Millennial Aussie entrepreneurs Vanessa Murillo and Lachlan Powell have unveiled their latest creation – a coffee snack bar that also tackle food waste!
Through their snack brand, I am Grounded (which they founded in 2020), the business partners and real-life couple are attempting to revolutionise the way Aussies get their daily caffeine fix through the release of healthy, functional snack bars that are all-natural, gluten-free, and plant-based.
But the bars aren’t just a healthier alternative for humans – they are good for the environment as well.
By leveraging her connections with Columbian coffee farmers, Vanessa was able to upcycle coffee fruit and turn it into better-for-you and better-for-the-planet snacks.
Since launching, the business has upcycled more than 33,000 kilos of coffee fruit that was originally destined for landfills – the equivalent of approximately 145,374 coffee cups!
Speaking with New Idea, Vanessa revealed that from childhood her family had instilled a “deep appreciation” for coffee and the importance of utilising all parts of an ingredient.
“Lachlan and I saw the potential to address both the waste problem and the need for sustainable energy sources.”
Her partner added that their snack bars not only improved focus, but also performance and productivity, “without the crash associated with caffeine consumption in drinks.”
“Eating caffeine in your food rather than in your drinks can be beneficial in a number of ways. As our bars are not highly caffeinated at (20-60mg) per bar depending on the flavour, when mixed with nuts and whole ingredients it can help to regulate the absorption of caffeine in the body.”
If you are keen to taste test the full range for yourself, there are currently five flavours available: Salted Caramel & Coffee Fruit, Cocoa, Almond & Coffee Fruit, Espresso, Peanut Butter & Coffee Fruit, Lemon, Coconut & Coffee and Blueberry, Macadamia & Coffee.
Each coffee snack bar offsets 50g of coffee fruit waste. The full range is available to purchase at a range of retailers including Woolworths.
