Tesco is tapping the low-carb ‘spiralising’ trend with a new range of prepared veg products.
The range comprises Carrot Spaghetti (rsp: £1 for 200g), Cauliflower Couscous (rsp: £1 for 330g) and Courgette Ribbons (rsp: £1 for 250g), and is being marketed as the ‘perfect alternative’ to starchy carbs such as rice, pasta, couscous and noodles.
The products launched this week and are available in selected Tesco stores and online.
They come as the rising popularity of low-carb and ‘real food’ diets has opened consumer eyes to the possibilities of using vegetables in the place of processed carbohydrates.
Spiralisers that cut courgettes and carrots into spaghetti shapes hit the UK last year and have been tipped as the hottest new kitchen gadgets for 2015 - popularised by ‘real food’ pioneers such as Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley.
Tesco’s pre-prep range allows shoppers to add spiralised veg to their diets without having to invest in a spiraliser, making is the first supermarket to capitalise on the trend.
Zoë Harcombe, nutritionist, obesity researcher and author of the low-carb Harcombe Diet, applauded Tesco for spotting what was still a “relatively niche” trend and launching a reasonably priced convenience product.
“If the packets do literally just contain carrot, cauliflower and courgette and nothing else, Tesco has understood not only the low-carb market but also the real food market, and they will do well,” she said.
Harcombe added the new range contained about 6g to 10g of carbohydrates, which was considerably less than the 60g to 70g of carbohydrate found in similar quantities of pasta, rice and couscous. “It is really a massive carb reduction and a great way for people to reduce their intake for their evening meals,” she said.
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