BY CARINA WALKER
Cousins and co-partners Josh Kahn and David Czinn
Step aside broccoli smothered in cheese, tricking kids (and some adults) into eating vegetables has just gotten a whole lot more fun, tastier and healthier. Fruigees, an all-natural pudding snack, packed with organic fruits and vegetables, has hit the Farmers Market circuit (including Studio City this weekend) and answered the prayers of parents to picky eaters everywhere.
Cousins David Czinn and Josh Kahn were raised by a family of doctors, growing up knowing the value of healthy living by healthy eating. But like most teenagers, the pair left for college with their fingers in their ears and goals that strayed far from those of their parents. After college, David was hired by a top finance firm and Josh took his organizational psychology degree to reform business practices in education. But, when their grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Josh and David felt like they should be doing something more meaningful. “Without sounding cliché, we wanted to try and make the world a better place,” said David.
$3 for 4 oz. and $5 for 8 oz.
Thinking that meant admitting that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, David enrolled at USC for his Post-Bac, a vision of medical school in his near future. But life has a way of taking surprising turns and it was there, in a class at USC, when he tasted a friend’s homemade avocado pureed with banana snack. “It tasted awesome,” says David. Vegetables that taste like dessert? Fruigees was born.
With lots of vegan and vegetarian friends that lamented over the lack of good snack options, David and Josh originally envisioned Fruigees to be just that. Quickly, however, the partners realized that there was a more pressing need.
According to the CDC, more than one-third of children and adolescents in the United States were overweight or obese in 2010. This number is more than double in children and triple in adolescents than it was 30 years ago. Childhood obesity is an epidemic and David and Josh are on their way to eradicating the disease one pudding cup at a time.
theactorsdiet.com suggests using Cherry-Beet Fruigees as a replacement for jelly in your next PB&J
After seven months perfecting the recipe in their grandparent’s kitchen, Josh and David finally moved to the Chef Center of California in Pasadena and Fruigees stepped out into the world. Currently, the snack is at the Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Brentwood Farmers Markets with the goal of hitting stores like Whole Foods in the next three to four months. There’s also interest by pediatric hospitals, schools, yoga studios and gyms.
Fruigees is available in three flavors, Grape-Kale, Cherry-Beet and Orange-Carrot. It is vegan and free of gluten, nuts, dairy and soy. There are no preservatives or added sugar and is only 60-70 calories for the 4oz container and 120-140 calories for an 8oz.
“Fruigees is this brand new unique product…that’s not only healthy but tastes great. At first I thought Fruigees would appeal to parents, to get kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, but it’s so good everyone loves it,“ says Kathy Gold, the Studio City Farmers Market Manager.
“The best part about this is doing something you love and building something from the ground up. Now is the time to take risks. It’s amazing to be working on my own product and watch it come to fruition,” says David about his experience thus far.
With a positive mission, passionate founders and a great taste, Fruigees is hard not to love. Check them out at the Studio City Farmers Market this Sunday and Sherman Oaks Farmers Market on Tuesday.
Fruigees alternate every other Sunday at the Studio City and Brentwood Farmers Markets between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. They are also at the Sherman Oaks Farmers Market on Tuesdays from 3pm-8pm.
Carina Walker is a born and raised Valley girl who works in television development at Sony Pictures Television. She is a graduate of Campbell Hall and Stanford University.
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