On the Side: Trends in Deli Salads and Side Dishes

Balancing meals and adding flavor and variety to the plate.

Driven by a growing demand for healthier food, time constraints and a desire for convenience, consumers are increasingly turning to salads and side dishes at supermarket delis. These both help balance meals and add a sense of flavor and variety to the run-of-the-mill dinner plate.

The latest data from the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA), released in April 2025, revealed that salads have seen a nice uptick at the supermarket over the last year, registering $5.1 billion over the last 12 months, an increase of 4% in sales and 5.4% in units year-over-year.

Meanwhile, side dishes have also seen an increase, bringing in $2.2 billion in sales, a rise of 4.6% in dollars and 3.9% in units sold.

Not surprisingly, many retailers are expanding their selections, offering an array of vibrant salads and innovative side dishes that cater to diverse tastes and lifestyles.

“Consumers continue to seek convenience and look to grocery store delis for affordable, time-saving whole meal solutions that don’t lack in quality,” says Megan Moore Torres, brand manager, deli salads and sides for Beaverton, OR-based Reser’s Fine Foods. “Our offerings complement this strategy, from packaged salads and sides for meal deals to bulk offerings ideal for retailers’ on-premises meals.”

In 2025, Reser’s Fine Foods is celebrating its 75th anniversary of offering prepared salads and side dishes in grocery store delis, such as its potato and macaroni salads, mashed potatoes and macaroni & cheese, and continue to innovate in the segment.

“To keep things fresh, offer consumers variety and meet evolving tastes, we release new, trend-forward items, like our new Spicy Pickle Potato Salad or Chili Crisp Pasta Salad,” says Torres.

Jonathan Stack, president of Fresh Creative Cuisine, Baltimore, MD, notes the company is a big believer in championing the “fresh” aspect of the name, with its products typically having a seven- to nine-day shelf life.

“We are traditionally just using cold chain management and high-quality artisan-type of ingredients,” he says. “We concentrate on the way we product the product, and 90% of our plant and all of the production areas are a 34- to 36-degree production room. That’s part of our methodology where the product stays under constant cold-chain management throughout the entire process.”

Fresh Creative Cuisine produces everything from core artisan sandwiches to heat-and-eat entrees, and alternate items, including snacks and sides, fresh-cut fruit and more.

Hugh O’Neill, vice president of sales and marketing for Fresh Creative Cuisine, notes there are a lot of different types of customers who are buying their products, with everyone from Gen Xers to Millennials to Boomers and everyone in between.

“There are some things that are similar throughout the clientele, and one is that people are looking for and demanding fresh products,” he says. “We’ve seen recently there has been some pushback on MAP-packaged items, things with extended shelf life. People are looking for fresh, and they want to see natural products where they can.”

Serenity Maxwell, foodservice brand manager for Marlborough, MA-based Ken’s Foods, a retail grocery producer of salad dressings, sauces and marinades that manufactures more than 400 varieties, including Sweet Baby Ray’s barbeque sauce, notes supermarkets are realizing the importance of dressings and sauces.

“Bulk items are used in premade items, like coleslaws, salads and sandwiches, while portion control packs are ideal for grab-and-go meals,” she says. “Our sauces and dressings include cocktail sauce, mayonnaise, honey mustard, tartar sauce, sweet and sour sauce and coleslaw dressing.”

Some of the big industry trends Maxwell is noticing include an increasing interest in spicy, global and ethnic/world flavors.

“Customization, take-out and comfort foods with a twist also remain popular,” she says. “Swicy also looks like a trend that’s here to stay, mixing sweet and spicy flavors, like mango habanero and our newest spicy peach wing sauce.”

NEW AND FLAVORFUL

Regardless of the category — wraps, sandwiches, salads, etc., Stack notes Fresh Creative Cuisine has seen people continue to respond to bold flavors, so it has made an effort to integrate those in its side dishes and salads.

“We see high-level requests for ethnic and global flavor profiles,” he says. “People see things on the Food Network and in the media, and people have become much more aware of the different global flavors available and want to try them.”

For instance, there have been recent influences of Caribbean jerk seasonings, Indian influences and Mediterranean taste profiles.

“Our executive chef and culinary team are constantly designing new products based on those things that are happening out in the market,” says Stack. “A few weeks ago, we started testing, not just in our salad profile but in our sandwich profile, changing some of the standard cheeses and looking at things like tomato-olive cheese and chipotle-jack and things to provide that bold flavor. You may have a standard salad, but that new cheese profile adds a whole different aspect to that salad.”

Fresh Creative Cuisine is offering a number of different things that incorporate lighter fare in its salads. Among recent offerings are citrus slaws, a broccoli apple crunch salad and loaded baked potato.

“We’re taking inspiration from picnic days of old and bringing them into the retail format and have had great response,” says Stack.

Carl H. Cappelli, senior vice president of sales and business development for Don’s Prepared Foods, Schwenksville, PA, notes the company works hard to provide cool, unique and globally inspired side dishes.

“Don’s offers clean and restaurant-quality sides that inspire home-cooked meals,” he says.

