The better-for-you NPD and film collabs that are stimulating the kids snacking sector

As kids navigate their busy days filled with school, sports and other activities, they often require snacks to keep their energy levels up. However, the challenge lies in choosing snacks that are not only convenient but also beneficial to their health.

Enter the healthy snacking concept, which can play a crucial role in providing essential nutrients, maintaining balanced energy levels and establishing lifelong habits that will set them up for a healthier future.

This is a very lucrative sector of the food industry, with the global kids’ snacking market estimated to be worth $61.5bn in 2023, according to Cognitive Market Research data​. This growth is driven by increasing demand for convenient, healthy and nutritious snacks for children, alongside innovations in product offerings such as allergen-free and organic options.

Here are some of the brands that are coming to the party.

Oat-based smoothies with hidden veg and no added sugar

Three Robins has extended its award-winning oat milk range with the launch of two gamechanging, oat milk-based smoothies for 3-12 year olds, offering the holy grail of health, taste and convenience.

The fiber-rich smoothies contain no added sugar and are packed with veg – carrot, parsnip, courgette and beetroot – the ‘icky things’ that many parents struggle to get into their kids.

Positioned as a permissible lunchbox sweet snack that isn’t packed with sugar, the smoothies are fortified with vitamins and minerals (vitamin B12, B2 and, along with folic acid and iodine) and will appeal not simply to the often overlooked lactose-intolerant community, but any parent seeking a plant-based offering.

Launched in May 2022, Three Robins is the healthier living vision of Karen Robinson, a vocal spokesperson for women’s rights in conflict-affected countries. She took on the entrepreneur hat after discovering that one of her three boys (aka the three robins) was lactose intolerant.

“As a mum I was frustrated by the lack of quality options on shelf, unable to find a brand that could meet all the needs of our young family,” said Robinson.

“I felt let down by the high levels of sugar in so many supposedly better-for-you snacks and the limited range of nutritious, plant-based kids treats that my boys would actually enjoy eating.’

Three Robins is part of the Good Food Programme & Karen is a member of the Buy Women Built movement.

The smoothies are designed to be ambient so can safely be added to lunchboxes or backpacks and will appeal to multiples indies and foodservice outlets answering the demand for on-the-go snacking for kids. Available for an RRP of £1.89/100g pouch.

Win swimming lessons with Bear Paws x Water Babies

Bear has launched a new on-pack promotion in partnership with Water Babies to offer its younger cubs the opportunity to win swimming lessons.

Running across its Bear Little Paws and Fruit Treasures ranges aimed at aged 2+ and 3+, the promotion offers families a chance to win eight free swimming lessons with Water Babies, the world’s largest baby and toddler swimming school.

Bear is a leader in the kids fruit snacking category, with 39.4% value market share and 33.4% volume growing 6.2% Y-O-Y.

Its popularity among parents and kids alike, along with the products’ health credentials as one of your five a day and with no added sugar, makes it  go-to brand to promote active adventures.

“Nurturing healthy habits in children is at the heart of everything we do and this new partnership with Water Babies is the perfect fit in supporting a healthy lifestyle from a young age,” said Jo Agnew, marketing director for brand owner Urban Fresh Foods.

“We want to provide parents and younger children with the opportunity to discover and get active and we hope this partnership will help to give more toddlers the chance to learn the important life skill of swimming, which has so many other benefits for a little cubs’ development.

“With such a valuable on-pack incentive, we expect to see lots of excitement in the kids snacking fixture.”

Added Natasha Laws, director of Water Babies, “Children are at the heart of everything we do at Water Babies and this includes supporting little ones’ development as they grow, both in and out of the pool.

“Nutrition is a key part of this, so it’s great to share the values of Bear and work towards providing families with fruity snacks and swimming lessons, to support a healthy lifestyle.”

The Water Babies on-pack promotion runs until September and is being supported with shopper marketing to amplify instore, as well as digital engagement through social media and influencers.

Available across Little Paws Strawberry & Apple, Apple & Blackcurrant and Raspberry & Blueberry flavors, along with Fruit Treasures Berry and Tropical.

Waste-fighting partnership goes bananas

Wonky and surplus food subscription service Earth & Wheat has partnered with frozen snack brand Pukpip to connect with more sustainable retailers.

The food-waste-fighting business is including Pupkips’ Real Frozen Bananas Dipped in Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate in its offerings

Pukpip debuted in January 2023 with its sights set on disrupting the ice cream category and snack market by tapping into the rise of permissible indulgence and frozen snacking with indulgent frozen fruit, whilst fighting food waste.

The brand upcycles perfectly imperfect bananas that are rejected from export – being the wrong shape or size, having small imperfections or simply because there are too many on a bunch. Pukpip transforms these into fruit snacks, before smothering them in chocolate. The products are already listed by Vegan Kind, Whole Foods Market and Ocado Retail and wholesalers, CLF.

Similarly, Earth & Wheat was set up to save food from being binned due to its odd shape, size, colour or because the item’s cosmetic specifications did not meet retailers’ standards. The Signature Flatbreads-owned brand introduced the world’s first wonky bread box more than three years ago before moving into other markets, including wonky and fresh vegetables.

Earth & Wheat has joined forces with Pukpip as part of a series of collaborations it has planned with other sustainable retailers to promote their products in the company's wonky boxes throughout 2024.

“Our brands are perfectly aligned: we are both inspired by sustainability, helping communities, and caring for our planet,” said Earth & Wheat founder James Eid.

