Why Trubar is releasing a protein bar aimed at kids

According to founder and CEO Erica Groussman, this is a strategic move aimed at capturing a big share of the growing kids’ snack market. While demand for protein bars is rising, Groussman said that the launch of the kids line is more targeted toward parents who are more closely scrutinizing their kids’ snacks and want them to be free of certain ingredients.

Historically, Groussman explained, kids’ energy bars were dominated by sugar-filled recipes such as baked granola bars. “The kids’ bars on the market have sugars, seed oils, fillers and ingredients you can’t read,” Groussman said. That gave her the idea to create a clean version that was also higher in protein. Like the original line, the kids’ bars are also gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and sugar alcohol-free,.

In the crowded protein bar space, Trubar has become known for its quirky dessert-inspired flavors, like Day Dreaming about Donuts and Strawberry Shorty Got Cake, and its clean ingredients labels. The company, founded in 2018, was acquired by the brand accelerator Simply Better Brands in 2021 and did $50 million in revenue in 2024. In addition to the launch of the new kids’ line, expanding its physical retail reach is also a big priority for Trubar. Last year, the company grew its retail presence from 1,005 doors to over 18,700. The company also went nationwide via Target in April.

With the Trubar KIds line, the idea was to offer higher protein and fiber in fun flavors like Fudge-tastic Brownie and Pop Goes Confetti. The bars contain eight to nine grams of protein and seven to eight grams of fiber per bar, depending on the flavor.

Most importantly, Groussman said, the dedicated kids’ bars are school-safe, as they’re free of common allergens among children, like peanuts and tree nuts.

Groussman went on to say that protein bars created and geared at kids is an untapped category for several reasons. For one, better-for-you snacks are more expensive, so big CPG players historically haven’t been incentivized to create and market them to families. “Now, parents have become more aware of better ingredients and are OK with forking over a little more for them,” Groussman said.

There are some other companies that are marketing protein bars to kids. Power Crunch, for example, has a kids’ version of its wafer cookie bars, which contain 10 grams of protein and five grams of sugar. However, they also contain milk, soy and wheat, and are manufactured on equipment that also processes peanuts. Groussman said she expects Trubar Kids’s vegan, nut-free recipe to attract parents who want healthier but safe snacks for their kids.

Julia Shapiro, vp of band at the protein bar company Aloha, said there is growing interest from families seeking convenient, on-the-go healthy snacks. 

“We don’t have a line that is specifically marketed towards kids, but, given our average shopper comes from a family of four, we certainly tout the benefits of our bars to parents,” Shapiro explained.

Aloha has seen an uptick in the number of parents searching for healthy snacking alternatives for the whole family. Aloha’s lunch box-friendly flavors like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Almond Butter Cup, which also come in convenient mini-sizes, are particularly popular among kids.

“While things like high protein, high fiber and low sugar are increasingly becoming a focus in kids’ nutrition, we often find that parents are simply looking for options that include real ingredients, with minimal processing,” she said. Being USDA Organic, for example, helps the brand stand out for families. 

Caroline Grace, founder and CEO of the CPG consulting service Product & Prosper, said the competition among better-for-you food brands has become fierce. This is forcing them to compete across the board on nutrition value and taste to consistently bring in new customers and retain existing fans. With the dawn of the MAHA era, Grace expects brands to face more scrutiny from health-conscious shoppers looking for better, more authentic versions of their favorite snacks.

“The template for building a sustainable better-for-you brand is quite straightforward,” Grace explained. High-growth brands must develop a differentiated product within a single category first, then create variants based on changing consumer preferences. Trubar is now doing this with a kids-dedicated protein bar that can compete with mass market brands on cleaner ingredients and taste.

It took Trubar about six months to create the line from concept to shelves. “We wanted them in time for back-to-school so that moms can pick them up while shopping for school lunch boxes,” Groussman said. 

She noted that, with the protein bar space being so competitive, she is aggressively trying to stay ahead on trends, and that includes better-for-you kids’ snacks. When the seed oil conversation took off last year, Groussman said Trubar rushed to remove seed oils from its products. That reformulation took over a year to complete. “I just really watch the space closely and like to move quickly,” she said.