TORONTO, ON - If there is one thing that stands out to me about Antoni Porowski, it's his ability to bring an accessible lift to a basic dish. Specifically, I remember when he and the crew from Queer Eye were tasked with a fundraiser in Season 1, Episode 8, and the culinary expert and TV personality turned hot dogs into premium offerings with some interesting ingredients. So, when he says salads are not the side dish of his childhood, I lean in.

“I really do think it's here to stay, where the notion of salad being this accouterment or this side is no longer the case. You have chains of places that serve main salad dishes. It's in cookbooks, in media, and a lot of these chefs are making salads the star of the show,” Antoni shared with me in Toronto.

Joining Fresh Express’s team of Fresh Expressionists as the company dives into the broader capabilities of salad, highlighting how its salad kits can be transformed into elevated, chef-driven meals by simply adding a protein or twist, Antoni gave me his particular expertise on accessible elevation to further embolden salad as a main course.

“With Fresh Express, it's very ‘choose your own adventure.’ You can keep it as simple as you want, because everything's been figured out for you—which is great, but then you can customize it with chicken, salmon, chickpeas if you want to go plant-based, and tofu, or steak. Whatever it is that you want to do,” Antoni pointed out. “So it can be as simple or as complicated as you want. If you're like me, and you can't help yourself, you're going to take the croutons and crush them up into a nice little dust and heat them up in a pan with a bit of brown butter, shallots, and maybe a sprig of thyme or two, and then just sort of make it your own.”

The possibilities are endless, and with them, the flexibility needed to cast a wide net.

“I think that's what's nice about Fresh Express; it's meeting people where they're at, but also giving them the option for more,” Antoni observed.

As we discussed the evolution of salad, the necessary topic of cost inevitably came up as well. As our industry works to balance between consumer and industry needs alike, Fabian Pereira, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at Fresh Express, said that the cost factor is here to stay.

“When you look at the money available for grocery shopping, what you see is consumers making more trips to a store, looking at the value, and ultimately buying less. However, everyone knows that salads are good for you, whether you go to myplate.gov or any Canadian website to encourage people to get more fruits and vegetables. What we're working to do is communicate that you can get more value by making these your main meal,” Fabian pointed out, explaining how the changing idea of salad to a main dish plays a key factor in rising cost inputs. “Salad is not very expensive when you think about it from a meal perspective.”

While fresh produce is a necessity, Fabian’s foodie side shines through as he points out it is made far better with a sense of occasion. That consumers can feel a sense of satisfaction and splurge with the right ingredients.

“It's about meeting people where they are—how much time, how much money, how many people—and then making it feel like an occasion. You eat with your eyes first, so if you can make it look good, taste good, and leave you full, you've already won,” he said, adding that Fresh Express’ social presence further looks to inspire the fun side of fresh eating. “We treat this like a publishing business: every day there's something new to inspire people, because cooking shouldn't feel boring. The moment it becomes fun, everything changes.”

It is a philosophy that pairs so well with the one viewers and fans have come to associate with Antoni, who first and foremost taught those of us with even the least amount of kitchen skills how to have fun and make a dish our own.

“It's accessible and aspirational at the same time,” Antoni summed up of Fresh Express salads. “The blueprint is there, but you decide how far you want to take it. Had a long day? Everything you need is ready to go. Feeling ambitious? Add a protein, massage some Brussels sprout leaves, make it your own. I would love to spend six hours in the kitchen—that's my happy place—but that's not always the reality for most of us. Sometimes you want something quick, easy, but something you can trust.”

The opportunity to witness firsthand the widening of the salad plate from appetizer to entrée is one I do not take for granted. When it comes to what the combination of consumer demand and industry inspiration yields, be sure to watch for the incoming variation from this expanding category.