“Billions of perfectly delicious bananas are thrown away by producers every year, but Pukpip upcycles them, so they do not go to waste and they even put the leftover skins back into the eco-system.

“As part of our mission to reduce food waste, Earth & Wheat is keen to hear from other sustainable brands who are also looking to make a difference by reducing food waste and help save the planet.”

Added Pupkip founder Zara Godfrey, “Much like our freshly frozen bananas – which combine two of the nation’s favourite snacks with the just the right balance of goodness and indulgence – you could say the partnership between Pukpip and Earth & Wheat is a perfect match.

“Like us, Earth & Wheat is committed to reducing food waste and its environmental impact, so we’re really pleased to be partnering with them to make that happen and, at the same time, give customers more choice to enjoy food that tastes great, and is good for them and the planet.”    

Shaking it up with a white strawberry shake

Kate Farms has introduced a new strawberry variant to its Nutrition Shake and Standard 1.4 lines.

Nutrition Shake Strawberry delivers convenient, plant-based supplemental nutrition to help support nutritional goals. Meanwhile, Standard 1.4 is a calorically-dense shake designed to help support weight gain, consumed orally or through a tube.

Over the past decade, the brand has built a reputation as the recommended plant-based brand, highly regarded for its formulas that have been developed for tube feeding and oral consumption. Its products are used in the top children’s and adult hospitals and are recommended and prescribed by healthcare professionals.

Its portfolio includes Standard and Peptide varieties, specialty Renal and Glucose support formulas, Pediatric Blended Meals, Nutrition Shakes for adults and Nutrition Shake for children.

“The addition of our strawberry flavor reflects our dedication to listening to our community and giving them more variety and flavor options, while upholding our commitment to using organic, high-quality ingredients,” sad chief marketing officer Cathrine Hayden RDN.

“That's why our strawberry is made without artificial colors and made with organic natural strawberry flavor.

“Now we offer even more options to those who rely on our shakes and formulas to meet their nutritional needs.”

Unlike what is expected from strawberry, the shake isn’t pink: a decision that was intentional. According to the brand, many food products that are bright pink and red typically contain artificial or natural colors. While prioritizing the ingredients to give consumers the nutrition they deserve, it believes a shake doesn’t need to be pink to reflect the organic natural strawberry flavor.

Both Nutrition Shake and Standard 1.4 shakes provide 27 key vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D, and E, and zinc to help support a healthy immune system. They're made without the top 9 common allergens – including milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, or sesame. Like all Kate Farms drinks, the resealable twist-off caps make for an easy on-the-go option, and are available in four flavors: vanilla, plain, chocolate, and strawberry.

Hippeas embraces its inner Minion

Hippeas is spreading the Peas & Love with the launch of its Minions-themed snacks to support Despicable Me 4​, which is rolling out in theaters on July 3, 2024.

The promotion is running across limited edition packs of Hippeas Chickpea Puffs and Veggie Straws in a variety of flavors and sizes – perfect for on-the-go travel and summer entertaining.

The snack brand has replaced its iconic chickpea smile graphic onpack with a Despicable Me 4 character for each product. Illumination’s Minions and Hippeas share a similar yellow hue, which could not be more perfect for this collaboration. Kids will love the packaging, while parents will be satisfied with the attributes that Hippeas is known for: clean label with peas as the first ingredient, free from the top nine allergens and Non-GMO Project Verified.

"Collaborating with Illumination is such a fun venture,” said Hippeas CMO Julia Hecht.

“Pairing the vibrant yellow packaging of Hippeas with the playful charm of the Minions promises a delightful treat for all ages. We’re eagerly anticipating sharing these snacks with consumers this summer, bringing joy and fun to snacking moments everywhere.”

Available online and on Amazon as well as instore at Walmart, Target, Kroger, Albertsons/Safeway, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Stop & Shop, BJ’s and other US retailers, the Minions-themed 4oz bag of Chickpea Puffs is available in Vegan White Cheddar, Nacho Vibes, Bohemian Barbecue and Sriracha Sunshine flavors. The Minions-themed 8oz bag, 14oz bag and a six-pack of 0.8oz bags is available in Vegan White Cheddar Puffs, while the 3.75oz bag of Veggie Straws is available in Straight Up Sea Salt, Rockin’ Ranch, and Sour Cream & Onion.

May the force be with you

Oreos has partnered with Lucasfilm to release the special edition Star Wars Oreo cookies.

The two iterations of the Star Wars Oreo Cookie Packs are wrapped in identical exterior packaging, but each pack contains a single color creme that symbolizes either the dark side or light side of the force.

Making it even more fun, fans won’t know what side they’re on until they open it.

The Special Edition Star Wars Oreo Cookie Packs feature differing embossments of corresponding dark side and light side characters and include red or blue crème, infused with ‘kyber’ crystals (sugar crystals), inspired by the crystals found in a lightsaber.

Each cookie is embossed with dark side and light side characters, including Darth Vader, Darth Maul and a stormtrooper for the dark side pack, along with Luke Skywalker, Yoda and Princess Leia for the light side.

“We are continuing to make strides to cement our brand’s cultural relevance via strategic collaborations,” said Oreo senior brand manager Nicole Fischer.

“We hope fans see how much we loved bringing their favorite stories to life and they have fun discovering the details we've included at every touchpoint.”

As an homage to the franchise, the packs also feature original character artwork hand-painted by Greg Hildebrandt, a legendary Star Wars poster artist since 1977.

Available in US retailers nationwide, while supplies last.