What we like best about Whole Grain Sampling Day is that our participating partners all plan their own activities and promotions, and each one is different. Here’s what was happening on April 2, 2014, partner by partner (in alphabetical order):
American Institute for Cancer Research
AICR is spotlighting the connection between whole grains and cancer prevention by: distributing an infographic on whole grains and cancer… posting a Slide Show on less familiar whole grains… featuring research studies on their website… sending a whole grain recipe to 50,000 people… and promoting WGSD on social media.
Ashley Hall
This historic K-12 private school in Charleston, South Carolina says, “For lunch at school, we will be serving baked chicken with vegetables, salad, tabouleh (made with whole grain bulgur wheat) and brown rice. We might also serve whole grain biscuits and quinoa salad on the salad bar.”
Barilla
Barilla Foodservice wants to help restaurants sample their whole grain pasta on Whole Grain Sampling Day. They’ll send a free case of Barilla Whole Grain Pasta to the first 500 foodservice operators that contact them. (One free case per location; K-12 operators excluded.) Requests must be made by March 14, 2014; allow 3-4 weeks for delivery of free case. Call 1-866-349-4386 to request your free case.
BON ME Foodtruck
The three Bon Me food trucks serve bold, fresh, and fun Vietnamese cuisine in the Boston area. On April 2, they will be promoting their whole grain choices, including rice bowls made with brown rice, and soba noodle salads.
California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen will be using social media to talk up their whole grain choices, including whole wheat pizza crust, whole wheat pita, and quinoa-arugula salad.
CAVE CHICK COOKIES
Come by Whole Foods Market in Schaumburg, IL from 11:00-2:00 or the Kingsbury (Chicago) store from 3:30-6:30 for a sample of delicious CaveChick cookies. These are egg and dairy free, and made with spelt flour!
CLOVER RESTAURANTS AND FOOD TRUCKS
Local, incredibly fresh, and often organic — that’s the type of delicious food that Clover serves up daily. On WGSD, Clover will be promoting their delicious whole grain soups, salads and pita bread. Watch for them on Facebook and Twitter to see what’s cookin’ on April 2nd!
Compass Group USA
As they have in past years, Compass – the world’s largest foodservice operator – will be giving away tasting samples, offering specials, and holding cooking demos at scores of its school, workplace and healthcare sites. Compass has even developed new dishes for WGSD!
COUNTRY HEARTH BREAD
Country Hearth Bread will be celebrating Whole Grain Sampling Day with a bread giveaway on their Facebook page. Visit their page on April 2 to get in on the freebie fun!
Denny’s Restaurants
Denny’s will be featuring whole grain options from its FitFare® line, including 7 Grain Bread (15 grams of whole grain per slice), a whole wheat bun (40 grams of whole grain), and 100% whole grain rice.
Dierberg’s Supermarkets
Dierberg’s, a chain of 25 supermarkets in St. Louis, Mo, will be doing Whole Grain Sampling Events at five of their stores from Thursday April 3 through Saturday April 5. They’ll also be handing out information on the health benefits of whole grains.
Dunkin’ Donuts – A Whole Week of Whole Grain
Dunkin’ is celebrating Whole Grain Sampling Day – all week long. Come in between March 31 — April 6 for a Buy-One-Get-One-Free offer on Whole Wheat and Multigrain bagels. These bagels are certified by the Whole Grains Council to use the Basic Whole Grain Stamp – and they pair perfectly with Dunkin’s Reduced Fat Cream Cheese Spreads. Use your Dunkin’ Mobile® App to get this tasty offer. Price and participation may vary. Limited time offer. Offer valid 3/31-4/6 through the Dunkin’ Mobile® App only.
Freekehlicious
Freekehlicious is offering special deals on Twitter, to celebrate Whole Grain Sampling Day. They also want to help restaurants introduce diners to freekeh, a delicious roasted green wheat. They’re offering a free sample of greenwheat freekeh to the first 75 restaurants that make a request to info@freekehlicious. One free sample per location/address. You will receive one 14-oz. package of either whole or cracked freekeh, to be delivered by Freekehlicious.
Genghis Grill
Genghis Grill is incorporating WGSD into their 4th annual Health Kwest Challenge. On April 2nd, each of 110 Khantestants in the 2014 Challenge will try a Genghis Grill whole grain option, and post a photo and blog entry about it to earn points toward winning the Challenge.
Google is highlighting whole grains in a big way on April 2, at the more than four dozen cafés on their Mountainview, CA, campus and around the country. All Google cafés will showcase a “whole grain activity” and will feature at least one whole grain, as a menu item or free sample. They’re also hoping to send “Googlers” home with whole grain samples and recipes to cook at home.
Grain Organizations
Three grain organizations – The Grains for Health Foundation, the Grain Foods Foundation and the Wheat Foods Council – will be promoting whole grains on social media on April 2.
Healthy Dining Finder
Healthy Dining Finder is promoting WGSD to consumers with… blogs on the Healthy Dining Finder website… promotion in their e-newsletter, linking to the blogs … Twitter and Pinterest promotion… and details on their website about participating restaurants. They’ll also promote WGSD to restaurants with… features on RestaurantNutrition.com… newsletter promotion of web features… Twitter promotion bi-weekly… outreach to individual restaurants, urging their participation.
h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending
H.U.M.A.N. (“Helping Unite Mankind And Nutrition”) is launching its new line of Super HUMAN Snacks just in time for Whole Grain Sampling Day and will be handing out samples.
