If you’re a grocery store operator and you don’t have a cooking bag meal program yet, then now is the ideal time to start one. You could be answering your patrons most pressing question – What’s for dinner? – not to mention, bringing in more revenue.
Most families are eager to experience fast, easy meals that emphasize more togetherness with less mess! Read on for simple tips that can boost your success.
Those grocers who already have a successful cooking bag program in place will still want to check out this article – it’s chock-full o’ tips!
Present Cooking Bag Meals That Look Good Enough to Eat
The RCG! bags and boxes are designed with a clear window on top, and that was for a purpose. Nowadays, customers want to know what’s in their food and expect high quality from grocery store prepared meals.
So, before you fill those cooking bags, give some thought to how the food will appear once it’s sealed in the container. Across our website are some great photo examples, but note these display tips:
- After loading a bag with produce, shake the contents to evenly distribute them, then position the protein in the top center of the bag.
- Add a sprig of fresh herbs to the bag to add panache, impart flavor, and impress customers with the meal’s freshness.
- Try experimenting with adding fruit to some of your dishes, like in our Rubbed Salmon with Broccoli and Apples or BBQ Tropical Wild Caught Sea Scallops (with pineapple and mangoes).
Explore Different Bags for Different Types of Cookery
RCG has several different types of bags to suit many types of eaters:
Slow Cooker Bags for Cozy Cold Weather Stews
The slow cooker is popular for working families who don’t have time to linger in the kitchen. In the fall or winter, it’s also a homey, ready-to-go meal idea for families – thick, hearty stews with no fuss or muss.
Dual Compartment Bags Keep Proteins and Produce Separate
Dual compartment bags are a practical option for separating the protein from the produce. This is an effective method if you’re using sauces and seasonings that you don’t want to intermingle while cooking. RCG has two sizes of dual compartment bags: 8.5” x 12” and 9” x 16”.
One Bag, Two Cooking Options: Oven OR Grilling Bags
Grocery store prepared meals that can cook in the oven or on the grill give people flexibility. No matter if the weather changes or their plans, they can fit the meal into their lives instead of the other way around.
Produce Bags Tempt Customers to Eat Healthier
Bags specifically for cooking produce (corn on the cob, for example) give you a simple way to test out the cooking bag experience in your store. Customers want to eat healthier, and by offering them vegetables that have been washed and prepped, you make their mealtime so much easier.
Introduce New Recipes Alongside Tried-and-True Favorites
If you make a habit of regularly visiting the RCG! website for new recipes, you’ll never run out of cooking bag meal ideas – and you’ll continue to delight your customers. When you combine the use of spices, rubs, and sauces with proteins and produce, the result is a virtually endless variety of meals.
To see some of our favorite recipes, check out our article highlighting the best recipes to offer when starting a ready-to-cook meal program.
Take Advantage of the RCG Marketing Support
We’ve been selling our cooking bags for years and can offer you all the help you need to start selling ready to go meals. Once you join the cooking bag program, we encourage you to ask questions. We can provide you with helpful marketing support materials as well as operational and training support.
Tip: For your customers who want to experiment at home with cooking bags, you can offer them retail packs, available for microwave, oven, or grill cooking.
The Best Time to Start a Cooking Bag Program Is Right Now
Our special page for distributors and grocers explores the benefits of the program (including a short video). Get a quick rundown of our bag types – along with photos of them in use – right here.
Perhaps you’re the questioning type. Many of your questions have likely been answered in our FAQs! Or let us know how we can help you and request more information about the cooking bag program.
