Healthy Snacks - Funny Parenting Stories for Fathers (and Mothers)

Craize, Wonder Juice Appearing at Annual NAMA Show

Two better-for-you brands under the Kayco Beyond portfolio, Craize, and Wonder Juice, will be showcased at The NAMA Show, running April 22-24 in Los Angeles. Families know Craize as the bold chip-cracker hybrid redefining better-for-you snacking, and Wonder Juice as the delicious line offering 100% organic cold-pressed juices.

Craize will feature 1-ounce bags (perfect for vending) and 4-ounce bags (great for micro-markets and pantry use). Wonder Juice brings its 100% certified organic, cold-pressed juices to these channels as well.

This marks the first time Craize, building on its well-established grocery business, will be exploring new opportunities in the vending, micro markets, kiosks, pantry services, and other self-service platforms. Wonder Juice makes the same expansion alongside it, bringing its certified organic cold-pressed juices into these emerging channels with a healthy juice sustainably packed in glass bottles.

Craize Snacks

More than just a cracker, Craize is made with a proprietary fire griddle process. It is a modern, wholesome snack delivering exceptional taste, crunch, and versatility. Vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, seed oil–free, and Kosher, Craize proves that clean-label snacking never has to compromise on flavor.

The Craize Everything Flavor was recently awarded the sofi Gold Award at Winter FancyFaire for Best Cracker of 2026.

Michele Abo, General Manager of Kayco Beyond, exclusive distributor of Craize, said, “Craize is a truly differentiated snack that delivers on taste, craftsmanship, and modern wellness. The NAMA Show provides an exciting opportunity for vending and micro-market operators to offer consumers better-for-you, on-the-go snacking that is seed oil free, vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO —without ever sacrificing crunch, flavor, or versatility.”

Designed to meet growing demand for elevated, ingredient-forward snacks, Craize stands out in a crowded category with its distinctive texture, innovative production process, and crave-worthy flavor profiles.

What Makes Craize Different

Chip-Cracker Hybrid – The satisfying crunch of a chip meets the versatile, toppable nature of a cracker
Fire-Griddled, Never Fried – A proprietary slow-griddling process locks in flavor and crispness without added oils
Versatile Enjoyment – Perfect for dips, toppings, charcuterie boards, or straight from the bag
Real Ingredients Baked In – Fruits, vegetables, and spices are blended directly into the dough—not just sprinkled on top
Wholesome & Allergen-Friendly – Vegan, non-GMO, kosher, gluten-free, seed oil–free, and produced in an allergen-friendly facility

Five Signature Flavors

Everything – Sesame and poppy seeds blended with garlic and onion for a savory, bagel-inspired bite
Sweet Corn – Lightly sweetened with dark brown sugar; pairs well with jams, nut butters, or guacamole
Guava – Fruity and refreshing, made with authentic guava puree
Coconut – Infused with dried coconut, vanilla, and cinnamon for a subtly sweet tropical twist
Jalapeño Lime – Zesty heat balanced with bright cilantro and lime

Wonder Juice to Showcase its Line with Samples

Joining Craize at Booth #4572, Wonder Juice will offer samples and showcase its full line of 100% cold-pressed organic juices—bringing the same better-for-you ethos to the beverage side of the booth.

Crafted with non-GMO, Fair-Trade certified ingredients and containing no added water or sugar, Wonder Juice delivers a refreshing, authentic taste experience while setting a new benchmark for healthy beverages. The brand’s commitment to sustainability has been recognized with the Mindful Product Award in 2024, highlighting its use of 100% recyclable glass bottles.

Discover the Wonder Juice Lineup

Wonder Juice offers 11 distinct flavors across multiple varieties.

Wonder Beet – Harnessing the nutritional power of beets in blends such as Beet + Lemon Ginger, Beet + Cherry, Beet + Berry, and Beet + Veggie. Beets provide a high-nutrition, low-calorie source of natural energy and vitality.

Wonder Melon – A hydrating, antioxidant-rich juice supporting cardiovascular health and digestion. Flavors include Watermelon Cucumber Basil, Watermelon Lemon Cayenne, and classic Watermelon.

Wonder Lemon – A vitamin C-rich variety offering immune support. Flavors include Lemon Ginger, Lemon Basil Jalapeño, and Lemon Mint.

