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It’s estimated that about 80 billion pounds of perfectly good food is thrown away each year. Food is wasted for multiple reasons, including that it doesn’t look a certain way or just isn’t typically eaten, like peels and pulp. As a consumer, it can feel overwhelming to even try to think about how to repair our broken food system, especially when you see such huge numbers (like 80 billion!). While it’s true that our individual actions can only do so much, all of our small steps can amount to big steps. So, I’ve decided to stop underestimating the power of individual actions and instead, work to be a more conscious consumer.
And with that, a space that I’ve enjoyed watching is upcycled snacks. Many brands are entering the scene with delicious snacks crafted from food waste that would have otherwise been discarded. It’s a tale of turning trash to treasures. But don’t let the word trash scare you – we’re not talking about half-eaten apples here. Brands are making use of the totally-fine excess from the food production process (think vegetable pulp leftover from juicing or ugly produce that would have been tossed because it’s not cosmetically perfect enough for the grocery floor).
Below, we’re diving into 7 of the coolest upcycled snack brands, and their products you can munch on right now.
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I’ve never stopped to think about what happens to all of the grains that are used to make beer after the brewing process – until now. ReGrained founders Jordan and Dan were home brewers and had one pound of grain leftover every time they made a 6-pack of beer. After throwing it out for months, they decided to try making bread with the leftover grain – and it turned out to be delicious. They realized their findings had an opportunity to help save the billions of pounds of grain breweries are left with each year.
ReGrained SuperGrain+ is the brand’s hero ingredient. It’s a flour-like powder derived from upcycled brewer’s grain. ReGrained has all sorts of products based on its proprietary powder, including bars, puffs, and baking mixes.
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Ever wondered where your coffee beans really come from? Before they’re harvested, roasted, ground up, and brewed into the liquid you rely on to wake up each morning, coffee beans live inside a fruit, commonly known as the coffee cherry. Coffee cherries are caffeinated too, but when the seed (aka the coffee bean) is taken out of the fruit, the cherries are often discarded. Not only is this wasteful, but coffee cherries produce toxins when they spoil, which can contaminate water systems and damage local ecosystems.
In an effort to protect the environment and make use of this oft-discarded fruit, I Am Grounded makes energy bars out of upcycled coffee fruit extract, along with a few other natural ingredients like dates, almonds, and cashews. The best part? Each bar boasts 85g of caffeine, which is similar to what you’d get in a cup of matcha.
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When you’re craving a chewy, sugary sweet treat, a piece of fruit won’t suffice. I love fruit, but sometimes you just need a piece of candy to satisfy that sweet tooth. Climate Candy is trying to bridge that gap, delivering plant-based candy chews made from upcycled fruits and veggies. The brand takes ugly produce and repurposes it into sweet chews, similar to a Starburst or Hi-Chew.
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The leftover pulp from juicing fruits and veggies is extremely nutrient-dense, which is all the more reason it shouldn’t be wasted. Pulp Pantry partners with popular juice brands like Suja, Project Juice, and JuiceFarm, among others, to get that excess pulp that becomes the base for the brand’s chips. These fiber-rich chips are most akin to a tortilla chip, with a thin, crunchy texture, but they’re truly a league of their own. The brand recently made an appearance on Shark Tank and snagged a deal, but more importantly had all of the sharks commenting on how delicious they were.
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Much of the cacao plant goes unused in the conventional chocolate-making process. Candid wants to change that by making use of the whole cacao pod – seed and fruit pulp included. The cacao fruit is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and a tangy sweetness, so Candid can ditch the addition of refined sugars.
Noons are Candid’s cacao-based crunch bites. The ingredients are minimal – cacao with some fruits and superfoods depending on the flavor. Beyond just making the most of the whole cacao pod, Candid truly champions sustainability every step of the way. The brand works with independent, family farmers who practice regenerative agroforestry and the bag that holds the chocolate bites is compostable.
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