Morris explains. “For example, we have Nature’s Own breads made with whole grains, with extra fiber, with fewer calories, and with omega-3. For people who enjoy the taste and texture of white bread—but want the nutritional punch of wheat bread—there’s Whitewheat® bread. People can easily customize their sandwiches simply by choosing different types of breads.”
If you’re looking for new ideas for sandwiches, visit www.naturesownbread.com or www.whitewheat.com for lots of delicious recipes. Be sure to join the free eRecipe Club to receive recipes and sandwich ideas by e-mail. Nature's Own and Whitewheat® breads are found in supermarket bread aisles in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic States.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Grain Foods Foundation among 1,536 U.S. adult females (aged 18 and over) within the United States between July 31 and August 4, 2008. Data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity and propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research that is powered by our science and technology, Harris Interactive assists clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through its North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
About Nature’s Own
Flowers introduced Nature’s Own, with no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors, in 1977. Since then, Nature’s Own has grown into a full line of more than 10 soft variety breads and buns with annual sales of more than $600 million. Nature’s Own is well known for quality and innovation. In the 1980s, Flowers introduced one of the first low-calorie breads on the market under the Nature’s Own brand. In 1999, Nature’s Own Sugar Free hit the market, one of the first commercially produced sugar-free breads available. In 2004, Flowers successfully introduced Nature’s Own Wheat ‘n Fiber, the first commercially produced bread with lower carbohydrates. More recently, Flowers has introduced Double Fiber Wheat with five grams of fiber per slice and heart-healthy omega-3, a line of premium, whole grain specialty breads, and new items especially for breakfast. For more information, visit www.naturesownbread.com.
About Whitewheat®
Since its introduction in 1991, Whitewheat® has grown into one of Flowers’ best-selling brands. Offering the taste and texture of white bread but the nutritional benefits of wheat, Whitewheat® is an excellent source of calcium and iron; a good source of fiber, which may help prevent obesity in children; and contains no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Today, adults and children can enjoy a complete line of delicious Whitewheat® breads and buns. For more information, visit www.whitewheat.com.
About Flowers Baking Company of El Paso
Flowers Baking Co. of El Paso, located at 301 N. Dallas St., produces and markets fresh bakery foods that are sold under the Nature’s Own, Whitewheat®, Cobblestone Mill, Sunbeam, ButterKrust, and Blue Bird brands. The bakery is a subsidiary of Flowers Bakeries, which is an operating unit of Flowers Foods (NYSE: FLO), headquartered in Thomasville, Ga. Flowers Foods, one of the nation’s leading producers and marketers of packaged bakery foods for retail and foodservice customers, operates 39 bakeries that produce a wide range of bakery products marketed through Southeast, Southwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions via an extensive direct-store-delivery network and nationwide through other delivery systems. For more information on the company, visit www.flowersfoods.com.
