Although Canadians over the age of 12 should be consuming five or more daily servings of vegetables, recent statistics show that almost 80% are not hitting that target (Statistics Canada, 2023). Increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables is a goal we should all prioritize, however, when it comes to the actual prep work and time commitment that is needed to make this a reality, we often end default to reaching for a more convenient but less nutritious alternative. While some healthier snacking options can provide high levels of protein, many still lack whole food ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables. Solving this problem are three scientists who are redefining what it means to eat well on the go.
The brainchild of Joseanne Moreira do Nascimento, Chloe Jang, and Reagan Michiels, Easy Snack Corp. provides ready-to-consume, portable, and resealable pouches packed with fruits, vegetables, protein, fibre, and collagen to offer a comprehensive, nutrient-rich option for adults seeking healthy convenience. The idea for creating an alternative healthy option emerged when Nascimento witnessed her grandmother struggling to cut fruits and vegetables, which made her consider the concept of nutritious baby food pouches available in the market. Nascimento wondered if she could possibly disrupt the perception around baby food pouches to position it in a way for adults to get their daily intake of fruits and vegetables without any hassle. Participating in Western University’s WE-Empower! Initiative, designed to equip innovative and entrepreneurial individuals who self-identify as women with free mentorship and training in entrepreneurship, research commercialization, and Intellectual Property protection, led Nascimento to conclude that Canadian adults have two pain points around healthy snacking – taste and time. This feedback launched the mission for Easy Snack’s offerings: providing delicious, ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable snacks with real nutrition. “WE-Empower! did not only culminate in the development of our product offerings for Easy Snack, but it also brought us all together to work toward this collective vision,” adds Michiels.
Like many food businesses that develop from humble beginnings like a home kitchen or garage, Easy Snack’s first product came out of one of the co-founders’ own kitchens, with some of the first taste-testers being family, friends, and university staff. With this close and immediate feedback, recipes evolved into their first product–a strawberry-banana pouch packed with fibre, protein, and gut-friendly nutrition, inspired by the flavours of popular smoothies and backed by science. However, not everyone has a sweet tooth, and a quick market test reflected the need for a savoury option. That’s when Jang started experimenting with the idea of a beetroot-based dip. Still packed with fibre, fruits, vegetables, collagen, and protein, this dip also brings additional nutrition to promote better gut health. With this innovative product launch, Easy Snack started gaining momentum in the market. “Looking at this new demand was our indication to look for a local facility. We could no longer meet the demand for our dip in the market. It was a good problem to have,” adds Michiels.
Home to some of Canada’s highest potential startups and scaling companies, the London area is well-known for its innovation ecosystem, supported by a network of campus incubators, accelerators, centres for R&D, an innovation hub, and economic development organizations. Leveraging one such food manufacturing innovation hub, Easy Snack began producing their beetroot-based dip at The Grove by Western Fair District. With access to commercial-grade equipment and expert support, the company can now produce 25 kilograms of dip in a single day. “The London community has been our biggest advantage,” Michiels says. “From learning how to scale food production to navigating early challenges like packaging, we wouldn’t be where we are today without that support.” Mentors from TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario, Western University’s Morrissette Entrepreneurship Institute, and The Grove have supported the team through funding, business skills development, and local pilot opportunities.
Looking ahead while still focusing on their mission, Michiels mentions exciting plans for Easy Snack from introducing new seasonal flavours to experimenting with other product offerings. At this foodtech venture, the team’s innovation philosophy leads with practicality. “Before developing anything new, we make sure our current products are consistent and scalable,” Michiels says. “If it still takes us five hours to make one kilogram, it’s not viable.” That discipline has led to strategic choices, such as temporarily pausing pouch production to perfect the beet dip and ensure high quality with every batch.
With successful, in-demand products on the market, strong mentorship behind them, and a vision for seasonal innovation, the Easy Snack team is just getting started. In launching a new red pepper-based vegetable dip, their presence is growing across Southwestern Ontario with availability in major community markets and natural food stores. Actively working on determining better packaging solutions and fine-tuning their supply chain to scale responsibly, Easy Snack is determined to revolutionize healthy eating for all.