Australian business Fodbods has expanded its product line with the launch of a gut-friendly and allergy-free snack range for kids – Fodbods Buddies.
The 30g Fodbods Buddies bars are made from 100 per cent natural plant-based ingredients, including organic buckwheat, organic coconut, vegan chocolate and dried strawberries.
Fodbods’ creator Vanessa Hutchinson says many parents struggle to find healthy snacks for their kids, let alone ones that don’t upset sensitive stomachs.
Roughly one in five Australians suffer unpleasant symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), including children who are often more difficult to diagnose and treat.
“There’s a big gap in the market – there are currently next to no snacks for kids with food sensitivities,” Hutchinson said. “Of the few convenience snack options which claim to be healthy none are actually FODMAP friendly.”
Ms Hutchinson says many kids snack bars have nuts or dairy so they’re not lunchbox friendly for allergy sufferers (1 in 20 kids), and often contain artificial ingredients and “huge amounts of sugar often disguised as dates”.
“Buddies have less than 5g of sugar that comes mostly from organic rice malt syrup,” she says. “All in all, we’ve worked hard to create something unique with just the right combination of ingredients to suit every kind of food sensitivity.”
Fodbods Buddies retail at $3.65 per 30g bar and are available in two flavours: Lamington and Strawberry Shortcake
Fodbods already has a successful line of protein bars which are said to be the only certified FODMAP-friendly bars in Australia.