NatureBox partners with snack brands for “curated wellness” offerings

27 May 2021 --- US-based wellness snack brand and subscription box service NatureBox has unveiled its NatureBox Partner Market. This is an online curated line-up of wellness snacks and beverages positioned to offer more variety without overwhelming consumers with “an endless scroll of products.”

The market builds on NatureBox’s line of premium adaptogenic snacks, featuring maca, moringa, turmeric or ashwagandha. The company focuses on simple, natural, and functional ingredients, moving from the “better-for-you” snack category to the “good-for-you” snack sector.

“We’re taking over 10 years of food development expertise and know-how on a new venture – curating the best F&B brands to partner with and include in the new NatureBox Partner Market,” says John Occhipinti, CEO of NatureBox.

Partnerships with NatureBox’s “trusted brands” will bolster and broaden NatureBox’s offerings, striking a balance between “a healthy number of products with high-quality and standards.” 

Initial Partner Market offerings in the beverage category include Rise Brewing Co’s organic nitro cold brew coffee and lattes, Twrl Tea’s plant-based organic milk teas and Chameleon x Dripkit single-serve pour-over coffee. 

The NatureBox Partner Market seeks to offer high-quality variety without overwhelming consumers.Snack products include Behave’s Seriously Good gummy bears, Mustache Munchie’s organic crackers and Stryve’s Beef Biltongs.

Roots in adaptogens
Consumers can peruse the NatureBox Partner Market for a variety of products from brands that make it through the vetting process or they can shop for NatureBox’s own line of adaptogenic snacks with functional benefits. 

Adaptogens in food and beverages have come to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers seek natural solutions to increased stress levels. The Millennial category, in particular, has been flagged as a key demographic interested in stress-reducing food and beverages. https://www.nutritioninsight.com/news/goldmine-founder-eyes-adaptogen-potential-for-millennial-burnout.html

Last week, Eat Beyond’s CEO highlighted adaptogens’ potential in F&B, following Eat Beyond’s investment in Daydream drinks. 

NatureBox commits to healthy and high-quality snacks, without artificial flavors, sugars, salt and preservatives, in line with the following standards:

• No corn syrup of any kind.
• No hydrogenated oils.
• No MSG.
• Less than 10 g of added sugar per serving.
• Non-negotiable list of banned ingredients.

Customers can also filter snack products by claims, such as “made without gluten,” “no added sugar” and “keto-friendly,” among others. 

Healthy snacking on the rise
According to Glanbia, 51 percent of global consumers have switched from traditional snack products, like chocolate, to high protein or low sugar alternatives. 

Meanwhile, Mondelēz has made recent investments in nine start-up companies with early-stage snack brands that feature health and wellness positionings. 

Functional ingredients used to balance or enhance mood and cognition were recently featured in jelly beans. 

Moreover, flavor company Comax has developed new solutions to successfully incorporate functional benefits into F&B such as caffeine and nootropics. 

By Missy Green