Kale grower-shippers are hopeful that news reports about McDonald’s restaurants adding kale to their menu will prove to be true — and that McDonald’s will be just the beginning of a trend to expanded use of kale in fast food establishments.
“It’s always great when anyone tries to bring healthier choices to consumers,” said Jennifer Stornetta, marketing manager for Guadalupe, Calif.-based Apio Inc.
While McDonald’s would not confirm that the company plans to start serving kale, media relations director Lisa McComb told The Packer that, “Kale could be an ingredient, along with many others that we are evaluating.”
One report says the chain could use kale in salads or possibly in a smoothie.
Stornetta is optimistic.
“We’re definitely seeing a lot more kale in regular mainstream restaurants, so I think there is definitely the potential that it could catch on and expand,” she said.
Kale already has made a mark in fine-dining establishments, said William Nardelli, president and owner of Nardelli Bros. Inc., Cedarville, N.J.
“Some of the upscale restaurants are introducing kale in ways we didn’t even realize it could be utilized,” he said.
Chefs are using kale not only as a traditional garnish but in soups and marinated or sautéed.
“It’s definitely opened up a lot of opportunity,” he said.
At Salinas, Calif.-based Church Brothers LLC, where 75% of the company’s business is foodservice, kale sales are going strong, said Kori Tuggle, vice president of marketing.
“We are still seeing growing demand,” she said.
Chopped kale is a favored salad component because of its hardiness and ability to retain crunch and texture when blended with dressings and other ingredients, she said.
But fresh kale has moved beyond the typical salad menu and now is added to soups and noodle bowls and combined with other powerhouse vegetables and salad blends. Chopped, shredded and blended kale shows up in salads, soups, Asian bowls, pasta and as fajita and taco toppers, as well as in fresh press juices and smoothies.
Starbucks even has a “hearty veggie and brown rice salad bowl” that includes fresh kale, she said.
Buurma Farms, Willard, Ohio, deals with the foodservice sector through foodservice suppliers, said treasurer Loren Buurma. He’s seen kale on menus at white tablecloth establishments as well as casual dining restaurants like Applebee’s and Cheddar’s.
Twelve- and 24-count bunched kale with no stems is a favorite pack style for restaurants, he said. But the company will pack whatever configuration customers want.
Olive Garden restaurants have introduced a Zuppa Toscana soup that features kale, sausage and russet potatoes, Nardelli said.
“I’ve had it. It’s exceptional,” he said.
Many of Nardelli Bros. foodservice customers order 12- or 24-count containers of bulk kale with some processors asking for clipped kale packed loose in the box.
“There are several ways it can be sold and marketed,” Nardelli said.
Church Brothers blends different varieties of chopped or shredded kale, allowing the company to offer foodservice customers a “long list of options for menu innovation,” Tuggle said.
One of its popular blends is the chopped rainbow kale blend consisting of equal amounts of green, lacinato and redbor kale, she said.