The Quality Makers: Adrienne Lufkin of Struesli

As someone with several dietary restrictions, thanks to gut issues and beyond, I am never not looking for delicious things I can eat that won’t make me feel like I’m sacrificing flavor, integrity, quality, and digestive comfort.

Alas, when it comes to granola, finding a “well-adjusted” brand with ingredients that can service all kinds of health needs, it has become nearly impossible to find products that aren’t loaded with sugar, grains, and other inflammatory elements. *Raises and shakes fist* “Lies!!” I yell.

Adrienne Lufkin, Founder of Struesli, is here to wipe the slate (and your plate) clean with super clean granola that leverages 100% organic, nutritious ingredients. Not only is Struesli made to fit basically every kind of dietary need, but it’s also as delicious—if not more delicious—than mainstream granola. With such a thoughtful focus on nutrition and quality, one might even say Adrienne is leading the charge of innovation in the granola category (and if the granola category doesn’t exist, then I just invented it!).

Here’s everything Adrienne had to say about her crunchy journey to granola redefined.

TQE: What is your background? How did you get into the food space?

AL: My lifelong love of creating healthy, seasonal fare began during my early childhood while watching my mother turn simple ingredients into delicious family meals. After earning my Bachelors of Science from NYC’s Fordham University, I decided to follow my true passion and enrolled at The French Culinary Institute (now known as the International Culinary Institute).

I started out as a private chef in 2003, catering dinner parties, private events, and weekly meals to high-profile clients in Westchester County, New York. Eventually, I began cooking exclusively for a family that often spent time in Nantucket while simultaneously learning from some of the highest-caliber chefs on the island. Additional career opportunities with other clients exposed me to cooking techniques and emerging dietary trends across the country that further inspired my health-driven approach in the kitchen. 

In early 2023, I launched Struesli with two premium flavors, Original and Cacao + Coffee. My vision is to provide consumers with a delicious blend of superfoods that conveniently fits into a variety of dietary needs and lifestyles as part of a daily ritual. 

TQE: What was your inspiration for creating Struesli?

AL: I had been creating my own granola for years both for myself and my clients. There weren’t any clean-label granola brands I could find that fit my dietary needs. As someone with chronic migraines and Crohn’s Disease, it’s important that I avoid sugar, grains, and gluten – things you’ll find in pretty much any other granola out there!

My granola recipe was a success with everyone I shared it with, so I decided to share it with a bigger audience with the creation of Struesli.

TQE: People have been trying to master the art of creating healthy granola for decades (and seemingly haven’t nailed it). How did you manage to find the perfect mix of ingredients? 

AL: I’ve been making variations of Struesli for myself, clients, and family for years with tweaks and revisions over time. Granola in general tends to have a “healthy” connotation, but as we become more savvy and demanding of truly clean and nutrient dense food that actually tastes delicious, I felt the market was ready for what Struesli had to offer. 

Consumers are reading labels and digging into what’s really in their food. This consumer is our driver.

TQE: How has nutrition (or food as medicine) played a role in your own life?

‍AL: In my teens and 20’s, I didn’t pay much attention to how food directly impacted my health. I really should have since I was diagnosed at the age of 17 with Crohn’s Disease and suffered from chronic migraines my entire childhood. In my mid-20s, I worked alongside a nutritionist for some clients of mine. 

These clients also suffered from various autoimmune diseases, and one was fighting cancer. I learned how to cook gluten-free, refined sugar-free, anti-inflammatory, and macrobiotic, applying this to my own way of eating. Throughout that process, I discovered I was much less symptomatic. I also learned that the foods you add in are just as important as what you minimize or cut out. 

To this day, I follow that same way of eating while finding balance by allowing myself freedom. For me, food is medicine, yes, but it’s also adventure, joy, family, creativity, and so much more.  

TQE: What are some of the current gaps in the ~granola market~ that you felt were lacking when you headed into unknown granola territory?

AL: It’s virtually impossible to find a clean-label granola that doesn’t contain sugars of any kind. Even the ones that boast “no sugar added” are using date sugar, stevia, monk fruit, or some other workaround. 

Struesli doesn’t contain any sweeteners, meaning you can use our granola on sweet and savory recipes. You’re able to control the level of sweetness you prefer by enjoying fruit, honey, or simply enjoying as is! Struesli is a convenient pantry staple combining so many good-for-you ingredients. It’s delicious as a standalone or as a base to incorporate in your day multiple ways.  

TQE: Who is the perfect audience for your granola? How would you want people to utilize it?

AL: Anyone looking for a convenient nutrition boost with great texture and flavor will love Struesli! I created this granola to fit into a wide range of dietary preferences and needs while still tasting as if it was homemade. Struesli is Paleo-friendly, Keto-friendly, plant-based, gluten-free, grain-free, and low carb, so it checks a lot of dietary boxes!

We love how creative our customers are with ways to use Struesli beyond traditional yogurt bowls. Since it’s sweetener-free, we often see folks using the original flavor on avocado toast, soup, and baked goods, and the Cacao+Coffee is a hit on top of peanut butter toast, topped onto smoothies, and incorporated into energy bites.