Brussels Sprouts are Grabbing the Spotlight Year-Round

Value-added versions are attracting fans.

Once considered a boring side dish at Thanksgiving tables, Brussels sprouts are finally getting some respect. First, restaurant chefs, and now home cooks are bringing culinary creativity to the cruciferous veggie year-round.

Retailers are responding by offering a range of options, including whole Brussels sprouts, halves and shaved versions for shoppers to roast, sauté, and throw into salads and pasta dishes. Supermarkets are also carrying new value-added items, such as Ippolito International’s Queen Victoria Brussels Bites Kits and Ocean Mist Farms’ Roastables.

“We see real opportunity in the incremental volume that comes from making the product easier to use and more appealing at shelf,” says Jorge Bastidas, director of fresh vegetable programs for Alpine Fresh, based in Doral, FL, which has expanded its boil-in-bag options.

“The cost per pound is a bit higher on packaged Brussels sprouts, but the added convenience and perceived value often translate into stronger margins and consistent sales growth.”

Marc Goldman, director of produce and floral at Bronx, NY-based Morton-Williams, a 17-unit retailer recently acquired by Wakefern Food Corp., based in Keasbey, NJ, says sales of Brussels sprouts have picked up significantly.

“People are eating healthier,” he says. “Over the last few years, it’s picked up a lot. Where it was not a big item, now it’s become pretty big. We always sold them all year, but it was much more limited. Now we do much better with them.”

QUICK AND EASY DOES IT

Convenience is key for Brussels sprouts, Goldman says. “Whole is the best seller, but a lot of people like to buy them all different ways, especially in Manhattan, where people don’t have big kitchens and they don’t do a ton of cooking usually. Whatever we can do to help, as far as cutting them up and preparing them, we do much better with them.”

“Whole is the best seller, but a lot of people like to buy them all different ways, especially in Manhattan, where people don’t have big kitchens and they don’t do a ton of cooking usually.”
— Marc Goldman, Morton-Williams, Bronx, NY

Morton-Williams prepares its value-added offerings in-store and merchandises them along with other pre-cut produce. “The more variety you have, as far as half and shredded, adds to the whole display and makes it convenient for everybody,” says Goldman. “The produce manager can talk about how to prepare them.”

The retailer also sells roasted Brussels sprouts at its food bars, which helps inspire shoppers to buy them fresh too, Goldman adds.

Sales of Brussels sprouts are up this year for Bronx, NY-based Baldor Specialty Foods, distributor of specialty produce to more than 14,000 retail, foodservice and corporate accounts in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, says Donald Russo, Baldor’s vegetable category manager.

Baldor offers a full suite of Brussels sprouts, from whole sprouts to shaved. “To drive sales beyond the holidays, products need to be convenient, such as halved, shredded and ready to cook, so that consumers see sprouts as quick and easy,” says Russo.

Baldor distributes 15 SKUs of Brussels sprouts, including its “Fresh Cuts” offerings, which are sliced, diced, and cut to order for each customer’s needs.

Stew Leonard’s, headquartered in Norwalk, CT, and with stores in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, has seen steady volume for Brussels sprouts overall, but shoppers are opting for different, easy-to-prepare formats, says Charles Yeh, produce director for the eight-unit retailer known for its abundant produce displays.

“They’re looking for convenience by adding sprouts to salads, baking them on sheet pans, or tossing them in air fryers. We have seen a rise in sales of ready-to-cook items like halved and shaved sprouts, while whole sprouts are slightly down, except during peak holiday times like Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

 NEW KITS GAINING TRACTION

Like salad kits before them, Brussels sprouts kits are striking a chord, retailers say. “We’re seeing a lot of excitement around Ocean Mist’s seasoned Roastables sprouts,” says Yeh. “These kits are perfect for busy families, and they’re ready in just 15 minutes.”

Ocean Mist Farms, based in Castroville, CA, introduced Roastables in October 2024. The 15-ounce kits include trimmed, ready-to-roast, halved sprouts with seasonings plus garnish to add after cooking. Flavors include Lemon Caesar, Sweet Sesame and Sun-Dried Tomato.

In January 2025, Ippolito Produce, based in Salinas, CA, also launched kits, Queen Victoria Brussels Bites. The four-item line of 13.9-ounce bags includes pre-washed, bite-sized sprouts packaged with seasonings and toppings. Flavors include Barbecue Cheddar, Garlic Bacon, Asian Chili and Feta and Sundried Tomato.

