It’s national pasta month, and a Dallas-connected company is touting its high-fiber wheat pasta as a way to address a common problem in the U.S.: significant fiber deficiency. To make its pitch even more enticing, the company said if you don’t love its pasta, it’s free.
Launched in 2022 by Arcadia Biosciences with five high-fiber varieties, the GoodWheat Pasta brand was introduced to help people “fiber up” deliciously.
The company says its pasta does that with one simple ingredient: high-fiber durum wheat.
GoodWheat’s nutrient-dense flour begins with its proprietary U.S. farm-grown, non-GMO grain. “We wanted to call it “Superior Wheat,” but we didn’t want to brag,” the company touts.
To lure picky eaters in honor of National Pasta Month, the company has introduced GoodWheat’s new Clean Plate Guarantee with a simple promise: Love their pasta, or it’s free.
Try it—with a “clean plate guarantee”
Parents and kids battling about eating healthy foods is a perennial challenge for families at mealtime, GoodWheat notes.
“Many families struggle with getting their kids to try better-for-you foods because they worry it won’t taste as good as the traditional offerings,” Arcadia President and CEO Stan Jacot said in a statement. “We’re so confident everyone will love our pasta that we’re offering our Clean Plate Guarantee,” Jacot said. “If you try a box and don’t like it, we’ll give you your money back.”
Jacot, who says working at Kellogg in Brand Management on Rice Krispies “opened the door” for his career in food innovation, is a noted disruptor in the food space, according to Authority magazine. The CEO, who assembled a team from “top CPG powerhouses ConAgra, PepsiCo, Wonder, and Ronzoni,” has a history of making common foods healthier.
People love pasta, and Jacot wants them to keep enjoying the food they want to eat. The CEO says the company’s pasta tastes delicious and has a texture “everyone loves” but with “significantly” more protein and fiber.
Matthew McConaughey’s wife partners with GoodWheat
Mother, philanthropist, and author Camila Alves McConaughey, the wife of movie and TV star Matthew McConaughey, has partnered with GoodWheat to help spread the word about the pasta, according to a company news release.
“As a mom who’s raising three kids, I know how tough it can be to have picky eaters at home,” she said.
McConaughey said GoodWheat pasta is an “easy, mealtime solution for our family that delivers fiber, protein, and prebiotics with only one ingredient.” And it tastes good, too, she says.
“Clean plates, and no fights at dinner time—that’s a win for any mom!” she added. McConaughey even offers up recipes on the company’s website, like the Brazilian Bake.
16 years of research
GoodWheat started studying wheat varieties in 2006 to identify the ones packed with nutrition.
Today, the company says its pasta boasts 8 grams of fiber—which it says is four times the fiber of regular wheat pasta—and 9 grams of protein per serving into its pasta, “with no compromise on taste or texture.”
The company said that research shows that 90% of Americans don’t meet the recommended daily intake of fiber, and just one serving of GoodWheat pasta delivers 32% of the daily recommended value of fiber for women and children and 21% of the fiber needs for men.
Founded in 2002, Calif.-based Arcadia Biosciences (Nasdaq: RKDA) is a publicly traded agricultural-focused biotech with an office address on Sherry Lane in Dallas. The company aims to provide healthy food choices through agricultural innovation, cultivating next-gen wellness food and beverages. The company’s products also includes Zola coconut water.
Earlier this summer, the company’s Dallas-based CMO Laura Pitlik, a CPG strategist who led the launched Nature’s Pride for Hostess Brands, noted Arcadia Biosciences’ GoodWheat brand expansion into breakfast with an upcoming launch of GoodWheat Quikcakes and GoodWheat Pancake & Waffle Mixes.
The story was updated on Oct. 8, 2023, with additional information about the brand’s launch and company background.
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