What’s new on shelf: Getting serious with guilt-free snacks

Add some sunshine

Red Orchard delivers 100% vitamin D in the form of an organic gel snack. According to the producer, the offering was launched to tackle Vitamin D deficiency among UK’s multi-ethnic population.

Vitamin D is produced naturally when the skin is exposed to sunlight through sunshine, however, in the UK, the lack of regular and direct sunshine means that its population is not able to get enough from sunshine alone. According to Public Health England, almost 90% of the population suffers from a deficiency, which is why the NHS recommends that every man, woman and child supplement their consumption.

Red Orchard delivers 100% of a consumer’s daily recommended allowance of Vitamin D. Each 40g pouch contains less than 20 calories per serving with no added sugar and is a convenient way to boost Vitamin D intake while on the go.

“At Red Orchard, we feel the problems that arise from deficiencies are completely avoidable if we find new ways to improve the experience of healthy nutrition. Nutrition shouldn’t be a chore it should be a treat – and preferably strawberry flavored,”​ said Abdul Hakeem Hashi, director of Red Orchard.

Red Orchard is approved by The Soil Association and The Vegetarian Society.

Nature's helping hand

Made in Nature Veggie Pops are crunchy baked balls of vegetables, chickpeas, almonds and seeds.

The pops are certified Organic and Gluten-Free, and available in three dairy-free flavors, including Broccoli Chedda, Salt & Pepper and Sour Cream & Onion. They are also egg-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based and vegetarian.

The snacks contain 140-150 calories per 1 ounce serving, 7g-9g fat, 9-11g carbs, 4g fiber and zero added sugars. They also packed with 7g-8g protein.

Made in Nature Veggie Pops are sold at many major retailers in the US and Canada, including Costco, Safeway, Target, Whole Foods Market and Walmart, as well as online from Amazon, for $4.99 per 3oz bag and $10.99 per 8oz bag.

Health first

US food group General Mills has launched several new products across its Nature Valley, Lärabar and GoodBelly brands.

It has added Nature Valley Wafer Bars, made with ‘light and crispy whole grain, layers of creamy peanut butter and topped with crunchy granola.’

Available in Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Chocolate varieties.

Another addition is a new Lärabar Protein bar, which contains 11g of plant-based protein from peas and nuts. The bars are gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, non-GMO and are available in Lemon Blueberry Muffin, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Apple Cobbler, and Almond Butter Chocolate Brownie varieties.

General Mills has also deepened its partnership with natural brand GoodBelly Probiotics by launching a line of lactose-free snacking yogurts and Peanut Butter Crunch cereal, all containing GoodBelly’s probiotic strain Bifodobacterium lactis BB12.​

The food conglomerate first partnered with GoodBelly on a line of snack bars several years ago, following this up with a $12m investment from its venture arm, 301 Inc, last year.

“This is another great way to flex the partnership and leverage the collective strengths that each of us bring to the table,”​ said John Haugen, 301 founder and MD. “We think that can accelerate the progression and scaling of the launch into the marketplace.”​

“GoodBelly is synonymous with probiotic and digestive health,”​ added Alan Murray, CEO of GoodBelly’s parent company NextFoods. “So we decided to ride that name harder [with this partnership] rather than dilute the message.”​

From frozen to fabulous

GeeFree Foods, a specialist of all-natural, frozen, gluten-free puff pastry products, has introduced Bagel Puffs in three varieties: Everything-On-It (salt, sesame, onion and poppy seeds), Cinnamon Raisin and Plain.

The new snack – which features GeeFree’s signature puff pastry dough and bagel dough, filled with cream cheese – goes from frozen to fabulous is just six minutes and contain approximately 250 calories per serving (of two 1.1oz puffs).

Bagel Puffs come six per box, are free of corn, soy and are Non-GMO Certified at an RRP of $6.99.

GeeFree products are found in the freezer department of grocery and health food stores across the US.

A balanced snack

Macro Snacks has developed a line of plant-based crisps that were created using the US Department of Agriculture’s daily dietary guidelines of macronutrients for American adults, including 10% to 30% of protein, 45% to 65% carbs and 20% to 35% fat.

Macro Snacks – available in Cheddar Cheese, BBQ Sauce and Sour Cream & Onion – follow these parameters and include 11g of pea protein isolate, 16g of complex carbohydrates and 3.5g of fat in each 1.2-oz serving.

According to the company, consumers increasingly are turning to macro-based diets that favor healthy ratios of essential nutrients as an alternative to regimens that limit certain foods.

“People today are favoring balanced macronutrient meal plans over restrictive diets that are not sustainable long term,”​ said Justin Wiesehan, founder and CEO of Macro Snacks.

“Our mission is to make snacks that are not only healthier and macro-balanced but taste amazing and give consumers a genuine guilt-free way to eat better.” ​

The crisp’s packaging highlights the product’s ratios, making it an accessible grab-and-go option for snackers.

Macro Snacks are available in six 1.2oz bags at a RRP of $16.99.

Rooted in health

Dieffenbach’s has rolled out new SKUs under its One Potato Two Potato Brand.

The company has added a range made from whole-root veggies, including batata, taro, parsnip and yucca – made in small batches with clean ingredients, meaning every item is Non-GMO Verified, Gluten Free Certified, Kosher and vegan.

"At One Potato Two Potato Snacks we have been committed to making wholesome, fun and 'Truly Enjoyable Snacks' since the brand was launched in 2012. Today, the brand is continuing that mission by adding products and flavors that will further that commitment,"​ said Nevin Dieffenbach, CEO of Dieffenbach's.

Third generation family-owned and operated, Dieffenbach’s today produces more than 250,000 pounds of kettle-cooked chips a week. The 16 varieties include the usual Bar-B-Q, Sour Cream & Onion, and Jalapeño options, as well as hand-cooked plain chips, as well as four varieties of Uglies ‘crafted from potatoes with minor imperfections.’

How to drop an FBOMB

With the mantra that fat is smart fuel, Arizona-based Love You Foods has created a range of snacks that provide consumers with high quality fats in a form that is easy to carry and use.

The producer’s FBOMB Nut Butter can be enjoyed straight from the pouch as a high-fat snack. The husband-and-wife team uses a proprietary cool-grind process that produces a creamy base texture with a few small nut chunks.

The company has also recently added the FBOMB Keto Krunch, artisan cheddar cheese crisps are made with premium milk from ethically-treated family-farmed cows.

Both products are 100% natural, gluten-free, vegetarian and Keto-friendly, available online at the company’s website.