For the Love of Avocados

Food is fuel, especially for the high-performance athlete! In the midst of football season, we hear two unique perspectives about how nutrition, and avocados, can play an important role in athlete performance and overall health. Chad Hansen, a professional football wide receiver formerly with the Houston Texans and New York Jets in the National Football League, tells Mission Produce about his routine and go-to foods to help him perform at his peak. And Sarah Koszyk, a Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist, explains the science behind healthy fats and how avocados can boost mood, energy, and satiety. Listen now to learn more!

In this episode, we discuss a critical but often forgotten topic in agriculture: the contribution of pollinators to our global food supply. We are joined by Executive Director Kelly Rourke and Bee Friendly Farming Coordinator Miles Dakin from the Pollinator Partnership to learn the science behind bee pollination, its contribution to a diverse food system, and how the industry is making strides towards bee-friendly farming. Listen now to learn how you can do your part in protecting pollinators and why these hard-working insects are integral to human health and the planet.

To close out National Nutrition Month, we hear from board-certified, licensed nutritionist Monica Reinagel, on how you can “up the nutritional ante” in your day-to-day lifestyle by power pairing avocados with other fresh produce. Monica tells us it’s less about following the “perfect diet,” and more about small, sustainable shifts that lead to healthier eating habits.

In continuation of For the Love of Avocados’ Avocado Demand series, we dive into the art of ripening. Featuring America’s “favorite fruit,” the banana, we sit down with Charles Johnston, Ripening Manager at Dole Food Company, Inc., to hear how two of the most popular ripe fruits in the U.S. compare.

In anticipation of the Big Game 2022, Mission sits down with Katie Austin (@katieaustin), Health & Fitness Influencer, Host of Austin AF Podcast, and Kim Charon (@charcuterie_n_things), Owner of Charcuterie & Things, LLC, to talk entertaining, food, and how to make the best game-time #guacuterie board with Mission Avocados.

For this episode, we’ll be taking a look at the state of the avocado category, how it performed in 2021, and analyze the key sourcing and consumption trends we’ve seen throughout the year.

As we wrap up 2021, who better to speak with than Matt Britton, CEO & Founder of Suzy, the consumer intelligence platform used by over 300 leading global brands? As a Suzy client ourselves, we use the platform to get quality consumer insights on demand. So, in this episode, we take a look back on 2021 with Matt, and analyze some key happenings: how consumer shopping habits are reacting to inflation, eating out vs. dining in, and Matt’s predictions heading into 2022.

Dana Gunders, national expert and strategic advisor for food waste reduction, joins us to look at the state of food waste in the home. We discuss major causes and practical solutions for food waste at the consumer level, and how to reduce waste around the holidays, including Thanksgiving.

In this special episode, we are joined by none other than Steve Barnard, CEO & Founder of Mission Produce, to open up a series on the birth of the global avocado phenomenon. Steve introduces us to the growth of the avocado category and gives an overview of where global supply and demand are today.

In this episode, we dive into all things food safety with industry experts Dr. Max Teplitski, Chief Science Officer of PMA, and Tim York, CEO of California LGMA. We debunk the myths around keeping food safe, look at the importance (and increase) of produce recalls, and learn what consumers can do to prevent food-borne illness.