chocolate
Trick and
Treat
Undercover Quinoa tricks kids into enjoying nutrition
WRITTEN BY REBECCA KING PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE-MARIE CARUSO
Short Hills resident Diana Levy calls herself the “ultimate double agent.” And she just might
be, since she’s devised a way to sneak the health benefits of quinoa into a chocolate snack.
W
ith Halloween
coming up,
and the uptick
in candy con-
sumption that
comes along
with it, parents may be on the hunt
for the hidden nutrients Levy prom-
ises in her quinoa treats. The price is
steep compared to typical Halloween
candy: $39.99 for a package of eight
2-ounce bags. But, those willing
to pay will reap the benefits of the
superfood doused in a layer of choco-
late, says Levy.
Quinoa vs. puffed rice
According to Forbes.com, quinoa
is packed with nutrients like protein,
fiber, iron, lysine for tissue growth
and magnesium. Quinoa makes for a
healthy alternative to the puffed rice
found in many crunchy candy bars.
Kids may not notice the difference,
and adults can enjoy the treat know-
ing it’s not full of empty calories.
Levy is quick to point out that
Undercover Quinoa is still an indul-
42
FALL 2018 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE
gence — it’s just an indulgence with
a conscious. “It’s more about bal-
ance,” she says. “I’m not a health
nut…It’s just a better-for-you prod-
uct.”
Levy is the mother of three daugh-
ters, and many members of her staff
ingredients she was putting in her
own creations.
“When I was just doing the confec-
tions company, I was following reci-
pes, and was horrified by what I was
adding,” she says. “I couldn’t believe
how much corn syrup and sugar were
“IT BECAME INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT
GOING FORWARD THAT ALL MY
FUTURE PRODUCTS BE GLUTEN-FREE.”
— DIANA LEVY
are also mothers, so her company
puts an emphasis on creating prod-
ucts she’d be happy to give her own
children. In 2013, before Undercover
Quinoa, Levy launched a business
making traditional chocolates and
confections, but was shocked by the
in those things. I was keeping my
kids away.”
Levy began working with crispy
quinoa, which gets heated at high
temperatures, then dried — not
cooked, so the grain doesn’t lose its
naturally high fiber. She then
>