Easy meal options for parents during back-to-school season

Find delicious, affordable mealtime solutions at your local Atlantic Superstore^® location

HALIFAX, Aug. 8, 2013 /CNW/ - (TSX:L) - Back-to-school is one of the busiest times of the year. With delicious President's Choice^® foods parents can look forward to the fall season with exciting new mealtime options.

"This back-to-school season, we've got mealtime covered for moms and dads. Whether parents are looking for quick dinner solutions their kids will love or ideas to enhance existing mealtime favourites, we've made sure they'll find what they need at their local Loblaws^® store," says Chef Tom Filippou, executive chef, President's Choice Cooking Schools.

President's Choice^® products are available at Atlantic Superstore^®, nofrills^®, Dominion^® (in Newfoundland and Labrador) and Save Easy^®  locations in Atlantic Canada.

Need meal time inspiration? Here are some tips from executive chef Tom.

Tip #1 - Greek Yogurt: Nutritious options on the go:

The new PC^® Greek Yogurt Mango Smoothie drinks are just the thing for busy mornings running to school or a quick snack before after school activities. They contain 12g of protein per 250 mL serving so they'll keep you and the kids going all morning or afternoon!  And if you're partial to eating your Greek yogurt with a spoon, pick up one of the new larger tubs - a 908 g size of PC^® 0% M.F. Greek Yogurt available in Plain, Vanilla and Honey.  Top with PC^® Blue Menu^® Chocolate Granola Boost Cereal with Protein and some fruit and you've got the perfect snack packed with nutrients.

Tip #2 - Make snacking easy:

Add PC^® Mini Hummus and PC^® Organic Baby-Cut Carrots into your children's lunch bags because these little dippers are perfectly sized for classrooms or on the go! The new PC^® Free From^® Pepperellos™ are perfect for an afternoon snack and will be a hit with your kids.  PC^® Free From^® products use meat that has been raised by farmers without the use of antibiotics or hormones*, providing parents with an alternate food choice.

Tip 3: Keep meals simple:

According to a recent survey conducted for Loblaw Companies Limited, 34 percent of Canadians say their children's activities (e.g., hockey, dance, swimming) prevent them from eating meals as a family. Try quick and simple dinner options like fully cooked PC^® Mediterranean Chicken Breast Strips that can easily be used in salads, wraps and stir-fries. For a creative way to sneak seafood into your kids' dinner, the PC^® East Coast Wild Crab Cakes are just the thing for busy nights.  Breaded and lightly fried, these delectable crab cakes from New Brunswick are packed with Canadian snow crab. It's also one of the only species of crab that is MSC-certified, which means it comes from a sustainable source.

Tip 4: Jazz up your regular meal options:

The PC^® black label Collection, features a range of outstanding foods all made with a rich artisanal provenance and amazing flavours. Bring the authentic taste of Italy to your dinner table with the PC^® black label Arugula Pasta Sauce.  Perfect for those who enjoy a slightly bitter peppery flavor, this sauce is made with hand-harvested sweet Italian tomatoes and arugula picked at the peak of freshness.  Serve over the new PC^® black label Nero di Seppia Spaghetti infused with cuttlefish ink to give it a dramatic hue. You may also want to pick up the new PC^® black label Walnut Pesto.  Made with walnuts and grated hard cheese, it has a fine, smooth texture and a rich nutty flavour.

Tip 5: Look for the Peanut-Free icon for safe snack options:

Food allergies are top of mind for parents of school age kids. We've got you covered with more than 100 President's Choice^® and no name^® snacks that have been made in a peanut-free facility including PC^® Wild Berry Fruit Twists and new PC^® Sea Salt Scalloped Crackers, a snack even the grown-ups will like.

We know that allergies can be hard to manage, which is why Loblaw has partnered with Anaphylaxis Canada, to create a food allergy management assessment program to help educate those dealing with or parents of children with severe, life-threatening food allergies. The program includes useful tools and information on how to correctly use life-saving allergy medication. You can also sign up for our RefillReady™ program which provides automated reminders 2 weeks prior to the expiry of your auto-injector.  For more information, or to see a complete list of peanut free President's Choice^® and no name^® products visit a pharmacist at your local Atlantic Superstore^®, nofrills^®, Dominion^® (in Newfoundland and Labrador) and Save Easy^®  store or visit drugstorepharmacy.ca.

Tip 6: Don't forget a treat once in a while:

It's okay to indulge every now and then. This year, the President's Choice^® brand celebrates 25 years of the PC^® The Decadent^® Chocolate Chip Cookie with some new products. The new PC^® The Decadent ^® Chocolate Chip Cookie Spread lets you luxuriate in the pleasures of the iconic PC^® The Decadent^® Chocolate Chip Cookie in new ways, like on toast or cupcakes, in a crepe or on ice cream. If cookies are more your style, try the PC^® The Decadent^® Double Chocolate Chip Cookie.  We've taken our best-selling cookie to new heights by dipping it into and drizzling it with semi-sweet chocolate. Why not indulge in the chocolate chip cookie flavour you love with PC^® The Decadent^® Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix?  Bursting with 20 percent of the PC^® The Decadent ^® Chocolate Chips, these new pancakes are an extra-rich alternative to the same old flapjacks.

For more recipes, videos and great meal ideas, please visit pc.ca.

Look out for the new President's Choice^® Insider's Report^® on pc.ca August 29.

Product samples, regional versions of the President's Choice^® Insider's Report^® and high-resolution images are available upon request.

*PC^® Free From^® product line includes meat that has been raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones. In Canada, all pork, chicken and turkey are raised without the use of hormones.

Survey Method

Vision Critical conducted an online survey from February 11 to February 13, 2013 among 1,500 randomly selected Canadian adults with children under 18 years old in the household and who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current age, gender and region Census data to ensure a representative sample. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About Loblaw Companies LimitedTSX:L

Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ more than 134,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial^® services and offers the PC^® points and PC Plus™ loyalty program.

SOURCE: Loblaw Companies Limited

Loblaw Companies Limited
905-459-2500/[email protected]

Margaret Poole, Poole Communications
902-443-1410 / [email protected]