Plant-based food company Upton’s Naturals has launched Fava Taco Style Crumbles, one of the first plant-based meat fillings made from fava beans.
Coming to Sprouts Farmers Markets this spring, the fava crumbles are made to recreate the mouthfeel and texture of slow-cooked ground beef, the company says. The product is seasoned with a custom taco seasoning blend, and each serving offers 9 grams of protein with minimal fat and calories. The fava crumbles are also Kosher Pareve and free from soy, gluten, oil, added sugars and cholesterol.
As a heat-and-eat product, the fava crumbles cook within minutes and can be enjoyed as a stuffing for tacos or burritos, served with nachos or any Mexican-style dish. Upton’s crumbles will be available in chilled 8 oz packages at an SRP of $5.99.
Rising in popularity
Fava, or faba, beans are a mildly sweet-tasting bean rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals like calcium and potassium. Also known as broad beans, the plant is one of the oldest known cultivated crops in the world. Within the plant-based industry, fava beans are an increasingly popular ingredient choice, thanks primarily to the beans’ strong nutrition profile, lack of common allergens and admirable sustainability qualities.
In recent times, brands such as Good Catch, Gold&Green, PROFUSION and Verso Foods have incorporated fava bean protein into their plant-based meat and seafood products. Ingredient processing giant Ingredion also features fava beans in its lineup of non-soy and non-gluten plant protein offerings.
For Upton’s, the beans’ one-of-a-kind texture properties made it an easy, innovative choice for a new taco filling.
“The success and popularity of our Chorizo Seitan led us to explore alternative proteins that could deliver a similar taste profile in a new and nutritious form,” said Dan Staackmann, Founder of Upton’s Naturals. “Possessing a texture somewhere in between tofu and seitan, we found fava beans were the perfect solution to create a protein crumble appealing to both vegans and meat-eaters alike.”
