KIND Snacks Exposes One Of America's Biggest Hidden Public Health Issues

88% of Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables ¹, with its hidden Secret KIND Farmers Market activation, KIND spotlights one of the nation's biggest nutrition problems

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, KIND Snacks, a company committed to providing people with both nutrient-dense products and the nutrition education they need to make informed food decisions, is announcing the return of its Secret KIND Farmers Market in collaboration with Padma Lakshmi, the brand's first-ever KIND Culinary Partner. This year, the Secret KIND Farmers Market will double its footprint by launching in two cities, New York City and Houston, and be packed with "surprise and delight" secrets to unlock while learning about KIND's longstanding nutrition commitment through an experiential, interactive and educational experience.

Low intake of recommended foods – like nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables – is one of the biggest public health concerns in the United States when it comes to nutrition.

• According to the CDC only 12.3% of Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables².
• In a separate study, Tufts researchers³ found that Americans' low intake of nuts and seeds was more strongly correlated with diet-related deaths than any dietary factor, with the exception of high sodium intake.
• A low intake of whole grains is a leading dietary risk factor for death and disease in the U.S., according to a Global Burden of Disease Study ⁴ .

As part of KIND's continued commitment to offer education and access to nutrition from real, whole, recommended foods, the company is popping up a secret door in the heart of New York City's Chelsea Market and at Houston's M-K-T in its The Heights neighborhood, when upon opening the door, visitors to be transported into its second-annual Secret KIND Farmers Market, where visitors can shop fresh, whole ingredients free-of-charge.

Once entering the New York City Secret KIND Farmers Market, guests will have the opportunity to uncover a multitude of secret experiences, including the unveiling of the biggest secret of all: Padma's KIN™ Kitchen, a two-day pop-up open February 28 and March 1, featuring dishes created by Padma Lakshmi, celebrated cookbook author and host and executive producer of Bravo's two-time Emmy-winning series "Top Chef." The dishes featured on the menu: Butternut Squash Toasties topped with pecans, pomegranate and serrano chiles, Lentil Salad on leaves of endive and Fruit & Almond Bites. Lakshmi collaborated with KIND on the recipes to ensure they all embody KIND's nutrition principles by leading with nutrient-dense ingredients. While Padma's KIND^™ Kitchen can only be enjoyed at the Secret KIND Farmers Market in New York City, the recipes can be found at kindsnacks.com for fans to re-create in their own kitchens.

"As someone who has devoted most of my life to using real food to bring people together, I'm thrilled to showcase some delicious new recipes at Padma's KIND™ Kitchen," said Padma Lakshmi, KIND Culinary Partner. "I've always encouraged people to eat foods like whole nuts, vegetables, and grains as close to their natural state as possible. I'm excited to share these healthy and flavor-packed recipes in partnership with KIND, a brand that has been making real, nutrient-dense foods more convenient for people since day one."

For years, KIND has been on the front lines of championing nutrition and challenging the status quo. The company has embraced its role in raising the bar for health and wellness by:

• Urging the food industry to disclose hidden sugars and encouraging consumers to prioritize fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole nuts whenever they can. 
• Offering thousands of free Registered Dietitian consultations.
• Recognizing the need to address food insecurity, inequality and injustice and collaborating with nonprofit organizations committed to solving these challenges, like FoodCorps an organization partnering with schools and communities to nourish kids' health and education.

"Since day one, we've advocated for nutrition transparency and encouraged people to be kinder to their bodies by eating more of the whole, nutrient-dense foods that we know are essential to keeping us healthy," said Kelly Solomon, Chief Marketing Officer at KIND. "We will always embrace our responsibility of inspiring and educating consumers to make better-informed nutrition choices—and what better way to do it than with an extra helping of secrets and fun?"

To visit The Secret KIND Farmers Market in New York City, stop by 410 West 16^th Street on February 28 and March 1 from 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.  The Secret KIND Farmers Market will be available in Houston at M-K-T on March 11 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. to offer visitors fresh, whole produce, nuts and whole grains. The dishes created by Padma will only be available at the New York City location, however, Padma will not be-site at the market. All complimentary food at each location will be available while supplies last.

About KIND Snacks

Since 2004, KIND has been on a mission to create a kinder and healthier world – one snack and one act at a time. Its iconic KIND^® bars – made with real, recognizable ingredients – sparked the growth of an entirely new healthy snacking category. Today, KIND has a family of more than 80 snacks that offer solutions for a variety of occasions. All of KIND's products lead with a nutrient-dense first ingredient –nuts or whole grains – and do not contain genetically engineered ingredients, sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.

Inspired by the belief that acts of kindness can be a transformative force for good, the KIND brand seeks to inspire kindness and empathy. KIND was founded by Daniel Lubetzky. To learn more about KIND, please visit www.kindsnacks.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated food expert, television host, producer and The New York Times best-selling author. You may recognize Padma as the creator, host, and executive producer of the James Beard Award-winning Hulu series Taste the Nation and as the longtime host and executive producer of Bravo's two-time Emmy-winning series Top Chef.

^[1] Seung Hee Lee, PhD¹; Latetia V. Moore, PhD¹; Sohyun Park, PhD¹; Diane M. Harris, PhD¹; Heidi M. Blanck, PhD^{1 (}2022) Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7101a1.htm?s_cid=mm7101a1_w

^[2] Seung Hee Lee, PhD¹; Latetia V. Moore, PhD¹; Sohyun Park, PhD¹; Diane M. Harris, PhD¹; Heidi M. Blanck, PhD^{1 (}2022) Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations — United States, 2019. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7101a1.htm?s_cid=mm7101a1_w

^[3] Health Benefits of Nuts and Seeds- United States, 2020. Tufts University Gerald J and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/healthy-eating/health-benefits-of-nuts-and-seeds/

^[4] GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators. The Lancet, 2017. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(19)30041-8/fulltext

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kind-snacks-exposes-one-of-americas-biggest-hidden-public-health-issues-301757613.html

SOURCE KIND Healthy Snacks