Photo Release -- Smart Balance Helping Santa Get Healthier for the Holidays

PARAMUS, N.J., Nov. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smart Balance is helping Santa get in shape for his big night with a new Facebook application that allows users to get a peek into, and help direct, Santa's diet and exercise regimen.

Santa preparing for the "Downward Dogsled" yoga pose

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=15919

In the app, available via Smart Balance's Facebook page, users can watch videos of Santa doing his favorite yoga pose—the Downward Dogsled—and see him take on other workouts with varied success. Users can also help Santa increase his fitness through a trip to the track, where dodging bad foods and consuming good ones will help increase his speed. The "Naughty or Nice" quiz tests users' skills to see which list they're on this year, with rewards including a virtual pony or hula hoop. The "Nick" name generator turns users' personal preferences into a customized holiday name that they may or may not want to share with friends.

Users who interact with the app are able to download a mystery coupon for either $.50 off any Smart Balance product or a free Smart Balance product with purchase.

"Our products, recipes and tips have been helping our customers create healthier holidays for years," said Smart Balance Executive Vice President John Becker. "We're proud to add Santa to the list of Smart Balance fans taking better control of their heart health."

Smart Balance offers a wide selection of heart-healthier holiday dishes and cookie recipes using its better butters, milks and spreads instead of higher fat milks, butters or margarines. Recipes are available on the Smart Balance website, www.smartbalance.com.

The app will be available on Smart Balance's Facebook page through the end of the year. Two Twitter accounts support it using the dedicated hashtag #HelpSanta: the handle @SantasCookies tweets Santa's diet and exercise updates while @SmartBalance tweets healthier recipes, cooking tips, news and more. A TV spot also directs viewers to the #HelpSanta chatter, and is available online.

About Smart Balance

Smart Balance, Inc. SMBL is committed to providing superior tasting, solution-driven products in every category it enters. The company's health and wellness platform consists of brands that target specific consumer needs:  Glutino and Udi's for gluten-free diets; Earth Balance for plant-based diets; Smart Balance for heart healthier diets; and Bestlife for weight management.  For more information about Smart Balance, Inc., please visit www.smartbalance.com.  

The Smart Balance, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13800