Wonder Green – The newest addition to the lineup, featuring vibrant, nutrient-dense blends including Clean Green and Veg8 & Cayenne, designed to deliver a refreshing, vegetable-forward boost for everyday wellness.

“Wonder Juice meets the growing demand for 100% organic, authentic juice with no added water or sugar,” Abo said of the juice line. “Each blend is thoughtfully crafted to deliver a delicious and nutritious cold-pressed juice experience. Consumers seeking convenient, on-the-go wellness options will especially appreciate its availability in new self-service environments.”

The NAMA Show is the premier event for the vending and convenient services industry, bringing together the latest insights, resources, technology, and equipment to meet the evolving needs of professionals in these channels.

Kayco is a leading manufacturer and supplier of kosher foods. Its Kayco Beyond division sources and distributes innovative products that meet the growing demand for healthful, convenient, and lifestyle-focused food options Headquartered in Bayonne, NJ, Kayco’s portfolio includes Dorot Gardens, Craize, Wonder Juice, Mighty Sesame Co., and Absolutely! Gluten Free, among others. For more information www.kayco.com.

Craize Toasted Corn Snacks Everything Flavor Named a 2026 sofi Gold Award Winner

Craize announces that its Toasted Corn Snacks Everything Flavor has been named a 2026 sofi Gold Award winner by the Specialty Food Association (SFA), recognizing it as a standout within the specialty food and beverage industry this year.

Everything Flavor from Craize Toasted Corn Chips

FancyFaire Trade Show

The sofi Award winners were revealed live in San Diego at SFA’s Winter FancyFaire trade show during a ceremony hosted by celebrity chef Joe Sasto. The ceremony brought together makers, buyers, press, and industry leaders to celebrate the innovation shaping the future of specialty food. In a crowded cracker market, CraizeToasted Corn Snacks Everything Flavor was named a Gold Award winner at the 2026 sofi Awards in the Crackers & Crispbreads category.

“Winning a sofi Award is especially meaningful because it’s positive feedback coming directly from the buyers shaping what’s next in specialty food,” said Michele Abo, General Manager of Kayco Beyond, who recently added Craize to their portfolio of brands. “The award is an extraordinary validation of what we’ve built with Craize, a truly differentiated snack that delivers on taste, craftsmanship, and modern wellness expectations. This recognition accelerates our mission to introduce more consumers and retailers to a snack that’s vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and allergen-friendly — without ever sacrificing crunch, flavor, or versatility.”

Craize is more than just a cracker; it’s a modern, healthy snack that delivers incredible taste and versatility. “We are thrilled to see our Everything Flavor recognized as a sofi Gold Award winner. We know this great accolade will resonate with retailers and consumers as to how outstanding this vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and allergen-friendly product is, yet never compromises on flavor or crunch,” adds Abo.

Spanning 25 Gold Award categories and five Grand Honors distinctions, the sofi Awards recognize products that stand out for innovation, exceptional taste, and high-quality ingredients—and signal what’s next for specialty food. Chosen through blind tastings by a panel of leading retail and foodservice buyers, the 2026 sofi Award winners rose to the top from a pool of more than 1800 entries.

What Craize has, and what it has to Offer

Craize stands out with its clean label, great flavor, and crave-worthy crunch. Key highlights include:

Chip-cracker hybrid – The satisfying crunch of a chip meets the versatile, toppable nature of a cracker.
Fire-griddled, never fried –A proprietary slow-griddling process locks in flavor and crispness without added oils.
Versatile enjoyment – Perfect for dips, toppings, or enjoying on their own.
Real ingredients baked in – Fruits, veggies, and spices are mixed into the dough, not sprinkled on top.
Wholesome & allergen-friendly – Vegan, non-GMO, Kosher, gluten-free, seed and oil–free, and made in an allergen-friendly facility.

Craize five signature flavors offer both sweet and savory options:

Everything – Sesame and poppy seeds blended with garlic and onion for a savory, bagel-inspired bite.
Sweet Corn – Lightly sweetened with dark brown sugar, pairs perfectly with jams, nut butters, or guacamole.
Guava – Fruity and refreshing with authentic guava puree.
Coconut – Infused with dried coconut, vanilla, and cinnamon for a tropical twist.
Jalapeño Lime – Zesty with a kick of heat, balanced by cilantro and lime.

