Innovation is booming among snack bar makers.
General Mills, Inc. is bolstering its bar offerings with new Nature Valley Crispy Creamy Wafer Bars. Available in peanut butter and peanut butter chocolate varieties, the bars consist of layers of wafers, peanut butter and oats on top. The peanut butter chocolate flavor is topped with oats and a layer of chocolate. Individually wrapped for on-the-go consumption, the bars contain 200 calories apiece.
The J.M. Smucker Co. is debuting two new Jif Power Ups bar lines: Soft Baked and Triple Stacked. The bars are all individually wrapped and contain five grams of protein and two grams of fiber each.
Jif Power Ups Soft Baked Bars contain 170 to 180 calories per bar and come in banana, chocolate, peanut butter and snickerdoodle flavors.
Jif Power Ups Stacked Bars feature three layers and contain 180 calories per bar. The layered bars are available in Epic Chocolate, Heroic Honey and Super S’mores varieties.
New from Clif Bar & Co. are Clif Whole Lotta bars, made with fruit, nuts and seeds. The soft-baked bars each provide 10 grams of plant-based protein and are gluten-free, dairy-free, U.S.D.A. certified organic and non-G.M.O.
The tart cherry almond flavor features tart dried cherries, roasted whole almonds, pumpkin seeds, dates, sesame seeds, cashew butter and sea salt.
The salted dark chocolate bar contains a blend of sea salt, dark chocolate and cinnamon combined with almonds, pumpkin seeds, dates and cashew butter.
The roasted peanut chocolate variety includes roasted peanuts, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, dates and sea salt.
The spiced ginger almond bar is made with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, dates and cashew butter.
Conagra Brands, Inc. is expanding its Duncan Hines Perfect Size portfolio with the new Perfect Size Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. The kit requires the addition of one egg and melted butter but comes with its own 6-inch pan for baking in the microwave. Containing 390 calories per serving, the baked cake serves three.
General Mills, Inc.’s Betty Crocker brand is introducing Betty Crocker Chilled Treats single-serve mousses. The mousses are prepared by combining the mix and milk in a glass, chilling it for five minutes then adding the enclosed topping. Betty Crocker Chilled Treats come in four varieties: Key Lime Mousse with Lime Drizzle, French Vanilla Mouse with Salted Caramel Drizzle, Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Ganache, and Lemon Mousse with Lemon Drizzle.
A new ice cream brand is entering the freezer aisle boasting artisan varieties made with certified organic milk and cream from a single herd of cows in Wisconsin. Art Cream comes in 12 flavors, and each pint features a different painting created by one of the company’s team members that embodies the ice cream’s flavor profile. Flavors include saffron honey lemon, Indonesian honey vanilla, butter cream, bourbon honey pecan, summer mint chip, caramel praline pecan, cardamom, chocolate, coffee, ginger, cinnamon pumpkin, and gluten-free cookies and cream.
Ocean Spray is launching a line of juice beverages for children that offer functional health benefits. New Growing Goodness drinks are made with fruit juice with no added sugars and are non-G.M.O.
Growing Goodness Immune Health contains vitamin C and zinc and is available in cranberry strawberry kiwi and cranberry cherry orange flavors.
Growing Goodness Digestive Health is filled with fiber and vitamin C and is available in cranberry apple peach and cranberry blueberry raspberry varieties.
Green Giant Fresh, a Growers Express brand, is adding two new regionally inspired varieties to its line of plant-based Veggie Bowls. Each bowl contains 200 calories and includes chopped and pre-portioned vegetables that cook in five minutes or fewer.
The Korean BBQ Bowl combines cauliflower crumbles chopped cauliflower, carrots, celery, onions, broccoli, crispy rice noodles and a sweet heat Bulgogi sauce.
The Southwest Tortilla Bowl blends cauliflower crumbles chopped cauliflower, carrots, onions, seasoned tortilla chips, sharp white cheddar cheese and a chipotle chile sauce.
World Waters, maker of WTRMLN WTR, is expanding into the sports nutrition category with new WTRMLN SportWTR. The enhanced watermelon water combines the nutrients of watermelon water — vitamin C, lycopene and L-citrulline — with electrolytes, including sea salt. Available in lemon lime, Berry Blast and Sun Drenched Citrus flavors, the beverage was designed to hydrate, enhance performance and aid in recovery.
Elmhurst 1925 is expanding its Hemp Creamer line with three new flavors: French vanilla, hazelnut and golden milk. Joining the original unsweetened Hemp Creamer variety, the new flavors contain 350 mg of omega-3 A.L.A. per serving and 1 gram of sugar. Elmhurst Hemp Creamers are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, OU kosher and Non-GMO Project verified.
The new flavors are made through a HydroRelease method that uses water to separate the component of a nut, grain or seed before reassembling them as a creamy, beverage-ready emulsion that maintains the full nutrition of the source ingredient without added gums or emulsifiers, Elmhurst said. Elmhurst Hemp Creamers are made with five ingredients: hemp seeds, filtered water, cane sugar, dipotassium phosphate and natural flavors.
Siete Family Foods is adding Sprouted Bean Dip to its portfolio of heritage-inspired dips. Made with pinto beans that have been soaked and sprouted, the dip includes coconut oil, jalapeño and paprika.
Numi, Inc. is launching two new Numi Organic Tea Latte Concentrates, containing six grams of sugar per serving or 50% less sugar than traditional tea concentrates, according to the company. Both varieties are U.S.D.A. certified organic, Fair Trade certified and Non-GMO Project verified.
The Matcha Green Tea Latte Concentrate is a blend of Japanese matcha with a touch of vanilla, cinnamon and ginger.
The Turmeric Chai Golden Latte Concentrate combines turmeric from Madagascar with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and black pepper.
Innovative limited-edition menu items make their debut.
Beverage innovation is on the rise.