Kashi taps Gen Z to launch new super food snack bites: 'A twist on your average granola bar'
To bring the super food snack bites to fruition, Kashi collaborated with its 'Kashi Crew', a group of Gen Zers who were involved with "every aspect" of the product development process, according to the company.
"We went straight to the source to create a food that’s truly for kids, by kids,” said Jeanne Wilson, director of brand marketing at Kashi. “The Kashi by Kids Organic Super Food Bites provide a twist on your average granola bar."
Gen Z (aged 12-21) is beginning to emerge as an important influencer in grocery spending, research by Acosta reveals. Today, Gen Z represents the smallest portion of total shoppers making up just 7% of shoppers over the age of 18 spending an average of $269 per month on groceries. However, Gen Z's natural inclination towards healthy, better-for-you options is stronger compared to older generations, according to Acosta.
“Gen Z shoppers show high awareness of, and desire for, healthy food, with more than one-third of their grocery basket considered organic products on a typical trip,” Acosta noted.
The USDA organic snack bites come in mixed berry and chocolate flavors with 10g of whole grains and 3g of fiber per serving. The super food bites are packaged in pouches for on-the-go consumption.
The Kashi by Kids Organic Super Food Bites are also made without peanuts, making them a school safe option for the roughly 1.6 million kids affected by a peanut allergy in the US.
The new Kashi by Kids Organic Super Food Bites and cereals are available at grocers and retailers nationwide, including Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, and Amazon.
Huge potential in snacking market
Snacking continues to be a driving force in the food industry with Americans consuming nearly 386 billion ready-to-eat snack foods in 2018, according to The NPD Group.
“Snack foods continue to evolve both as between-meal snacks and as part of main meals,” commented David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor. “Each of these snack food roles is changing in different ways in reaction to Americans’ desire for balance, portable snack foods, and holistic wellness.”
Snack food products that address wellness, portability, and single-serve packaging needs are forecasted to grow significantly overt the next five years, according to The NPD Group.
“We’re excited to expand our Kashi by Kids line to offer tasty, good-for-you foods for every moment in the day, and hope that it inspires kids to learn more about all the amazing foods and ingredients in them to spark a lifetime of healthy eating habits," added Wilson.
The Kashi Crew
Kashi brought together a group of of what it calls Gen Z leaders to help craft its kids product line. The Kashi crew consists of kids with backgrounds ranging from 'creative baker and young entrepreneur' to 'healthy living guru' and 'sustainability activist'.
The crew's newest member, Michael Platt, founded his own business, Michael's Desserts, which operates on 1-to-1 business model donating one baked item to a person in need for every dessert purchased.
“We’re helping Kashi make foods that a kid will see on the shelves and actually want to eat, and it’s also something that parents can say ‘yes!’ to because they know it’s healthy and tasty,” he said.
