Kellogg Launches New Vegan Cereal To Capture Gen Z Snackers

Cereal giant WK Kellogg Co ventures into the vegan space with its new Eat Your Mouth Off cereal brand, in a bid to appeal to the snacking habits of Gen Z shoppers. 

Eat Your Mouth Off, a new brand by US food giant WK Kellogg Co, is a plant-based, sugar-free and protein-packed cereal. Coming in two flavours, the brand’s launch comes as the company behind cereal staples like Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies makes a pivot towards health-conscious younger consumers.   

Rolling out nationwide this month, the cereal puffs lists soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate, canola oil, lentil protein and oat fibre among its ingredients, and packs in 22 grams of plant protein per serving. It contains zero added sugars and 2 grams of net carbs, thanks to the use of sucralose and stevia leaf as its sweeteners. At the moment, the brand has two flavours, Chocolate and Fruity, both of which come in a 7.5-ounce box. 

Vegan-friendly cereal

Unlike many of WK Kellogg Co’s products, the product is vegan-friendly and devoid of any dairy ingredients. Many of the corporation’s best-known cereal brands, such as Special K or Mueslix, contain added dairy, including whey powder, milk powder or yoghurt, making them not suitable for vegans either. 

Furthermore, while WK Kellogg Co’s other well-known cereal brands like Bran Flakes, Frosted Flakes and Fruit & Fibre do not contain any dairy ingredients or honey, they are fortified with Vitamin D3 sourced from lanolin, a wax secreted sheep’s wool. 

US-based food manufacturing company WK Kellogg Co was created when it split from multinational giant Kellogg’s in October 2023. Headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, the newly formed arm is a corporate spin-off that now runs all of Kellogg’s cereal business within North America. 

The plans to split Kellogg’s operations were first announced in 2022 and also involved a separate entity exclusively for the snack category dubbed Kellanova. 

Gen Z snacking appeal

The launch of the product comes as WK Kellogg Co turns its attention to the younger generation of Gen Z shoppers and their increasingly health-conscious habits. 

With old-school premier breakfast options becoming less popular, the company is reinventing the wheel to create a “deconstructed” new alternative aimed at capturing the fun yet conscious tastes of Gen Z. In Green Queen’s latest expert food trends of 2024, Gen Zs were described as the “snacking generation” who crave “variety and small portions…with functionality”.

“Almost all [brands] are developing new plant-based protein snack formats for a sustainably-minded younger generation looking for fuel on the go,” writes Sonalie Figuerias, founder and editor-in-chief of Green Queen. 

It’s no wonder WK Kellogg described the new Eat Your Mouth Off brand as “crafted especially for Zillennials” and “their unique personalities”. Unlike its traditional portfolio of sturdy breakfast options, this new label is intended to cater to Gen Z-ers who are more likely to consume cereals as part of a meal or snack, not just as a healthy start to their day. 

“It’s been just a year since this team, driven by curiosity and a hunger for something new, began envisioning cereal not only as a nutritious option, but as a way to inject fun into your breakfast, snack, or meal experience,” shared senior marketing director Sadie Garcia, who highlighted the cereal’s high-protein content “that doesn’t sacrifice taste”.