The reaction has been “very positive,” says Katie Dozier, sales commodity manager, Brussels sprouts, for Ippolito. “We have very keen interest from retail. The feedback from consumers has actually affirmed that we have fulfilled an unmet need with consumers who enjoy ordering Brussels sprouts at restaurants, but were uncertain how to prepare them at home.”

Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle Inc. is selling Brussels Bites in its more than 110 Ohio stores for $5.99 per pack. Publix, based in Lakeland, FL, is also offering them, among numerous other retailers.

MARKETING PUSH

Hippie Organics, grower Alpine Fresh’s organic line, plans to start the new year with a marketing push for its expanded line of steam-in-bag Brussels sprouts.

“Beginning in January 2026, we’re launching our Hippie Organics’ “Everyday I’m Brusselin”campaign, which will spotlight the versatility of Brussels sprouts beyond the holiday season,” says Bastidas of Alpine Fresh. “The goal is to inspire shoppers to incorporate organic Brussels into everyday meals.”

To increase sales, Bastidas suggests retailers cross-merchandise and highlight convenience formats. “Cross promotions with the meat department are excellent, as Brussels make great complementary side dishes to steak or other proteins,” he says. 

Baldor’s Russo suggests keeping sprouts “as visible as possible” beyond the winter holidays and to pair them with “more in-season peak vegetables.”

Ippolito’s Dozier says Queen Victoria is using social media to help show how quick and easy its Brussels sprouts kits are to prepare. The company also supplies retailers with shelf talkers and runs couponing programs on an individual basis, depending on the region and the retailers.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Boosting sales of Brussels sprouts beyond the winter holidays is not assured, growers and retailers say. “The category is growing, but sustaining momentum beyond the holiday promotional surge requires good supply, smart marketing, and making the product as easy and compelling as other go-to vegetables,” says Bastidas.

As with any fresh produce, unexpected weather can make or break a crop. This past year brought some challenges to growers of Brussels sprouts, including unfavorable weather and pests.

 “Weather in most growing regions was off this past year, with Mexico and the U.S experiencing less than ideal conditions,” says Russo. “Brussels sprouts love the cool weather, and almost all major growing regions experienced stretches of poor conditions — from heat, to rain and hail. This has contributed to poor yields and quality challenges.”

In addition, Brussels sprouts have a long crop cycle and are slow to produce, says Russo. “Competition from other peak vegetables will compete for space on the plate.”

According to Yeh at Stew Leonard’s, the past year’s weather issues tightened the fresh supply and pushed wholesale prices above $50 per 25-pound case. “Despite that, we’ve kept our retail price at $2.99 per pound to maintain value for our customers without losing quality.”

The biggest challenge is breaking the holiday mindset, Yeh says. “We’ve found that eye-catching displays and in-store meal inspiration really help keep customers engaged year-round. Brussels sprouts aren’t just for Thanksgiving.”

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From Restaurant Menu to Air Fryer

Indulgent preparations at restaurants and interest in healthy eating have helped Brussels sprouts become menu mainstays that consumers are attempting to replicate at home.

When chefs started frying and charring Brussels sprouts and adding sweet glazes, bacon or nuts several years ago, the once boring vegetable became a hit. “All of a sudden, Brussels sprouts went from being a typical side dish at your Thanksgiving meal to being this shareable, craveable appetizer,” says Kara Nielsen, president of Kara Nielsen Food Trends in Oakland, CA.

Today, Brussels sprouts are common at restaurants from fast-casual chains to Thai spots. For example, Fried Brussels Sprouts with King Sauce, a red curry paste, is on the menu at Funky Elephant, a Thai eatery with locations in San Francisco and Oakland, CA.

“There is a population, especially among Millennials who are now typically running homes and households and making meals, who are much more familiar with Brussels sprouts,” says Nielsen. “They are considered something to add to your salad and use in stir fries and to be roasted at home. Producers are smart to make Brussels sprouts more accessible by shredding them or putting them in a kit.”

“Producers are smart to make Brussels sprouts more accessible by shredding them or putting them in a kit.”
— Kara Nielsen, Kara Nielsen Food Trends, Oakland, CA

Air fryers are a natural for cooking Brussels sprouts, Nielsen says. “The air fryer has become hugely popular. It is a way of bringing that restaurant-quality fried food to the home.”