SAN FRANCISCO — Candy Nothings, a maker of natural, plant-based smoothies, is launching its first youngsters’s merchandise this month. The debut of squeezable smoothies in Entire Meals Market shops throughout the nation is considered one of a number of current milestones for the San Francisco-based startup.
Packaged in “kid-friendly” tubes, the squeezable smoothies are formulated with natural fruits, greens and chia seeds. Flavors embrace pineapple spinach, mango carrot and strawberry beet. The merchandise are merchandised close to bagged frozen fruit, which “speaks to the flexibility of the event” and the nutrient-dense components, stated Jake Kneller, co-founder and chief govt officer.
“We’ve completed focus teams with dad and mom and discovered extra about when a product like this might match into their lives and their children’ lives,” Mr. Kneller stated. “It wasn’t one thing that they considered changing a popsicle filled with cane sugar and fruit juice. It was, ‘This might substitute a yogurt tube or string cheese or applesauce.’ … You’ll by no means put a dessert within the frozen fruit class, so there’s a number of credibility and a number of flexibility that comes with that placement.”
The merchandise, that are free from the highest eight allergens and produced in a devoted facility, additionally might be accessible to buy via on-line retailer Thrive Market.
“Mother and father who need their children to eat extra fruits and veggies, or they’re seeking to steer clear of dairy for allergic reactions or different causes, can throw this in a lunchbox as an alternative of that yogurt tube or string cheese, and the child loves it,” Mr. Kneller stated. “They suppose they’re getting dessert. It’s candy, flavorful, slightly tangy. And the father or mother clearly is aware of that it’s a really wholesome possibility.”
The model’s flagship line of single-serve, spoonable smoothies, that are plant-based with no added sugar, is rolling out to extra retail places. Following a profitable check, the merchandise might be accessible in choose Kroger divisions this summer time, Mr. Kneller stated. Candy Nothings spoonable smoothies comprise a mix of fruits, greens, nuts and seeds. Flavors embrace strawberry, darkish chocolate, peanut butter, tropical greens, blueberry and mango.
Co-founder Beth Porter, a longtime entrepreneur with a ardour for well being and wellness, developed the preliminary recipes a number of years in the past in her dwelling kitchen following her younger daughter’s choice to undertake a vegetarian food regimen. The merchandise, packaged in grab-and-go cups containing a small spoon, had been designed to ship the advantages of a home made smoothie with out preparation or clean-up.
Rebranded packaging is rolling out quickly, designed with vibrant hues and clearer communication to face out on shelf. Distribution features and the addition of the youngsters’s choices deliver the model’s retail footprint to 2,500 doorways, Mr. Kneller stated.
Final fall marked the introduction of shelf-stable snack bites that includes fruit, nuts, oats and flax seeds, which at the moment are offered on Amazon.com.
“We’ve been on there a month, and it’s been actually profitable from a quantity and assessment standpoint,” Mr. Kneller stated. “Our intent round this line was there are locations we wish to meet our shopper that we are able to’t with frozen. It’s a product that feels revolutionary however continues to be wholesome, nutrient-dense, with tremendous clear components, and it’s not a ‘me, too’ product. It’s completely different than something on the market.”
