How to Celebrate Kindness on Giving Tuesday

Empowering others to make a difference is practically a way of life for the team at KIND Healthy Snacks, so for Giving Tuesday, we couldn’t think of a better brand to help us do some good. Here’s more about how KIND got its start, its wholesome ingredient standards, plus an easy way to spread some kindness this season.

A KIND Movement

KIND isn’t just a company name, it’s a philosophy. The brand was founded in 2004 by Daniel Lubetzky, who was inspired by his father’s experience at the Dachau concentration camp during the Holocaust. His dad survived, in part, because of the kindness of strangers. “The KIND Movement is a shared mission to make the world a little kinder, give our team a sense of meaning, and an authentic way to live the brand,” said Elle Lanning, EVP of Corporate Development and Chief of Staff at KIND.

But before the Movement gained momentum, KIND had a challenge to overcome: its bars looked too healthy. “Buyers hadn’t seen anything like KIND and questioned where to place our bars in their stores. Many people were skeptical they would taste good,” Elle said. “We were creating a new healthy snack category, so there wasn’t an obvious place to stock them. Our founder worked hard to convince people that KIND was meeting a need they didn’t know they had. Eventually, striking that balance between health and taste helped the brand take off.”

The KIND Promise

Uncompromising nutritional principles have guided KIND’s innovation since the beginning. “We’ve always been committed to making healthy and tasty snacks. It’s the foundation upon which KIND was built,” Elle shared. Whole nuts are the first ingredient in more than 50 percent of products, and the rest is either a whole grain or a fruit.

“As we continue to grow, we’ll uphold the KIND Promise—it’s our North Star. As a not-only-for-profit company, we strive to be both economically sustainable and socially impactful. We know we have a responsibility to impact public health and ultimately leave the world better than we found it.” For example, KIND was the first national snack brand to provide the added sugar content in its products, two years in advance of the FDA deadline. “This commitment was one way to demonstrate transparency, and equip people with the information they need to make informed eating decisions,” Elle said.

#kindawesome

Big or small, an act of kindness can go a long way, so KIND launched the #kindawesome program. Anyone in the community can share a #kindawesome card online with someone they see being kind, and KIND will send them a free snack. “ We’ve spotted more than 200,000 acts of kindness through the platform (and counting).” Elle shared.

As for favorite stories that have come through, Elle’s partial to seeing kind acts in places where kindness is least expected, or when someone doesn’t expect their act to be noticed. “Recently, a team member recognized a hard-working gate agent at the airport, kindly solving issues for frustrated travelers. When the KIND team member handed out a #kindawesome card, the agent was shocked to be recognized, and had actually never heard of KIND before, and this sparked a conversation with the pilots who were boarding. More often than not, #kindawesome sparks a chain reaction!” Elle said.

“I use #kindawesome cards on the New York City subway, a place that’s sometimes devoid of kindness. If someone gives up a seat, I’ll hand them a card and thank them for their small but meaningful gesture.”

Top KIND Products

KIND leads the pack when it comes to portable snacks. Take a look at some of their top sellers on Thrive Market.

Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt

For a sweet and salty flavor combo, look no further. Each bar has 200 calories, and 5g of sugar or less. They also come in a mini size!

“These bars saved my life traveling. First off, they’re totally delicious so it felt like fun—just like the trip I was taking. Second, they satisfied my taste for chocolate, and didn’t set me up with any weird cravings for junk.”
—Deborah

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Pressed Bars

Dark chocolate decadence meets the convenience of an on-the-go snack. With a ½ cup serving of fruit, it’s a snack you can feel good about.

“Great for when my sweet tooth kicks in. Nice fruity/chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. Love that it’s only 120 calories!”
—Bahare

Dark Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars

Baked with super grains, including oats, millet, and amaranth—this bar has a unique chewy and crunchy texture, with a touch of dark chocolate chunks inside.

“These are so good I have to hide them from the kids when I bring them home, or they’d be gone in a day.”
—Susan

Ready to celebrate kindness this Giving Tuesday? When you see someone being kind (or are the recipient of an act of kindness) head to this page and fill out the simple #kindawesome form. After submission, KIND will let your friend know that they have been recognized, and pass along instructions so that he/she can redeem their free KIND snack!