High-protein & low carb: KIND Snacks founder invests in egg white-based snack brand Quevos
25 Jan 2021 --- KIND Snacks Founder Daniel Lubetzky has invested in Quevos, a brand of flavorful snacks whose star ingredient is egg whites.
Lubetzky will partner with Quevos founders Nick Hamburger and Zack Schreier to deliver the high-protein, high-fiber, low carb snacks.
What’s in a flavor?
The Quevos egg white chips are available in five flavors, including Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, Sweet Barbecue, Quevos Rancheros and Dill Pickle.
Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Hamburger says the goal within flavors is to play with ones consumers know and love.
Hamburger and Schreier experimented for two years before arriving with the Quevos brand as revealed on ABC’s Shark Tank.“While we put our Quevos spin on these classic flavors, they aren’t too far outside what consumers are already comfortable with. It looks like a chip, has a “normal” chip flavor, but it’s made of egg white. Our consumers have been loving our chips, and we are excited to bring them more flavors in the future,” he explains.
Following this initial launch, the Quevos range will be expanded with more flavors. “The next few flavors that we have on our horizon are sea salt and a sweeter take with an apple cinnamon flavor,” continues Hamburger.
“We want to broaden the range so that we are an egg-white based snacking company making healthy, high-protein versions of all snacks.”
The chips are also available in a keto-friendly version. Classic Quevos flavors provide 5 g of protein, and 5 g of fiber and keto flavors deliver 8 g of protein, 4 g of fiber and 4 g of net carbs.
Egg white a key ingredient
According to Hamburger, Quevos is “truly a one-of-a-kind snacking product since we are made of egg whites.”
On top of that, he says the chips have “better ingredients, are grain-free and gluten-free, and offer a more filling snack because of the high-fiber and high-protein attributes.”
Hamburger believes these attributes were significant contributing factors to Lubetzky’s interest and investment in the brand from Equilibria. “While we were pitching him in the Shark Tank, he dubbed us ‘the real deal’ and touted the creativity of the products, something we are proud of,” he highlights.
Co-founder Schreier has had Type 1 diabetes since he was 11 years old, and he used to make eggs as a low-carb, diabetic-friendly snack, Hamburger reveals.
The flavors include Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, Sweet Barbecue, Quevos Rancheros and Dill Pickle.
“He really loved the crispy edges of the omelet that’s leftover in the pan and had an idea to try to make chips out of them to elevate his snack. He looped me in, and we got started right away on what would become Quevos.”
Since Quevos is the first egg white-based chip brand, Hamburger and Schreier didn’t have any resources to get started, and there were ‘definitely hurdles in the formulation process.”
First off, they were combatting the chip’s dryness. The chips are high in protein and have few carbs, so the first round of products was drier than desired.
“Additionally, we had the challenge of emulating a typical snack texture from ingredients that don’t lend themselves to that texture. We had our work cut out for us when it came to creating the crispy and light texture that we have in Quevos chips today,” Hamburger details.
Commenting on the snacking sector as a whole, he says the move toward better quality ingredients will increase. “People no longer want corn or potatoes as the main ingredient in their snacks. Also, I believe that consumers will continue to lean toward snacks with more fiber, higher protein and fewer carbs,” Hamburger adds.
Investing in entrepreneurial spirit
Lubetzky’s investment is a vote of confidence for both Quevos’ snacks and Hamburger and Schreier, who impressed Lubetzky with their entrepreneurial spirit and life-long friendship turned partnership.
Leveraging his experience of growing a small start-up into a multi-billion-dollar global health and wellness brand, Lubetzky will support Hamburger and Schreier pursue their vision to bring the nutritional value of egg whites to new forms of satisfying snacks.
Lubetzky will help Quevos introduce more people to its egg white-based chips.“I am excited to help Nick and Zack fulfill Quevos’ potential,” says Lubetzky.
“They have created a very cool and differentiated product with huge mainstream appeal. And I love that they’ve been best friends and partner entrepreneurs since childhood.”
The pair looks forward to partnering with Lubetzky to introduce Quevos to more consumers seeking healthful snacking options that satisfy both their cravings and nutritional needs.
“Daniel has been in our shoes building a health and wellness brand from the ground up through every stage of growth. We went into the Shark Tank dreaming of making a deal with him, and can’t believe we did.We’re so excited to learn from him and to collaborate on helping more people enjoy Quevos,” add Hamburger and Schreier.
By Elizabeth Green
