Chosen Foods makes avocado-based kitchen staples that are healthy, approachable and delicious

Chosen Foods has built a name for itself as a purveyor of nutrient-dense, heart-healthy, avocado-based products ranging from pure avocado oils to cooking sprays, mayos, sauces, dressings and, most recently, a line of fresh, refrigerated avocado salsas and snacks.

We spoke with Natalie Morse, the brand's vice president of marketing, about the still-meteoric popularity of this rich and creamy fruit and why customers can’t get enough of these products.

What do you think consumers are looking for when they turn to your products, and do you think avocado will continue to be a hot-ticket ingredient in the future? 

I believe that consumers turn to Chosen Foods for a few reasons. First, we offer a product line that showcases the true versatility of avocados. As our core ingredient, the avocado appears in everything from our simmer sauces, dressings, mayos and cooking sprays. Not only does this versatility apply to our family of products, but avocado oil itself is such a unique tool to have in the kitchen. It’s that ingredient that you’ll grab for all types of cooking including grilling, baking, sautéing and whatever else you can dream up. I do feel that avocado oil will continue being a hot-ticket item. As a category that was only born about a decade ago, [avocado oil has] those cult followers and the newbies who understand the importance of healthy cooking oils.  

How and why do your products speak to people’s growing concerns about health and wellness?  

Now more than ever, mental and physical health are major priorities in the eyes of consumers. Products that keep purity, quality and clean ingredients at the forefront of their messaging will take center stage in consumers' minds. We are very transparent with our consumers, leaving no room for uncertainty. Health and wellness have been brand pillars since our inception in 2011; we haven’t wavered from those values because we believe in the power of clean and approachable food.  

Chosen Foods has recently expanded from shelf-stable into refrigerated products, is this any indication of the types of new products we might see more of in the future? 

We are always challenging ourselves to innovate and help consumers envision a new way of using avocados. In addition to expanding on some beloved current product lines, we also plan on venturing into new categories. More to come!  

Do you think product innovation is still important to consumers and retailers in these uncertain times? 

Our research indicates that at the start of COVID-19 consumers were sticking with what they know and love. With more people staying home, the need for our flagship cooking oil jumped to four to five times a week and became an item utilized up to three times per day.

People are going through kitchen staples more quickly, spending more time cooking from scratch and learning about new cooking techniques. Using staple kitchen items, like cooking oil, has become more consistent during these uncertain times. 

Immediately following the COVID-19 outbreak, 35% of consumers were most likely to try and keep buying brands within the healthy food category (as compared to other categories). In recent months, we’ve seen more and more consumers reaching for those adventurous products in the hopes of spicing up their day-to-day. Product innovation is always something we are working on, but we also understand that during uncertain times consumers tend to look for consistency and familiarity.  

Health and mission are two things that consumers value more than ever before. How do your products spark change in people’s lives and beyond? 

Chosen Foods is all about the culinary celebration of avocados. And what other superfruit generates more positive sentiment than our hero ingredient, the avocado! In all seriousness, health and wellness live at the center of who we are as a company and who we are as members of our community. We believe that kitchen staples (the things you use every single day) should not only be healthy but, above all else, they should be approachable and delicious. By putting clean and pure ingredients into our bodies, our hope is that people will roll this goodness into how they support their communities and work to make the world a place we all want to live in. In this time of uncertainty, we hope to inspire more family mealtimes and encourage adventurous eating and the exploration of new flavors.

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