Reviews: Mid-Day Squares Takes On Big PB&J; Long Weekend Simplifies Soup

Mid-Day Squares No Bread PB&J Strawberry

Mid-Day Squares expanded its refrigerated snack bar lineup with No Bread PB&J, a product designed to deliver the familiar peanut butter and jelly experience. Made with real fruit, this strawberry flavored bar contains 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, 130 calories, and 6 grams of added sugar. Like the rest of the brand’s portfolio, it is plant-based, non-GMO, free from artificial sweeteners and colors, and requires refrigeration, though it can be enjoyed for up to five days on the go.

Things that stand out:

• The taste and texture are impressively true to a classic PB&J, with a very soft bite and a convincing balance of peanut butter and strawberry jam. There’s a bit of chew to the peanut butter layer as it’s almost bar-like, but this is a nice contrast to the jam layer.
• The formulation leans heavily toward peanut butter flavor, roughly three quarters peanut butter to one quarter jam, which works well and keeps the sweetness in check.
• Use of natural peanut butter, real fruit, and a blend of plant proteins, including pea and fava bean, supports a clean label positioning.
• The red and gold packaging has strong shelf appeal, with clear branding and an appetizing product image that reinforces the PB&J concept.

Things to consider:

• While the concept is strong, it is unclear whether this needs to evolve into a multi-SKU line, as additional fruit flavors may feel incremental rather than differentiated.
• The refrigeration requirement may still limit some impulse occasions compared to ambient snack bars.

Rating

Long Weekend Freeze-Dried Soups

Instant soup is getting a freeze-dried makeover from Long Weekend. The new brand offers four options (Tomato Bisque, Carrot-Ginger, Minestrone and Thai Coconut Curry) that bring a better-for-you twist to the pantry staple. Each soup is made with no added sugar, zero preservatives, and no artificial flavors or colors.

Things that stand out:

• Long Weekend’s flavors are spot on with restaurant-quality flavor. None of the varieties were overly salty or sweet, and didn’t have the metallic undertones that sometimes plague canned soups.
• The use of freeze-drying technology allows the classic soups to be thick and, in the case of Tomato Bisque and Carrot Ginger, creamy.
• The packaging callouts clearly communicate the value proposition, while the bold look is reminiscent of fitness supplement brand design.

Things to consider:

• The wide-mouth packaging is convenience-oriented, but the paperboard material can be a little flimsy for a hot, liquid product. A slightly more reinforced or thicker material would prevent unwanted spills. We did appreciate that the fill line was far below the top of the bowl, so sloshing was less of an issue.
• While the blended varieties, Tomato Bisque and Carrot Ginger, were perfect stand-ins for a homemade soup, the “chunky” options (Thai Coconut Curry and Minestrone) with freeze-dried vegetables and legumes still had a little too much texture. A longer steep time could go a long way to rehydrating the inclusions.

Rating: