Lighten Up: Fresh Spring Meals That Won’t Weigh You Down

(Feature Impact) Put away the heavy coats and break out the rain jackets and rubber boots – spring is here, and with it comes more than just pop-up showers and sunshine. After months of comfort foods and curling up indoors, you may be ready for lighter meals that won’t weigh you down before splashing in the puddles.

Fresh produce may first come to mind, but spring bites can also mean swapping out ingredients like regular pasta for a solution such as pearl couscous. If you’re looking to complement greens, veggies, fish or meats with light yet filling flavor, consider Success Boil-in-Bag Pearl Couscous, a small, mediterranean-style pasta that always cooks right and is ready to eat in under 7 minutes once the water boils. The BPA-free boil-in-bag simplicity makes cooking easy and foolproof: no measure, no mess, no stress.

Made with high-quality semolina wheat, it features a slightly nutty flavor on its own while absorbing the flavors of salads while retaining its density and chewy texture. It’s distinguished from traditional Moroccan couscous by its slightly larger, rounder shape and less dense, firmer consistency.

Try it with your next meal in this protein-forward Shrimp Pearl Couscous Salad, made using fresh herbs, citrus, seasoned shrimp and chickpeas for a jam-packed salad that screams spring. Never boring, the tender, seasoned couscous and shrimp, veggies and aromatic herbs can bring your family running to the kitchen after a day of play.

Or, for an even simpler dish that requires just 15 minutes in the kitchen, this Pearl Couscous and Chickpea Salad is light, bright and bursting with flavor. It brings together tender pearl couscous, crisp veggies and za’atar in every bite.

To find more light spring recipe ideas, visit SuccessRice.com.

Shrimp Pearl Couscous Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

• 1          bag Success Pearl Couscous
  
• 1          pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  
• 1          tablespoon seasoned salt
  
• 4          tablespoons olive oil, divided
  
• 1          can (14 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  
• 1/2       teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/2       teaspoon onion powder
  
• 1/2       teaspoon smoked paprika
  
• 1/4       teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2       English cucumber, diced
  
• 1          cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  
• 1/4       cup fresh basil, chopped
  
• 1/4       cup red onions, finely chopped
  
• 2          tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  
• 1          tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1/2       cup feta, crumbled

1. Prepare pearl couscous according to package directions. 
2. In medium bowl, toss shrimp with seasoned salt.  
3. In large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes. If necessary, cook in batches to avoid overcrowding pan.
4. In another large pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add chickpeas and cook 8 minutes until crispy and golden, tossing often. Add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt. Toss to fully coat and cook 2 minutes.
5. In large bowl, combine pearl couscous, shrimp, chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, red onion, dill, lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Toss to combine. Garnish with feta.

Pearl Couscous and Chickpea Salad

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

• 1          bag Success Pearl Couscous
  
• 1          can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  
• 1          cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  
• 1/2       cup cucumber, diced
  
• 1/4       cup fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 1          tablespoon za’atar
  
• 2          tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1          tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  
• 1/2       teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4       teaspoon pepper

1. Prepare pearl couscous according to package directions.
2. In large bowl, combine couscous, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and za’atar.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SOURCE:

Success Rice

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Last Updated on April 2, 2026 by Daily News Staff

New national survey data suggests cooking oil is becoming a visible factor in restaurant selection, with younger diners showing the strongest preferences.

A new national survey suggests that cooking oil is no longer just a back-of-house decision for restaurants. It is increasingly becoming part of how consumers decide where to eat.

According to new data released by Coast Packing Company, 43% of Americans say a restaurant’s cooking oil influences their dining choice. The survey, based on responses from 1,005 U.S. consumers, points to a clear shift in how ingredient decisions are perceived by the public.

The strongest signal comes from younger diners. Among adults ages 18 to 34, 52% say knowing whether a restaurant uses Beef Tallow or seed oils affects where they choose to eat. Among consumers 55 and older, that number falls to 33%.

The preference gap also shows up when diners are asked to choose between two otherwise identical restaurants. In that scenario, 31% of adults ages 18 to 34 say they would choose the restaurant using Beef Tallow, compared with 19% of adults 55 and older.

The survey also found that 24.7% of diners prefer restaurants to use traditional animal fats such as butter or Beef Tallow, while 15.6% prefer seed or vegetable oils. That suggests ingredient choices once treated mainly as operational decisions may now be influencing brand perception, menu appeal, and customer loyalty.

