NEW YORK — A husband-and-wife team is launching a brand of plant-based lunch kits for children. Shawn Jang and Verona Lu founded Let’s Plate! as a healthier alternative to ready-to-eat meals in the marketplace.
“There weren’t any kids meals available that checked off the big boxes: healthy, convenient, affordable and delicious,” Mr. Jang said. “As parents, we realized we could do something about it — and that’s how Let’s Plate! was born.”
The brand offers three options, each packaged with vitamin D gummy bears, a fruit squeeze pouch and a utensil and napkin. The Pizza combines plant-based pepperoni slices, plant-based cheese shreds, pizza sauce and pizza crust. The Stacker pairs round crackers and miniature square plant-based cheese slices and miniature round plant-based ham slices. The PB&J includes round crackers, sunflower butter and concord grape jelly. The products feature biodegradable or recyclable packaging.
Let’s Plate! is set to debut by the end of summer with meals ranging from $5 to $6. The founders initiated a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise $15,000 for ingredients, packaging, equipment and commercial kitchen space.
Prior to founding the business, Mr. Jang spent his career in finance and corporate strategy, and Ms. Lu has worked with food and beverage and consumer companies as a consultant at various firms. The pair assembled an advisory team of veterans from Kraft Heinz Co., Mondelez International, 7-Eleven, General Mills, Google and Unilever. The founders also partnered with Buttercrumble, a creative studio specializing in brand strategy, project management and public relations.
“I have no doubt this is going to succeed — after all, I quit a good-paying job and a stable career to make this work and have now spent the better part of two years making sure every single part of Let’s Plate! is perfect,” Mr. Jang said.
