Many business travelers and “road warriors” will tell you that it’s not easy to eat healthy during constant travel. We don’t have the luxury of long stops and leisurely meals. We need a quick snack to keep us going and hold us over until we can stop. The easiest thing to do is to pull into a convenience store and grab something quick. My “go-to” snack was usually beef jerky. I’d convince myself that I was a least getting a little protein. As someone with an extensive food and beverage background, I knew there had to be a better option. I’m Doug Stuart, founding partner of 104 Sales Group, and I decided to direct our company to create a healthy snack product that could become the new go-to snack for anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle.

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I started by researching Neilson and other resources about snack trends. I was not surprised that salty snacks (potato chips, etc.) were, by far, the top sales category. Further research indicated a substantial growth in demand for snacks that contained protein and were gluten-free. We learned that people had no desire to give up salty snacks; they were looking for healthier alternatives. This demand is proliferating, as is the passion for more healthy ingredients and designations. Designations such as Non-GMO, Vegan, and Kosher are in demand. Consumers are looking for natural ingredients that are dairy-free and non-allergenic. I saw a tremendous opportunity to create a product serving this emerging growth category.

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The goal was to create a healthy snack. To have an impact and produce a great-selling product, we must go beyond the minimum requirements to be designated “healthy.” After a few more months of research and development, Protein Poppers were born. Launched in late 2018, Protein Poppers quickly gained traction that was brought to a halt by the COVID outbreak and shutdowns. I was discouraged but not willing to give up! I knew that we had a winner.

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The delay gave us time to refine our product further. We updated graphics and packaging and launched our myproteinpoppers.com website. Further delays at the original production facility led me to search all over the country for another factory. This search led me to one of the finest snack manufacturers in the USA, Snack Innovations. This modern, up-to-date facility is ready to meet our current and future demands. Their people have extensive knowledge and experience in the healthy snack category.

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Our goal is to produce the healthiest protein snack on the shelf.  Having a new, relatively unknown product, we knew we had to offer more. We worked with scientists and our manufacturer to develop a crispy, delicious-tasting product with all-natural ingredients. We’re proud of our Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Vegan, and Kosher designations! We take comfort in knowing that our product is non-allergenic and ideal for serving at all gatherings.

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The setbacks and additional learning have helped fuel an unbelievable year of success in signing new distributors and retailers. I’m excited to start 2023 and make Protein Poppers a household name.