Personalized granola; Drinking the sea; Beans for breakfast

Beans for breakfast
As part of its mission to “create incredibly delicious foods that are full of nutritional benefits and that are available to everyone,” Love Grown Foods launched a line of wheat- and corn-free children’s cereals made with navy, lentil, and garbanzo beans.

“We really wanted to bring excitement and innovation into this category,” says founder Maddy Hasulak. “Corn is one of the top five allergens, and most cereals are either made from wheat or corn. By using beans, we are increasing the amount of protein and fiber and have created cereals that are both wheat-free and corn-free.”

The cereals, which also are free from high fructose corn syrup, come in three fun flavors: Chocolate Comet Crispies, Fruity Sea Stars, and Blueberry Vanilla Polar Puffs. Each variety provides 90–100 calories, 1–1.5 grams of fat, and 6–­8 grams of sugar per serving. They can be found at Kroger and Sprouts stores and select Whole Foods locations for a suggested retail price of $4.99.

Drinking the sea
Naked Juice Co. recently introduced its Sea Greens juice, a Non GMO Project Verified blend of celery, strawberry, and orange along with spirulina and dulse, two types of algae. The nutrient-rich juice delivers 60% of the recommended daily value of iodine and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B12, and potassium.

“This new innovation plays into the key consumer trend of using edible seaweed as a great source of nutrition, bringing a range of unique nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to the diet. Sea Greens serves as a great expansion of Naked Juice’s veggie-forward offerings with spirulina and dulse, [the latter of which has been] dubbed ‘the superfood of the future,’” says Lindsey Toth, Naked Juice registered dietitian.

A 15.2-ounce bottle of the no-sugar-added juice contains 240 calories and 830 milligrams of potassium, 24% of the recommended daily value. It can be found in retailers nationally for a suggested retail price of $3.69.

Personalized granola
Bear Naked collaborated with IBM’s Chef Watson to create Bear Naked Custom Made Granola, which allows consumers to create a personalized granola blend. Users select a base granola, such as honey or chocolate, and Chef Watson searches more than 50 Non GMO Project Verified ingredients to suggest additions, such as jalapeños, freeze-dried kale, hemp seeds, and kiwi. Finally, consumers design their canisters and name their custom blends before placing their orders online at bearnakedcustom.com.

“This project is a great example of how Watson’s underlying technology can lead to discoveries in any industry,” says Lauren Berkowitz, managing director of Watson Life, IBM Watson. “We’re excited to see what consumers create with Bear Naked and the help of Chef Watson.”

In addition, consumers can choose from three chef-inspired blends, including sweet and spicy Chocolate Strawberry Jalapeño, Mediterranean-inspired Olive You, Kale, and fruit-focused Michigan Farms. Each canister of granola costs $9.99 with free shipping.