What Is Alotta Chiatta?

The Story of How I am Developing a Food Product To DISRUPT the Food Industry

Hi! My name is Steph, and I'm a Food Scientist with two decades of experience in the flavoring, food ingredient, processed foods, dietary supplement, alternative medicine, and consumer packaged goods industries. My focus has always been R&D, Innovation, or Product Development. I believe food is fuel, and you are what you eat. I've witnessed firsthand how different food types and ingredients affect my well-being. As a result, I started to eat "from the earth" in summer 2023 during a period of unexpected unemployment.

Eating "from the earth" consumed a lot of my time. It could take up to 2.5 hours to prepare dinner, which was fine because I was jobless and my kids were at summer camp. In July 2023, I started making a breakfast food at home to create a meal I could scoop and eat almost instantly. I named it "Alotta Chiatta" because it contains “a lot of chia seeds”. People are going NUTS for Alotta Chiatta (it also contains almonds for additional protein).

Chia seeds are a superfood high in fiber, antioxidants, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids, and are a good source of plant-based protein. They are the primary ingredient in Alotta Chiatta, which can be eaten to break your fast each day or as your last meal of the day. Eating nutrient-dense Alotta Chiatta for dinner typically prevents my late-night snacking, which negatively impacts my sleep.

You might be wondering why we don't see more CPG foods with chia seeds as the main ingredient. Well, good nutrition comes at a cost. In the US, wheat flour, our top grown grain, costs 30-60 cents per pound, while oats cost 30-93 cents per pound. Chia seeds, however, cost a whopping $6.24-$9.36 per pound. Most available foods utilize the cheapest food ingredients, typically grain-based. The more we demand chia seeds and other healthy seeds by using our dollars to buy these foods, the more they will be grown by farmers, ultimately reducing their cost over time.

What else is in Alotta Chiatta? The second ingredient is ground almonds, which enhance the texture and flavor of Alotta Chiatta. Chia seeds are not typically eaten alone, so the nutty-sweet taste of ground almonds provides plenty of natural flavor. Almonds contain many healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium, and Vitamin E.

Dates are the third ingredient in Alotta Chiatta, contributing the natural sweetness found in this food. Dates are not considered "added sugar" on a food label because they contain natural sugars. Typical "added sugars" on food labels include brown sugar, cane juice, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit nectars, high-fructose corn syrup, and honey. The glycemic index (GI) of dates is 42, classifying them as low to medium GI foods. The GI of straight sugar is 100. As of April 3rd, the commodity cost of sugar is 22 cents per pound, while granulated dried dates cost $7-$9 per pound. Just like with chia seeds, the more we demand these better-for-you food sources, the more affordable they will become.

The fourth and final ingredient in Alotta Chiatta is ground vanilla bean powder, which provides depth of flavor. Real ground vanilla beans are incredibly expensive, costing over $100 per pound, but they are a far better alternative than using other flavoring sources available to me as a food developer.

Here's how to prepare this food:
2 servings per sample pouch (~36 grams chiatta per serving)

Mixing Directions:
   -¼ cup (36 grams) chiatta
   -½ cup milk of your choice
   -Mix and allow nature to activate for 10 minutes. Mix again and eat mindfully.

Ingredients:
Chia seeds, ground almonds, dates, ground vanilla bean powder. Allergens: Treenuts & Peanuts

Nutrition per 36 gram serving:
190 calories, 13 grams fat, 13 grams carbs, 8 grams fiber, 7.5 grams protein, 5 grams sugar (0 grams added sugar), and 0 mg sodium per dry serving

Highlights: High in omega-3, 5 net carbs, 0 grams added sugar, “excellent” source of fiber, good source of protein, no sodium (0 mg per serving), Non-gluten containing ingredients, vegan friendly, grain-free.

So come along with me on this journey to grow this brand and to support a local entrepreneur (me!). I want to show that people crave more nutrient dense foods with fiber and protein, along with convenience. I want to show my kids and neighbors one way to be an entrepreneur in this beautiful world. Here we grow!