The sofi Awards are considered the top honor in the $219-billion specialty food industry. Past winners have included some of today’s most recognizable and successful brands, such as Ben & Jerry’s, Kettle Chips, Fage Yogurt, Stonewall Kitchen, and Vermont Creamery.
For more information on CraizeSnacks and CraizeCorn Snacks Everything Flavor, visit www.gocraize.com or follow @GoCraize on Instagram and Facebook.

Craize is part of the Kayco Beyond lineup, with expansion plans underway. Kayco Beyond offers a diverse range of unique, natural, and specialty items to over 14,000 retailers nationwide. The Beyond business unit is a division of Kayco, one of the largest makers and distributors of kosher and specialty foods in the United States.

Healthy Snacking Made Easy with Craize Snack Crackers

It’s not easy when it comes to children and snacking. Our little Miracles of Christ will almost certainly go to the chips and sweets. We all know the taste of a fruit or veggie can’t compare with potato chips or cookies. Luckily, Craize chips taste good.

People like to snack. It’s something that can get us through a project. Munching on something can seem mundane tasks seem almost bearable. Some people like to snack in between meals. Sometimes I like to have a snack on my way home from work.

The Miracles of Christ like to snack, as do their friends. Sometimes I’ll pack my lunch for work and something I was planning to take with me will disappear. This is normally a sweet to reward myself for being good. The fruits and vegetables are usually safe, and I don’t need to worry about those disappearing.

Sweet Snacks, or Salty?

There are times you feel like snacking on something sweet, there are times you feel like snacking on something salty. It can depend on the time of day, or maybe it’s something you haven’t had in a while. Whatever it is, it’s good to have something to enjoy between meals. The good people from Craize understand what that can be like, and they have made toasted snack crackers in a variety of flavors for your snacking pleasure. These flavors can be sweet, salty, even a little spicy. Whatever it is, Craize has something for you when it’s Snack Time.

The Miami-based snacking company took it’s inspiration from the arepa, a cornmeal cake with a crispy outside and a soft inside. Craize chips are crispy all the way through. They are thin, about the size of a standard potato chip.

Healthy Snacking isn’t Always Easy

My snacking usually consists of fruits and vegetables. I like apples, but I’ve been eating more peaches since we started growing them. The Boy will have friends over, and that’s when my sweet snacks will disappear. Sometimes I don’t notice that until I need to make my lunch. When I’m cooking dinner, I like to munch on a carrot. I’ll feed the ends of the carrot to the dog. She likes snacking too. When the family eats dinner, she’ll sit close by with a pathetic look on her face. The dog usually sits by the boy. We got her when The Boy was in the first grade, and he tended to have food fall from his plate to the floor. He doesn’t do that anymore, but some habits die hard, and the dog will sit patiently, hoping for a morsel to fall.

It’s not easy when it comes to children and snacking. Our little Miracles of Christ will almost certainly go to the chips and sweets, no matter how many fruits, vegetables, and granola bars we stock the refrigerator and pantry with. We try to steer them to the healthier stuff, but we all know the taste of a fruit or veggie can’t compare with potato chips or cookies. Luckily, Craize chips taste good, so that will make it easier when you want to see them snacking on something healthier than junk food.

Different Craize Flavors

As I mentioned before, there are plenty of different flavors of Craize chips to choose from. There are sweet flavors like coconut or guava. Salty, savory flavors like the “Everything” can satisfy your hunger when you don’t feel like something sweet. Craize’s Jalapeño Lime has more of a slightly spicy flavor with a hint of citrus to round it out. The company’s website touts their snack as something that can be topped, dipped or just enjoyed as they are. Remember, these can be used as a substitute for chips, so think about packing these as a healthy side to a sandwich the next time you need to pack a lunch.

There are plenty of snacks to choose from. People will get hungry, and people can’t always wait until the next meal to eat. For something that will satisfy your hunger and won’t make you feel guilty, try digging into the arepa-inspired Craize snack crackers. Your kids might like them, and you won’t have to try so hard to have them consider a healthier snacking option.

Follow me on Instagram.