CINCINNATI, OH - The spring to early summer months are here, and Kroger is harnessing the warm weather as an opportunity to drive more traffic to its fresh department. The retailer has unleashed a seasonal eating cheat sheet, sharing a variety of fresh-forward recipes boasting lots of fruits and vegetables.

"Fresh is always in season at Kroger, and as warm weather approaches, we know our customers are ready to enjoy lots of fruits and vegetables that are at peak seasonality," said Dan De La Rosa, Kroger's Group Vice President of Fresh Merchandising. "Customers can look forward to their seasonal favorites and—as always—unparalleled freshness this spring and throughout summer with limitless possibilities for delicious meals or enjoy with no prep and just a simple bite."

As this strategy takes root, the grocer is pointing shoppers to several in-season produce items, including:

• Fruits: Strawberries, Apples, Pineapple, Apricots, Kiwi, Peaches, Cherries, Watermelon, and Grapes
• Vegetables: Asparagus, Peas, Sweet Onions, Radishes, Mushrooms, Carrots, Corn, Zucchini, and Summer Squash
• Greens: Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Collard Greens, Cabbage, and Swiss Chard
• Citrus: Lemons and Limes

The retailer also prompts consumers to enjoy these in-season items with its fresh-cut fruit and veggies prepared daily in-store.

Other prepared food offerings also leverage the power of fruits and veggies, including Kroger’s:

• Veggie-Stuffed Shells
• Plant-based Creamy Spinach Spaghetti
• Seasonal Salad recipes, including step-by-step instructions for Blue Asparagus Salad, Quinoa and Black-Eyed Peas Salad, Tropical Chicken Bowl, and Vegan Harvest Salad with Tahini Apple Dressing.
• Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken

As a press release explained, even more fresh-focused meal inspo can be found on Kroger’s blog, The Fresh Lane. Consumers can also visit the blog to explore simple solutions like how to cut spring and summer vegetables, how to cook asparagus, and more.

As the retailer enacts more plans to stimulate fresh produce sales, ANUK will report on the latest strategies.