Unboxed: 11 new natural foods packaged in pouches
The nosh: A high protein, high fiber snack that contains dried chickpeas spiced with a ranch-like blend that includes tomato powder, garlic powder, onion powder, yeast extract, mustard and more. A quarter cup delivers an impressive 6 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. What’s cool: I love seeing this small brand grow because its manufacturing process makes a crispy, addictive snack (rather than chewy or dry, like other chickpea snacks I’ve sampled). This new SKU has pronounced flavor and addictive snackability. bienafoods.com
The nosh: A savory-sweet pouch made with an interesting blend of USDA Organic ingredients including vegetable broth, spinach, sweet potato, carrot, pear, lemon, chia, lentils and banana. Best served chilled, this hand-held pouch is 90 calories per 4-ounce serving. What’s cool: It’s a little hard to wrap my head around this product, as I typically don’t eat such a wide variety of foods at once. I appreciate Belicious’ moxie to create such a healthy on-the-go solution that isn’t all sugar. But for consumers who are used to totally smooth, sweet pouches, it might be a hard sell. I expect consumers interested in getting handy nutrition, like backpackers or cyclists, would be down, though. beliciousfood.com
The nosh: Love quinoa but don’t have access to a kitchen to cook it? Carrington Farms satisfies consumer’s zeal for all things snackable with this toasted quinoa, designed to be sprinkled over salads, soups or yogurt for a nice crunch, or eaten straight from the bag. What’s cool: A quick, tasty way to incorporate quinoa, a high-protein, high-fiber food, into meals. carringtonfarms.com
The nosh: Half dollar-sized treats made with a lovely blend of organic coconut, organic raw agave, almond flour, organic raspberry, organic extra-virgin coconut oil, organic vanilla and Himalayan crystal salt. Each macaroon is 120 calories, and 9 grams of (healthy!) fat. What’s cool: Each cookie is a burst of brightness—without added “natural flavoring.” Instead, Emmy’s celebrates the inherent goodness of raspberry by accentuating it with high-quality vegan and gluten-free ingredients. I love how the brand prioritizes using organic ingredients, even though it can’t claim a 100 percent organic certification—almond flour is the only non-organic ingredient, presumably due to price. emmysorganics.com
The nosh: A take-along drink mix made with a low-cal, low-sugar blend of erythritol, stevia, guarana extract, natural flavor and vitamins like B6 and B12. Packaged in a pouchlike box that can stand up straight. What's cool: Everly’s mission is to get consumers to drink more water by making it more interesting. For every box of Everly purchased, the brand donates a packet of life-saving hydration medicine to treat a child sick with waterborne disease. goeverly.com
The nosh: Crunchy gluten-free squares crafted with mostly organic ingredients including quinoa, brown rice syrup, brown rice crisps, almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, cane sugar, sunflower butter and more—all drizzled with organic dark chocolate. What's cool: We like how quinoa is the first ingredient in these better-for-you snacks, which deliver a decent amount of good fats and a bit of fiber. A sweet fix for afternoon sugar cravings. iheartkeenwah.com
The nosh: A new hemp protein powder to whirl into your smoothie. This vegan vanilla chai flavored product contains Manitoba Harvest’s signature Hemp Pro 70 protein concentrate, organic coconut sugar and a nutrient-dense blend of organic dark, leafy greens, including spinach, kale and broccoli. What’s cool: We love how Manitoba Harvest makes it easier for consumers to eat foods that contain hemp—a fast-growing, sustainable crop from Canada. Bonus: The Banana Spice Smoothie recipe on the back of the package—made with hemp protein, frozen banana, nondairy milk and maple syrup—sounds heavenly. manitobaharvest.com
The nosh: Light, airy slices of onion chips dusted with a touch of salt and pepper, BBQ seasonings or chipotle-garlic spices, this new snack from Dang is made with big, thick slices of onion that are quickly fried in such a way that preserves nutrients, and leaves them lower in fat than Funyuns (which, by the way, don’t even contain onion… it’s onion flavoring). What’s cool: A big pat on the back to Dang Foods for innovation in the whole-food snack space. After essentially launching the coconut-chip category (and seeing other brands hop onboard with nearly identical products), it’s great to see the brand branch out into another underutilized but healthy ingredient. dangfoods.com
The nosh: A simple, one-ingredient bag filled with roasted yaupon tea—the only caffeinated plant native to North America. What’s cool: We’ve seen brands that feature yaupon tea before, such as Cat Spring and Asi, which is a ready-to-drink product. In our opinion, the more brands that use this wild-harvested product, which grows wild in the southern and southeastern United States, the better. Lost Pines says the tea is harvested from the Lost Pines Forest located in Bastrop, Texas, where thinning the plant aids with wildfire restoration, which builds habitat for endangered toads (hence the brand’s logo). lostpinesyaupontea.com
The nosh: A beautiful coffee substitute that features roasted organic maca, the Peruvian root believed to have hormone-balancing properties, and cacao powder, cinnamon, mesquite powder and nutmeg. What’s cool: Macaccino is unique because the brand uses a ton of maca—it’s the first ingredient. Macaccino’s parent brand, Sol Natural Foods, is dedicated to sourcing maca sustainably and with respect for the farmers, too. solnaturalfoods.com
The nosh: These crunchy, crispy fruit and vegetable snacks from a Costa Rican company are notable because each ingredient contains just two ingredients: the thinly sliced product and raw cane sugar. Each 1-ounce pouch is one serving, and under 100 calories. What’s cool: We dig Natural Sin’s new package design, which better communicates the potato chip-like texture of the food inside. naturalsinsonline.com
The nosh: These crunchy, crispy fruit and vegetable snacks from a Costa Rican company are notable because each ingredient contains just two ingredients: the thinly sliced product and raw cane sugar. Each 1-ounce pouch is one serving, and under 100 calories. What’s cool: We dig Natural Sin’s new package design, which better communicates the potato chip-like texture of the food inside. naturalsinsonline.com
Natural brands across categories are embracing the pouch—and for good reason. These resealable packages are skyrocketing in popularity in part because retailers can easily incorporate them into crowded store shelves: they stand up, and in many cases, they can be hung if they have a hole punched through the top.
Here, find Unboxed product reviews for the newest pouched products that arrived on our desk.
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