Hy-Vee
Selected Hy-Vee supermarkets will be partnering with InHarvest to offer whole grain recipes made from quinoa or bulgur, and offering shoppers recipe samples. Hy-Vee registered dietitians will also be educating consumers about quinoa and bulgur through social media.
LA COCINITA FOOD TRUCK (NEW ORLEANS)
La Cocinita Food Truck will be serving up something special for Whole Grain Sampling Day. Check back for more details!
Lotus Foods
Lotus Foods wants to provide restaurants with Whole Grain, Heirloom, Organic Specialty Rices. The first 25 restaurants to respond will receive a sample pack of our Whole Grain Rice, including Lotus Foods Organic Brown Mekong Flower Rice™, Organic Volcano Rice™, Forbidden Rice®, and Bhutan Red Rice along with recipe ideas to get started! (One free sample pack per location.) Requests must be made to marketing@lotusfoods.com.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s USA plans to talk whole grains via social media.
MondeleZ International
Mondelez – which serves up whole grains through its Nabisco, belVita and other brands – recognizes that whole grain awareness starts at home, so they have arranged special meals at their corporate cafeterias on Whole Grain Sampling Day. For breakfast, there will be whole grain waffles, pancakes, bagels, oatmeal, and more. For lunch, Mondelez employees will be able to choose from soups with added whole grains, whole grain pasta, pizza with whole grain crust, and many more options. This is all in addition to their participation in the WGC’s blogger giveaways and RD sampling.
National Restaurant Association
The NRA will promote whole grains in kids’ meals through their Kids Live Well program and through social media; they’re also making a whole grain education video available.
Peña Pachamama
Peña Pachamama (Mother Earth) Center, a restaurant in San Francisco serving organic South American cuisine, will celebrate Whole Grain Sampling Day by creating an entire whole grain menu, along with a world music performance with Aguabella, all-star Latin band, and a talk from the stage. They’ll be talking up whole grains in social media, and offering special whole grain deals and discounts, too.
Roman Meal
Roman Meal bread will celebrate Whole Grain Sampling Day with a month-long sweepstakes on Facebook. The grand prize winner will receive $2,500, and many others will win free bread coupons! “Like” the Roman Meal Facebook page to stay up to date on the sweepstakes. Visit the page on April 2nd for a chance to win even more free bread!
Rubio’s Restaurants
Rubio’s will be celebrating Whole Grain Sampling Day by offering $1 off any Burrito served on a whole grain tortilla or $1 off any Two Taco Plate served on stone-ground corn tortillas for their Facebook fans, so “like” Rubio’s on Facebook today and make sure you don’t miss out.
Sweet Sassy Molassy Bakeshop (Atlanta, GA)
This bakery specializes in handcraftable, satisfying and delectable baked goods, all of which are made with whole grain flours. (Plus, owner Nicole Rhoads donates a portion of sales to No Kid Hungry — another good thing.) Sweet Sassy Molassy will offer a discount on all bproducts on April 2, and will be promoting WGSD in social media leading up to The Big Day.
University of North Dakota
Dining Services at UND is planning special recipes on April 2, and promoting the benefits of whole grains.
UPFRONT FOODS
Upfront Foods will be at Whole Foods Market Boca Raton (FL), doing a a Vendor Demo/Sampling and giving away free samples of their whole grain granolas as well as buttons and literature on whole grains. Upfront Foods is also participating in the WGC blogger giveaways this year.
WEIS Markets (Huntingdon Valley, PA)
Weis Dietitian Lindsey DeCaro RDN, LDN, will host a free Whole Grain, Whole Health Workshop at 3pm and at 6pm on April 2. Participants will taste a variety of whole grains and learn how easy it is to add more whole grains to family meals. Call Casey at 570-988-3025 to register.
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market in Charleston, SC, is planning to have samples of plain cooked grains, so that people can discover their natural taste and use them as a springboard for new creations! They will also have handouts and recipes that go into detail about whole grains and how to use them.
Whole Grains Council Members
An extra shout out to the many Whole Grains Council member companies that are supporting Whole Grain Sampling Day by pairing with supermarkets for sampling, by supplying products for bloggers to try, sending grains to Google, or through planning their own events. These companies include:
Among Friends, Attune Foods, Barbara’s Bakery, Barilla, Bob’s Red Mill, Carl Brandt/Mestemacher, ConAgra Mills, Dr. Kracker, Dunkin’ Donuts, Freekehlicious, Goose Valley Natural Foods, h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending, HomeFree, Jovial Foods, Late July, Lotus Foods, Mary’s Gone Crackers, McDonald’s, Mondelez, New World Pasta/Ebro North America, Pamela’s Products, Panos/Sesmark, Popsalot Gourmet Popcorn, Real McCoy’s Snax, Rhythm Superfoods, Roman Meal Bread, Skeeters Snacks, Sun Valley Rice, Sunnyland Mills, Teeccino, Upfront Foods and Way Better Snacks.