“Awesome Together” is the theme of health food company Kashi’s newest product line, Kashi by Kids. Described as: “made for kids, by kids,” the awesomeness is a result of dynamic and thoughtful pairings. “Kashi + Kids” and “Tasty Superfoods + Fun Shapes” are the combos of note for the Kashi company. But for Coronado, another duo is defining awesome. Local sisters Valentine and Charlotte d’Arabian, two of the five co-creators of the new Kashi by Kids product line, are making their mark on the food industry one bite at a time.
Natural health food company Kashi was founded in Solana Beach in response to a growing appetite for organic and healthy plant-based foods. Named for macrobiotic food movement leader Michio Kushi with a nod to the Hebrew word Kashruth, meaning kosher or pure food, Kashi met the market in 1984 with a promise to “nourish people and planet with plant-powered passion.” For more than thirty years, Kashi has prioritized products with organic whole grain ingredients and minimal impact on the environment.
A little over a year ago, Kashi sought to expand its products to include a dedicated line for kids. They conducted a nationwide search for what would comprise the Kashi Crew – a group of five Gen Z leaders ranging in ages from 12 to 17 who would inform the ingredients, flavor combinations, packaging and names of the new Kashi by Kids cereals for debut this year. Honoring the company’s founding roots in San Diego, Kashi recruited Valentine and Charlotte as part of their efforts:
“Instead of trying to guess what kids want in a cereal, Kashi went straight to the source and collaborated with a group of kids who are passionate about food and the planet to create foods that both kids and parents would love. The result is a collection of flavorful Kashi by Kids organic cereals – each featuring cool shapes like swirls and filled pillows, great tastes like honey and berry, and superfood ingredients like chickpeas and red lentils.”
The d’Arabian sisters, while close in age and with a shared interest in food, have very different tastes and aspirations for the future. Valentine, 13, is a self-proclaimed ‘healthy living guru’ with her sights set toward professional dancing. Charlotte, 12, has dreams of a career in the kitchen and is distinguished as ‘the creative baker’ of the Kashi Crew.
Although new to Kashi, Valentine and Charlotte are not newcomers to the culinary and health food movement. Mom Melissa has long been an ambassador for healthy, budget-conscious meals and rose to acclaim in 2009 when she won season five of the Food Network Star challenge. Melissa d’Arabian went on to host her own food network show: Ten Dollar Dinners, and is a best-selling author of two (soon to be three) cookbooks. Aptly famous for the “Picky Eaters Project,” Melissa credits her family for her inspiration.
In the case of Kashi, two of Melissa d’Arabian’s picky eaters turned out to be the perfect co-creators for their new cereal line launched in August of this year.
The Kashi brand, acquired by super brand Kellogg’s in 2000, remains committed to its founding principles and true to its name. According to the kashi.com website, the company learned recently that their namesake translates to ‘happy’ in Chinese and ‘energy’ in Japanese. Both words fitting descriptors for the Kashi by Kids products, as well as the Coronado d’Arabian duo who helped to create them.
The new Kashi by Kids cereals are now available at grocers and natural food retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.kashibykids.com.
