Warm weather and a day to celebrate the nation have consumers eager to gather with family and friends this Fourth of July. In addition to enjoying traditional favorites like hotdogs and chips, Meijer customers will be looking for ways to balance in light fare food trends, with a focus on salads, into their cookouts. Consumers can blend in the following trends with their red, white, and blue food traditions, to ensure there’s something at the table for everyone:

• Meijer sells more salads the July 4th weekend than any other time throughout the year, reinforcing the trend that consumers are making more health-conscious food decisions.

• Super foods continue to boom at Meijer as consumers look for a nutritious alternative to traditional potato salad and coleslaw options. The overwhelming favorites among Meijer customers is a new Kale Salad that features broccoli, grapes, apples and feta cheese and the Super Foods Salad that features kale, edamame, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, dried cranberries and more.

• Prepared foods, like pulled rotisserie chicken, are more often being repurposed as key ingredients in quick, healthy, flavor-packed meals.

• Appealing to the sweet tooth and eye, fruits will be served in salads and as art! Festive presentation of vibrant-colored berries, watermelon and bananas will dominate while balancing baked goods as mix-and-match dessert toppings.