The trends he is keeping an eye on concern value and flavor, driven by economic factors as consumers are seeking more meal solutions at retail, and side dishes are a big part of completing the meal.

“The staples in retail deli will always be potato, macaroni, and coleslaw salads, and while Don’s offers many varieties of those commodity salads, it is the unique items consumers seek out,” says Cappelli. “Don’s will always provide new and innovative flavors to drive retail deli sales. For instance, in April, Don’s will launch three new salads with a Mediterranean flavor.”

“The staples in retail deli will always be potato, macaroni, and coleslaw salads, and while Don’s offers many varieties of those commodity salads, it is the unique items consumers seek out.”

Carl H. Cappelli, Don’s Prepared Foods, Schwenksville, PA

This year, Reser’s has two new innovative meal solution offerings — Potato Rosettes, creamy mashed potatoes piped into swirls, then baked to a golden brown, and Twice Baked Potatoes.

“From a flavor perspective, we see consumers interested in bold, tangy and spicy flavor profiles within familiar formats,” says Torres. “We’ve recently introduced a Spicy Pickle Potato Salad and Salt & Vinegar Potato Salad, as well as a Chili Crisp Pasta Salad, featuring the on-trend Chinese condiment that’s captivating consumers everywhere.”

A HEALTHIER CHOICE

Another big trend of late has been a significant rise in the availability of vegan, gluten-free and healthier salads and side dishes.

“Health and weight loss drugs are causing a slight shift toward increased perimeter shopping, and dressings and sauces are a great way to add and customize the flavor of vegetables and other healthy foods,” says Ken’s Maxwell. “We offer gluten-free products and have a clean-label line of dressings for the health-conscious (Ken’s Essentials). We regularly receive vegan/plant-based requests, but there’s not a lot of volume to back them up.”

Fresh Creative Cuisine’s O’Neill says that in addition to those looking for plant-based items, the company focuses on some other dietary restriction options, whether it be vegetarian, vegan, nut-free or dairy-free.

Cappelli has seen a rise in the demand for vegetarian and vegan options, and offers a wide variety of grains and sides meeting these criteria.

“Consumers love the items, even if not vegan, because they enjoy healthier items,” says Cappelli.

MARKETING AND MERCHANDISING TIPS

There’s no better way to attract consumers to the deli department and the sides and salads they sell than to show the items, says Cappelli.

“Retail deli departments that show the meal or items plated will find success,” he says. “This shows consumers what they can do at home. Just like the expression, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words,’ showing the meal solution will help drive retail deli sales.”

When it comes to merchandising, Reser’s continues to see growing value within its retail partners’ retail media networks.

“As retailers develop their customer marketing opportunities and share insights, it allows us to offer more tailored, effective messaging to reach our consumers, then learn and optimize for future programs,” says Reser’s Torres. “For example, if a retailer offers split creative on in-store signage or email campaigns, we can test multiple messages for effectiveness among retailer’s audience and continually evolve our conversation with the consumer.”

Stack says trade shows continue to be a main marketing tool for Fresh Creative Cuisine, as most of its marketing is aimed at its clients.

“We find our networks of culinary teams and folks that we work with tends to be a strong provider for new leads,” he says. “The marketing end on the retail side, we are partnering with a main meat or cheese or protein player, and we do private label products, and a lot of our main opportunities may come from one of our other ingredient partners. We are constantly working with our category management teams and suggesting a rotation of items.”

BUNDLING PROGRAMS

Many delis are offering meal bundling programs, with the IDDBA seeing a big increase in these since the pandemic.

Torres notes that salads should 100% be part of any successful meal bundling program.

“We’ve seen success in pairing our deli salads and sides in meal deal programs,” she says. “We consider them all to be options that pair perfectly with a main protein, allowing consumers to decide if they’d prefer a cold side, like potato salad, or a hot side like macaroni and cheese.”

CREATING A SALAD DESTINATION,

For deli managers looking to do even more with their salad and side dish offerings, it’s important to be savvy with the look of the entire department.

“Keep focusing on the deli’s strengths, offering freshness, convenience and value, and remind shoppers of those strengths with consistent messaging,” says Torres.

O’Neill says many supermarkets are still struggling with in-store labor, and the ability to fulfill and execute on an artisan level in-store becomes a challenge. But because the company is a private label manufacturer and also a client spec manufacturer, it can create a signature item or line of products for a particular client that they will produce only for them.

“What we find day in and day out or year to year is where our clients can excel is on the service level,” he says. “They can take the in-store labor that they do have, maintaining optimization of inventory. Keeping the grab-and-go cases full, they do extremely well when they look market fresh and market full.”

As the demand for salads and side dishes continues to evolve, supermarket delis are rising to the challenge, infusing their offerings with innovation and flavor to cater to an increasingly discerning customer base.

With a focus on fresh ingredients, global taste profiles and healthier options, these retailers are not just meeting preferences — they are shaping the way we think about meal preparation and convenience, transforming the grocery store deli into a go-to destination for flavorful, nutritious options that fit the fast-paced lifestyles of today’s consumers.