Lcan be more, especially when it provides consumers with what they want. Nature’s Own, a Flowers Foods brand, Thomasville, GA, revamped the concept of traditional sliced bread and bagels with its introduction of Thin-Sliced Bagels and Sandwich Rounds.

For consumers watching portion sizes, larger bagels often necessitated downsizing — eating a portion of a larger bagel or tearing out the interior of the bagel to save on calories. “Our consumers told us that while they enjoy the taste and texture of bagels, there was simply too much bagel,” said Janice Anderson, vice-president of marketing, Flowers Foods. “We saw an opportunity to provide a portion-control bagel that, unlike mini bagels, could fit into a toaster easily and make a great sandwich.”

Roughly half the height of an average bagel, Thin-Sliced Bagels contain 140 and 150 Cal for the 100% Whole Wheat and Original varieties, respectively, while a traditional bagel contains approximately 300 Cal. Research conducted by Flowers Foods found that 98% of US households purchase bread and many of those households also focus on healthy eating and weight control, according to Ms. Anderson. Both bagel offerings are free of artificial preservatives, colors and flavors and high-fructose corn syrup, and they are a good source of vitamins A, D and E and calcium. The 100% Whole Wheat bagel also contains 33 g of whole grain and 5 g of fiber per serving.

“We took a careful look at the most popular flavor varieties in the bread aisle to select the flavor varieties of both the rounds and thin bagels,” she said. “That’s also the reason we gave these items a better-for-you profile.”

Flowers Foods also introduced Sandwich Rounds in 100% Whole Wheat and Healthy Multi-Grain varieties. Free of artificial colors and flavors and high-fructose corn syrup, the whole-wheat flatbread rounds contain 20 g of whole grain and 5 g of fiber per serving, and the multi-grain flatbread rounds offer 16 g of whole grain and 5 g of fiber per serving. The Sandwich Rounds are packaged in a convenient, resealable zipper bag to ensure freshness. Company research found that consumers are looking to use less bread in their sandwiches, substituting the Sandwich Rounds for traditional sliced bread when preparing sandwiches, hamburgers, toast and even mini pizzas.

“The higher nutritional profile and lower calorie count at 100 Cal per round make them popular with many different consumer segments,” she said. “Thin-Sliced Bagels and Sandwich Rounds offer health benefits, lower calories and less bread — definite added values.”

In-store displays, coupons, TV advertising and consumer and trade print ads supported the January introduction of the Sandwich Rounds and the February launch of the Thin-Sliced Bagels. The 8-count Thin-Sliced Bagels retail for $2.49, and the 8-count Sandwich Rounds retail for $2.50.b Goes Here.