Ragu(R) Taps Actress and Mom Molly Ringwald -- and Moms Everywhere -- for Their Recipe for Getting Their Kids off to a Good Start

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Mother knows best ... especially when it comes to feeding and nurturing her family. And to prove it, Ragu® pasta sauce and Molly Ringwald are teaming up to launch the "Recipe for a Good Start" Contest -- a nationwide search for Moms and their recipe for giving their kids a good start in life.

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Beginning Monday, March 1, 2010 and ending Wednesday, March 31, 2010 parents can enter the Ragu® Recipe for a Good Start Contest at Recipeforagoodstart.com.  Submit your favorite original recipe using Ragu® pasta sauce and share your tips for giving kids a good start in life like promoting imagination and creativity.

"I might be known for my roles in movies and on TV, but my most important role is being a mom," said Molly Ringwald, actress and mother of three. "I am so proud to partner with Ragu® to recognize all the special things that parents do to give their kids a good start -- like helping them with their homework, encouraging them to play outside and making sure their kids eat their veggies," she said.  "Thanks to Ragu®, my family gets a delicious, nutritious meal and I get extra time to do the things I know will give my children a good start – like finger painting and family reading time."

The top three finalists, selected by a panel of judges, will be posted on Recipeforagoodstart.com.  America votes on their favorite entry and these sweepstakes entrants will have the chance to win a new set of cookware.  The top three finalists will compete in a live cook-off event in New York City in August 2010 and the grand prize contest winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship for his/her child.

"Between working and shuttling the kids to after-school activities, it's tough to carve out family time – especially time around the dinner table," said Donna Barker, Marketing Director for Unilever.  "That's why Ragu® is so excited to hear what Moms have to say about how all the incredible – and delicious -- ways she's taking care of her family."

With more than a full serving of vegetables in every half-cup, Ragu® all-natural red pasta sauces serve as a good start to any at-home meal.  Also, Ragu® Old World Style® sauces meet FDA guidelines for "healthy"(1), further helping parents prepare nutritious meal options for their families.

Ragu® has been sharing kid-pleasing and affordable recipe ideas with families for more than 70 years.  The Ragu® website features hundreds of quick and easy recipes on www.Ragu.com, providing plenty of meal ideas for families to choose from throughout the year such as:

• Mama's Best Ever Spaghetti and Meatballs: The meatballs cook directly in the sauce bringing out the flavor of the meatballs with the 'quintessential' taste of Ragu®

• Ragu® No Frying Chicken Parmesan: Moms can skip-a-step by not having to fry the chicken and then bake; she simply has to use the oven

• Ragu® Sloppy Joes: Moist and saucy, not dry like moms (and kids) often complain about

• Ragu® No Boiling Lasagna: Unlike most lasagna recipes, where moms have to boil the noodles first or buy expensive pre-boiled lasagna noodles, this recipe skips-a-step by not having to pre-boil lasagna noodles

• Skillet Pasta & Beef Dinner: Moms can cook both the pasta and beef in the same pot.  Only one pot to clean!

Details on the "Recipe for a Good Start" Contest

Beginning March 1, 2010, parents will have the chance to enter the "Recipe for a Good Start" contest at Recipeforagoodstart.com. All entrants must submit an original recipe using Ragu® pasta sauce along with no more than 250 words sharing your tips for giving kids a good start in life like promoting imagination and creativity.  Judging criteria includes ease of preparation and originality and creativity of the recipe and relevance of their life lesson to the Recipe for a Good Start campaign.  Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2010. Beginning at 12:00 a.m. ET May 3, 2010, the top three finalists, selected by a panel of judges, will be posted on Recipeforagoodstart.com and sweepstakes entrants will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite "Recipe for a Good Start" entry. Voting will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on May 21, 2010.  The top three finalists will compete in a live cook-off event in New York City in August 2010 and the Grand Prize contest winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship for his/her child.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. The Recipe for a Good Start is sponsored by Conopco, Inc. d/b/a Unilever. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 or older, who are parents or legal guardians of a child under 18 years of age. Starts 12:00:01 p.m. ET on 3/1/2010 and ends 11:59:59 p.m. ET on 5/21/2010. DISH Network entry begins 12:01 a.m. ET on 5/9/10 through 11:59 p.m. ET on 5/16/10. For official rules, visit www.recipeforagoodstart.com.

About Ragu®

Ragu Pasta Sauces are available in all major grocery stores and mass retailers.  For varieties, recipes and other exciting ways to use Ragu, visit www.Ragu.com

About Unilever

Unilever works to create a better future every day.  We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.  Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Omo, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2009. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com. 

(1) According to the FDA, a "healthy" product must be low in fat and saturated fat, contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium and contain at least 10% RDI or DRV of at least one of six nutrients.

SOURCE Unilever