Food Entrepreneur - September 15, 2020 - 13

Lil Bucks
Lil Bucks, Chicago, makes snacks
and cereal featuring sprouted buckwheat, which is rich in protein, fiber and
magnesium. Founder Emily Griffith discovered sprouted buckwheat in Australia
and is on a mission to share the seed
stateside while promoting sustainable
farming in North America.
"The Aussies have tons of uses for
it, and I was noticing it in cafes and
in grocery stores everywhere," Ms.
Griffith said. "Turns out Americans
have been missing out on this crunchy
superfood that meets taste, texture and
nutrition needs unlike anything else
in the snack, superfood and breakfast
categories."
The latest launch from Lil Bucks is
Turmeric Lemon Myrtle Clusterbucks,
a crunchy, grain-free snacking granola

LIL BUCKS

seasoned with ginger and cloves and
infused with adaptogens that are linked
to relaxation and immunity benefits.

"We're on a mission to offer uncompromised nutrition, and as a brand
we're committed to being as sustainable as possible from our sourcing
to our packaging, which is certified
plastic neutral while we look for a compostable solution," Ms. Griffith said.
"Our buckwheat comes from Minnesota and North Dakota. Our turmeric is
sourced from the radically ethical spice
company Diaspora, and our lemon myrtle is sourced directly from Australia
and supports indigenous communities
and native plants down under.
"Our Turmeric Lemon Myrtle Clusterbucks are the perfect example of our
brand bringing together the best of the
best, with an addictive, unique crunch
that wows your taste buds, your digestive
system, and your heart." ▪

LUPii
A pair of New York-based entrepreneurs are shining a light on the lupini
bean. Isabelle Steichen and Alexandra
Dempster are the co-founders of LUPii,
a brand of protein bites based on the
high-protein, high-fiber legume.
"I had discovered the lupini bean back
in Europe because that's where I grew up,
and I always thought this ingredient was
born in the wrong place," Ms. Steichen
said. "I know American consumers love
their protein and that that is one of the
big hurdles for people to overcome when
they try to eat more plant-based foods, and
lupini happens to be high in protein, high in
minerals, packed with fiber, naturally low in
carbohydrates ... just all around an incredible ingredient from a nutrition perspective
and also super sustainable to grow."
LUPii protein bites contain only lupini
beans, dates, fruits, nuts and other flavors,

LUPII

and provide 9 or 10 grams of protein and 7
or 8 grams of fiber. Varieties include almond
butter cinnamon raisin, tahini lemon cranberry and peanut butter cacao nib.

"I have spent my career working
across the food and beverage industry
in innovation and brand marketing, so
meeting Isabelle and trying some of the
early-stage prototypes that she had been
making at home and in a commercial
kitchen, I was like, this is absolutely
incredible because this is actual food," Ms.
Dempster said. "It is not something that is
processed or has preservatives. It is five or
six ingredients depending on the flavor."
Lupini beans require less water than
other plant crops, improve soil health
and are a more efficient source of protein
than animal products, according to the
company.
"We really believe in building a
platform ultimately for lupini beans," Ms.
Dempster said. "Most likely we're going
to be looking at other product categories.
That is yet to come, though." ▪

ReGrained
ReGrained, San Francisco, formulates products with the leftover grain
from beermaking. Brewers' spent grain
adds nutrition, flavor and functionality
to a range of sweet and savory applications, said Daniel Kurzrock, founder and
chief executive officer.
September 15, 2020

The brewing process removes the
sugar from barley and leaves behind
dietary fiber, protein, resistant starch,
magnesium, iron and zinc, according to
the company. ReGrained uses a patented
process to recover and stabilize the grain
from breweries and converts it into a

flour that it supplies to manufacturers of
snacks, baked foods and condiments.
"At ReGrained we identify heathy
food that is overlooked in the production
process and rescue it in line using our
patented technology to create delicious
versatile better-for-you ingredients in
Food Business News

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Food Entrepreneur - September 15, 2020

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