Reviews: Hero Takes On Bagels, Plus Fronen, Bon Bee Honey, Gutzy Organic

In this reviews roundup, we take a bite of a Hero Labs’ low-carb bagel, Bon Bee Honey energy bars, a super simple spin on plant-based frozen desserts, and adult-geared pouched snacks promoting gut health.

Hero Classic Plain Bagel

After tackling sliced bread, buns, tortillas and rolls, Hero Labs recently rolled out its low-carb take on a beloved breakfast staple. Hero Classic Plain Bagel is packed with protein and fiber and contains fewer calories than conventional styles, saving humankind from sad, scooped bagels.

Things that stand out:

• Holy macros, Batman! A bagel contains 130 calories and 19 grams of protein per serving, with 4 grams of net carbs, 4 grams of fat and 21 grams of fiber.
• The ingredient deck is pretty simple, with resistant wheat starch, wheat protein, fava bean protein, jerusalem artichoke fiber, olive oil and yeast.

Things to consider:

• The texture is soft but lacks the distinctive chew of a New York style bagel.

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Frönen Frozen Desserts

Fronen Foods’ plant-based pints were created by a pair of college students and inspired by a grandmother’s recipe for “nice cream.” The frozen desserts are made with fair-trade and additive-free organic coconut cream and other simple, premium ingredients. The Frönen lineup includes Madagascar Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Salted Caramel, Mint Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Mango.

Things that stand out:

• Each pint contains between three and seven ingredients, including coconut cream, coconut sugar or honey, and organic fruit. As the packaging says, “Nothing hard to pronounce or digest.”
• The products are free of dairy, gluten, soy and refined sugars.
• The Mango flavor really shines, while Chocolate stands up to any dairy-based version, thanks to the richness of the coconut cream.

Things to consider:

• Requires about 15-20 minutes (or more) of thawing prior to digging in.
• The texture varies from flavor to flavor, with some similar to that of a sorbet and others featuring more creaminess.

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Bon Bee Honey Bars

Bon Bee Honey has had a busy couple of years, complete with a rebrand, expanded distribution and “Shark Tank” buzz. Formerly Honey Bunchies, the family-owned business produces gourmet honey bars available in Coconut Almond and Peanut Pecan flavors that are available at Whole Foods, 7-Eleven, Natural Grocers, and King Soopers stores nationwide.

Things that stand out:

• A real unique and differentiated offering in the crowded bar set, offering natural energy from honey as the primary ingredient.
• The honey provides an enjoyable taffy-like texture topped with the light crunch of sunflower kernels.
• Gluten-free, grain-free and soy-free; Coconut Almond is also dairy- and peanut-free.

Things to consider:

• The lightly salted sunflower seeds and honey overpower accompanying flavors; peanuts and pecans are nearly indiscernible in the Peanut Pecan bar.

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Gutzy Organic

Prebiotic snack brand gutzy Organic has been building the adult-positioned pouch category nearly alone for over seven years. As consumers have taken an elevated interest in gut-health products, the brand decided to reformulate and refresh its packaging. It is now taking its first step into an adjacent category by adding protein to its fruit, vegetable and botanical purees with new Prebiotic Plant Protein Smoothies featuring 7 grams pea protein and 8 grams of fiber per 3.38 oz. pouch.

Things that stand out:

• Gutzy Organic is betting on the opportunity in on-the-go and convenience snacking, which it accomplishes nicely in the pouch format.
• The flavors speak to an adult palate using ingredients like dandelion, ginger and kale to add more nutrition to the Prebiotic Gut Health Sack lines.
• The new Prebiotic Plant Protein Smoothies are definitely more filling, pairing the brand’s hero prebiotic ingredient acacia with organic pea protein, açai and familiar fruit purees.

Things to consider:

• Pouches can be polarizing due to their affiliation with children’s snacking, and gutzy’s packaging doesn’t scream adult consumers.
• The brand could differentiate its new smoothie pouches more from its puree snacks. The different lines have minimal visual differences other than the product name in small font at the top-of-pouch and a slightly varied representation of the fruit inside.
• Merchandising as a refrigerated product can also be difficult when using prebiotic ingredients because it restricts where the products can be found in-store.

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