Huntington Beach native lands smoothie in Costco
March 11th, 2008 ·
Huntington Beach High School graduate Lara Jackle just nabbed one of the biggest breaks any food manufacturer can hope for: shelf space at Costco.
Jackle is the creator of LightFull Sateity Smoothies, a 90-calorie beverage that recently had a trial run at Costco. The “road show” proved so successful, the grocery warehouse gave her smoothie a permanent spot. An avid athlete during her Huntington high days (Class of 1987), Jackle created the smoothies as a healthy snack alternative.
LightFull flavors include: Mango Oasis, Chocolate Satisfaction, Peachy Cream, Café Latte and Strawberry Bliss. Jackle will be showcasing the smoothies at the Natural Products Expo-West, a private trade show that kicks off Thursday at the Anaheim Convention Center. (Stay tuned for more on the Natural Foods show later this week.)
I recently asked Jackle a few questions about the smoothie business. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: How many Costco stores are you in?
A: We will be going into 10 Costcos in Orange County and Los Angeles in the refrigerated section.
Q: What sets your smoothies apart from competitors?
A: LightFull is the only 90 calorie all natural smoothie on the market that keeps you full, because we are based on the science of Satiety. We are more satisfying than just about any 90 calorie snack on the market. Most smoothies are full of sugars and calories. We are full of fiber, protein and all natural good stuff like mangoes, yogurt, strawberries, etc. We are also just one Weight Watchers Point.
Q: Are you in any other grocery stores besides Costco?
A: We are in many natural foods and natural-oriented grocery stores in Southern California, such as Whole Foods, Mother’s Markets, Bristol Farms, Henry’s, select Vons, Jimbos, etc. We are also available (with free shipping) on Amazon.com.
Q: Satiety (pronounced Sa-TIE-eh-TEE) is a sensation of fullness. Does this mean you believe your smoothies can actually replace meals?
A: Not exactly. We are all about healthy snacking. LightFull is the perfect “pick me up” between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner. We certainly don’t want people to stop eating all the wonderful, natural foods available to us at meals. But we have found that most people get hungry between meals and snacking is where it is easy to stray from healthy eating. LightFull Satiety Smoothies satisfy cravings and hunger. We have found that they help you eat healthier at your next meal, because you are not ravenous for lunch or dinner.
Q: How did you end up in the food manufacturing business?
A: After business school, I started marketing household cleaners for the company that makes Lysol. It was a great training ground, but I have always been passionate about health and fitness. I was living in New York City at the time, and really wanted to get back to California and work in a company where I loved the products. I came a across a small company called Balance Bar in Santa Barbara. It was the perfect company for me — very health and wellness oriented, with wonderful people. I have been committed to staying in the healthy food space every since and started LightFull with Lynn Graham (co-founder and VP of marketing) in order to offer the next generation of natural, healthy foods, that also take calories into account.
To learn more about the smoothies, go to www.lightfullfoods.com.