Smart Summer Snacking a Cinch With Launch of Wonderful® Almonds

LOS ANGELES, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The countdown to summer is on with many consumers looking for healthy ways to get swimsuit-ready, without sacrificing good taste and nutrition. Snack seekers need look no further than another Wonderful option in the produce section: Wonderful Almonds. These nutrient-dense, California-grown nuts are available in three varieties – Roasted & Salted, Roasted No Salt and Natural Raw – and are rolling out in grocery stores nationwide.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120530/LA15354)

Wonderful Almonds joins Wonderful Pistachios as part of a line of healthy snacks perfect for any occasion from the carpool to the swimming pool. An initial study associated the consumption of almonds with the potential to help with weight management, something important to consumers leading into swimsuit season. In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people who regularly ate 0.25 ounces of nuts each day-about six almonds-had four pounds lower mean body weight and 0.8 inch smaller waist circumference than non-tree nut eaters, although causal conclusions were not drawn.(1)

A one-ounce handful of dry-roasted Wonderful Almonds, about 22 nuts, has just 170 calories, and contains six grams of protein and three grams of fiber, making it a satiating snack.(2) Because they are both filling and portable, Wonderful Almonds are an excellent healthy summer road trip snack option, making it easier to avoid stopping for fast food when the hunger urge comes on.

"We're excited to add almonds to the Wonderful brand family, giving our consumers additional healthy, high-quality snack choices," said Marc Seguin, vice president of marketing, North America, for Paramount Farms. "Our research shows that 70 percent of Wonderful Pistachios purchasers also buy almonds, so it was a natural next step to introduce almonds under the hugely successful Wonderful halo, providing consumers with the option to purchase almonds from a brand they already trust."

Wonderful Almonds are grown and harvested in California and can be found in seven-ounce bags in the produce section of grocery stores nationwide. Wonderful Almonds will also be available in 48-ounce bags in the grocery sections at club stores.

About Wonderful Almonds

Newly launched Wonderful Almonds are grown, processed and packaged in the same location as Wonderful Pistachios, in Lost Hills, California, which is part of the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural heartland of California. Wonderful Almonds are available at retail outlets and grocery stores nationwide including: Kroger, Ahold, Supervalu and Publix. For more information about Wonderful Almonds, visit www.WonderfulAlmonds.com and www.facebook.com/WonderfulAlmonds.

About Paramount Farms

Part of Roll Global LLC, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Paramount Farms is one of a group of privately owned, affiliated companies that comprise the largest farming operation of tree crops in the world. In addition to pistachios and almonds, Paramount Farms is also the largest producer and exclusive grower of the California Wonderful® variety of pomegranates. Sister company Paramount Citrus is the largest orange and lemon packing facility in North America, the majority of which come from its own orchards, and the largest grower of Clementine Mandarin oranges in the United States.

(1) O'Neil CE, Keast DR, Nicklas TA, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Nut Consumption Associated with Decreased Health Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease and Metabolic Syndrome in U.S. Adults NHANES 1999-2004. J Am Coll Nutr. 2011 Dec;30(6):502-10.

(2) United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2011. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24.

SOURCE Wonderful Almonds