For Passover last year, Lindsay Perez decided to brainstorm a new matzo dessert combo.
She placed dates, chocolate and peanut butter on the unleavened bread and did a taste test before bringing her creation to a Passover dinner. Her husband, Chris, took a bite, too, and they had a eureka moment. Thus NOSHY was born.
Now products by their new company are being sold online and in several South Florida stores. The matzo creation became Lot’s A Matzah, their biggest seller. They are slowly adding items to the NOSHY line. All are vegan and certified kosher, according to the company’s website, and several are gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free.
“My goal was to bring matzo into modernity and bring in as many people as possible,” said Perez, 41, a Hollywood native who now lives in Pompano Beach. “Combined with my Jewish roots and the concept of pareve — foods made without dairy or meat — NOSHY naturally evolved into a brand centered around inclusivity. Products like Lot’s a Matzah reflect that connection.”
Perez, who manufactures the products in a commercial kitchen in Pompano Beach, has worked as a personal trainer and became intimately familiar with the dietary needs of her clients. She also was working to solve a problem she had: Getting super-hungry late at night due to what she said was eating insufficient amounts of high-nutrient foods.
“As I transitioned toward a more plant-based lifestyle for my health, energy and overall well-being, I realized how difficult it was to find snacks made with truly wholesome ingredients that were also free from common allergens and still satisfying,” she said.
Jacobo Garcia, co-owner of Vgan Corner in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, said vegans are often on the hunt for sources of protein since they don’t eat meat or dairy. His plant-based market stock NOSHY products.
“They are also looking for clean products, meaning just a few ingredients and no additives,” he said. “NOSHY is doing really well at the store. All the products are moving fast.”
Besides Lot’s A Matzah ($10 per package), Perez also has four varieties of “protein poppers,” bite-sized peanut butter or sunflower butter balls with flavors such as key lime, cinnamon swirl and mocha ($8 for 18). She expects additional products to be released in the coming months.
Perez and her husband work on NOSHY alongside their other jobs. She is a recruiter for mental health care professions; he teaches radiology at Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology in Miami Gardens. She said they didn’t have backgrounds in product launching and have had to learn to design websites, communicate with grocery stores, and promote their snacks without professional assistance.
“I created a list of contacts and just kept reaching out,” she said. “I’ve had to wear so many hats. It’s been a learning process.”
Among the people she approached is Joe Buchanan, a Texas-based, Jewish country music singer who is diabetic. Perez sent him samples, and he said she was able to solve a problem he had: Finding food to eat before a concert that didn’t make him groggy and lethargic.
“I tried some protein balls before a concert and I had great energy and I felt good,” said Buchanan, 49. “I’m super careful with how I eat, and I don’t eat much. It’s nice to be able to eat before a show now.”
Customer Daniela Climaco, a behavioral analyst for children with autism, said Lot’s A Matzah has become the go-to snack for her kids, ages 3 and 6.
“I had been looking for snacks that were not full of preservatives,” said Climaco, 37, a Pompano Beach resident. “My kids come home and know they can have this sweet treat.”
For more information, go to eatnoshy.com.
