Del Monte Asks Americans To Plant A Garden… In Their Pantry

By Sam Lewis

Canned food manufacturer strives to see year-round fruit and vegetable consumption

Del Monte has formed a partnership with Brit + Co. — an online and e-commerce company which aspires the digital generation to dream up and bring to life creative ideas — encouraging American consumers to eat healthier by thinking of their pantry as a garden.

The partnership came to fruition at Brit + Co.’s new kitchen debut on Nov 18. The event brought together food industry experts, dieticians, and food bloggers in an effort to bring the American pantry back to life. “Partnering with Del Monte Foods allowed us to have a natural conversation with our cooking and crafting-centric fans,” says founder and CEO of Brit + Co., Brit Morin. “By encouraging consumers to plant a garden in their pantry, we hope to inspire healthy and flavorful meals created with fruits and vegetables.”

The newly-formed duo has created a four-part pantry content series that entails the companies’ drawing parallels between a pantry and a personal garden. Much like a garden first requires seeds to be planted; a pantry must first be stocked with fruits and vegetables.  From there, gardens must be tended to, watering, feeding, and removing pests. Similar to a garden being tended, the two companies ask consumers to organize their pantries, placing the most nutritious items closer to the front and eliminating harmful items. Finally, the fruits and vegetables of a garden must be harvested for enjoyment. Del Monte and Brit + Co. equate the harvesting of a garden to finding and creating healthy meals from the contents within the pantry. “The content we created helps educate both of our fan bases on how they can effectively use and draw inspiration from their pantry,” says Amy Shoemaker, brand manager at Del Monte Foods.

Almost all (90 percent) of Del Monte’s fruit and vegetables are grown in the U.S., with the majority of that produce being canned the same day it is picked. By limiting the time from plant to can, Del Monte optimizes both the flavor and nutrient content of its fruit and vegetables. In some cases, like peaches and tomatoes, the canning process actually improves nutrient content through the additions of vitamins and antioxidants. By having fruits and vegetables readily available in their pantry, consumers will be able to reap the benefits of their summertime gardens year-round.

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