My son inspired me to make a difference!
The story began a number of years ago with a grocery shopping experience. My 12-year old son Michael and I were browsing through the freezer case of a local grocery store in Portage, Michigan. He picked up a frozen entrée package with a mouthwatering picture of what appeared to be a chicken dinner. With a curious mind as he read the side panel where the ingredient list was, he innocently asked me – “are these foods?” The unfortunate reality was that the ingredient list had well over 50 “things,” most unpronounceable and unrecognizable… even to me as an adult!
I couldn’t answer his simple question despite years working as a marketing insider for various packaged food companies. Frustrated, I consulted with one of my colleagues. It was then that I realized most of all these processed foods are loaded with additives as a result of nutrients lost from heavy processing. Further, Big Food companies have adopted incredibly innovative food science techniques to lower costs while driving higher tastes. As an example, manufacturers have replaced wholesome ingredients like real strawberries and real sugar with cheaper alternatives like apple pieces infused with strawberry flavor and sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. The result is a Frankenstein-like ingredient list of “edible food-like substances!”
My frustrations in search of more wholesome packaged foods made with trusted and simple ingredients led to the birth of the JUNKLESS® idea. I believed there was a better way to make snacks and treats that the whole family would love. Since then, I have been on a mission to provide simpler alternatives for breakfast and snack food products. My solution is to make each snack with only eight or fewer familiar “kitchen pantry” type ingredients. I believe simplicity will make shopping easier for concerned moms and dads. They no longer need to waste valuable time researching specific ingredients in order to know if they are healthy or not. More importantly, our kids can even read the label – because we use real food!
Enjoy!
Ernie Pang, Founder
JUNKLESS® foods
