“There are very few convenient breakfast options that have twice as much protein as sugar and are made from real, plant-based food. Most quick breakfast options are loaded with sugar, which consumers are trying to avoid,” Julia Wing-Larson, VP of innovation and marketing at Health Warrior, told FoodNavigator-USA.
In contrast, Health Warrior’s Protein Mug Muffin, which will launched Sept. 17, offers consumers a healthier option with only 6 grams of sugar, 12 grams of protein and enough fiber to qualify as an excellent source of the nutrient.
“If you compare that to a recent Mug Cake launch from another large, established brand, which has 30 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber, that is 80% less sugar! And a lot more filling,” Wing-Larson said.
She added that while the brand’s take on the viral breakfast trend has far less sugar, it still delivers on the taste and convenience that shoppers are looking for in the emerging category.
Available in classic flavors, including blueberry, banana nut and peanut butter chocolate chip, Wing-Larson explained, Health Warrior is able to deliver the sweet taste consumers want but with less sugar by using monk fruit extract.
At the same time that Health Warrior is cutting sugar, it blends fava beans, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and sorghum for a high dose of on-trend plant-protein, she said.
In addition to nutrition, the brand delivers convenience by requiring consumers to do nothing more than add water, stir and pop it in the microwave for under 60 seconds.
“Who wouldn’t want a warm muffin that’s ready in under a minute and is actually good for you?” Wing-Larson said.
The launch not only expands consumers’ breakfast choices, it also expands Health Warrior’s portfolio, Wing-Larson said.
She explained the launch “fits our existing portfolio by continuing to deliver delicious, good for you food with superfoods as the #1 ingredient and less sugar than the competition,” and “it expands our portfolio with new superfoods (e.g. hemp, flax, sorghum, fava beans) and new usage occasions (breakfast!).”
New protein powder offers a clean label alternative
While muffins are an iconic breakfast option, baked goods aren’t for everyone in the morning, which is one reason why Health Warrior also is launching a new “super-clean” Superfood Protein Powder in early September, Wing-Larson said.
Like the mug-cake category, the protein space is increasingly crowded, but Wing-Larson said Health Warrior’s new Superfood Protein Powder stands out from the competition because unlike most plant-based protein powders that use pea and rice protein it uses “a grain free blend of pumpkin seed, chia seed, flax seed and hemp seed.”
Plus, because the chia and flax are natural thickeners, Health Warrior’s powder doesn’t need added gums, Wing-Larson said.
In addition, she noted that unlike most of the competition, “we don’t add any sugar, sugar alcohols or stevia. We use monk fruit extract to naturally sweeten our protein powder instead.”
With the launch of both options, Health Warrior continues to pursue its mission to offer “ways to make packaged food good for you,” Wing-Larson said. “We [see] an opportunity to make a better protein powder and a better breakfast by putting superfoods first, making them delicious, and using simple ingredients without a lot of sugar.”