SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diamond Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq:DMND) announced today it was recognized with two Healthy Food Awards from Self Magazine for its Kettle Brand Baked Sea Salt potato chips made from real potatoes and its Pop Secret 94% Fat Free Butter microwave popcorn. Diamond Foods won two out of the 12 awards presented in the snacks category.

The Self Magazine Healthy Food Awards are presented annually. The magazine invites 100 plus consumer testers to sample over 300 products from six major categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, dessert and drinks. The products are evaluated against the SELF Magazine created criteria that ensures the winning products are low in calories, saturated fat, sodium, added sugar and are free of artificial sweeteners. 

 "Diamond Foods is delighted to be recognized by Self Magazine and its tasters for our Kettle Brand Baked Sea Salt potato chips and Pop Secret 94% Fat Free Butter microwave popcorn products," said Craig Tokusato, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Diamond Foods. "These awards help validate the significant effort and investment that we put into developing distinctive, better-for-you-snacks that don't compromise on taste," said Tokusato. The Self Magazine Healthy Food Awards join a list of awards in competitions and tasting contests that Diamond's products have won in recent years.

Diamond Foods' winning products received praise from Self Magazine tasters. A taster in the potato chip competition described the Kettle Brand Baked Sea Salt potato chips as, "these chips have 67 percent less fat than non-baked varieties. Plus, they pass the grease test: no wiping messy fingers on your jeans!" In the popcorn competition, another Self Magazine taster said about Pop Secret 94% Fat Free Butter microwave popcorn, "It tastes like movie-theater popcorn. All I need is a chick flick and my Snuggie!" 

About Diamond

Diamond Foods is an innovative packaged food company focused on building, and energizing brands including Kettle® Chips, Emerald® snack nuts, Pop Secret® popcorn, and Diamond of California® nuts. Diamond's products are distributed in a wide range of stores where snacks and culinary nuts are sold. For more information visit our corporate web site: www.diamondfoods.com.

The Diamond Foods, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6112

CONTACT: Investors:
         Linda Segre
         SVP, Corporate Strategy
         Diamond Foods
         (415)445 -7444
         lsegre@diamondfoods.com
         
         Media:
         Stephen Sibert
         VP, Corporate Affairs
         Diamond Foods
         (415)445-7444
         ssibert@diamondfoods.com