For restaurant operators, the findings point to a broader change in consumer behavior. Diners, especially younger ones, appear increasingly interested in how food is prepared and what ingredients are used behind the scenes. That shift aligns with wider food industry trends that emphasize transparency, flavor, and traditional preparation methods.

Coast Packing says the data builds on years of tracking consumer attitudes toward animal fats. Earlier research showed growing openness to ingredients such as Lard and Beef Tallow, particularly among younger consumers who associate them with flavor and old-school cooking. This latest survey goes a step further by suggesting those views are now influencing actual dining behavior.

The findings also match broader market signals. Whole Foods Market’s 2026 food trend forecast identified Beef Tallow as an emerging ingredient gaining visibility, while analysts continue to project growth in the global tallow sector through 2030.

Restaurants are unlikely to overhaul kitchen practices overnight. Still, the survey suggests cooking oil is becoming more than a technical ingredient choice. For a growing share of consumers, it is part of the dining experience itself.

For more information, visit Coast Packing Company.

External Links

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• Back to Flavor, Back to Tallow white paper
• Email to request the full survey results
• Coast Packing Company official website
• Coast Packing TasteMap
• Healthy Fats Coalition

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Last Updated on April 1, 2026 by Daily News Staff

Purely Elizabeth is stepping beyond the breakfast bowl and into the “glow-from-within” conversation.

The Boulder-based natural foods brand announced the launch of Purely Glow Salted Vanilla Pistachio Granola, a limited-edition flavor that blends its signature crunchy clusters with beauty-inspired functional ingredients—including collagen peptides and biotin. The drop is timed to New York Fashion Week, signaling how quickly wellness brands are borrowing cues from beauty culture: trend-driven, ritual-focused, and built for social.

Why a “beauty granola” now?

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ve seen the shift: wellness content is increasingly framed like skincare—daily routines, “non-negotiables,” and ingredients people swear by.

Purely Elizabeth points to that momentum in the announcement, noting that TikTok posts featuring collagen increased by 70% over the past year compared to the previous two years. At the same time, pistachio has had its own breakout moment, with 55,000 pistachio-related TikTok posts in the most recent year—a 104% increase over the prior 24 months.

Translation: consumers aren’t just shopping for flavor anymore. They’re shopping for function, aesthetic, and ritual.

What’s inside Purely Glow Salted Vanilla Pistachio Granola

On the flavor side, Purely Glow is positioned as an elevated, dessert-leaning blend built around a salty-sweet profile:

• Organic oats
• Roasted pistachios
• Real vanilla bean
• A hint of sea salt

From a nutrition and formulation standpoint, the granola is:

• Gluten-free
• Sweetened with coconut sugar
• Baked with coconut oil
• A good source of fiber
• Enriched with collagen peptides, coconut water powder, and biotin

Founder and CEO Elizabeth Stein says the concept comes from a personal place—bringing together “nourishing food and daily beauty rituals,” and leaning into the idea that what you eat can be part of how you care for yourself.

A collab that takes it beyond the grocery aisle

To push the launch into lifestyle territory, Purely Elizabeth is partnering with Cha Cha Matcha for a limited-time “Purely Glow” menu at all locations.

The menu includes:

• Pistachio Matcha Lattes (hot or iced)
• A Purely Glow Yogurt Parfait layered with coconut yogurt, matcha chia pudding, and topped with Purely Glow Granola

The brand is also hosting “Glow Up” pop-up events to bring the product to life:

• Cha Cha Matcha Flatiron (NYC): February 12, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., plus the weekend
• Cha Cha Matcha Beverly Hills: February 20–22

Availability and price

Purely Glow Granola launches February 12 for $7.99 and will be sold until it sells out. It’s available exclusively via:

• PurelyElizabeth.com
• TikTok Shop
• Cha Cha Matcha locations

A brand move that fits the moment

Purely Elizabeth has been around for 16 years and says it has remained the #1 granola brand in the natural channel for more than eight consecutive years—so this isn’t a reinvention as much as a strategic expansion.

The bigger takeaway: food brands are increasingly marketing like beauty brands. Limited editions. Ingredient storytelling. Collabs. Pop-ups. Social-first launches.

Purely Glow is a clean example of that playbook—built around a trending flavor (pistachio), a trending function (collagen/biotin), and a cultural moment (NYFW) that makes the product feel like more than breakfast.

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For more details, visit purelyelizabeth.com.

Sources: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/purely-elizabeth-launches-limited-edition-purely-glow-granola-brands-first-beauty-inspired-granola-302683272.html