Laird Superfood Debuts Hot Chocolate Made with Functional Mushrooms

Laird Superfood, a plant-based functional ingredients line, is launching a rich a creamy hot chocolate for the holiday season made from functional mushrooms.

The new hot chocolate is called ‘Laird Superfood Hot Chocolate with Functional Mushrooms,’ and is made from a mix of organic ingredients including cocoa powder, cinnamon powder and coconut milk powder.

The beverage also includes Reishi, Chaga and Maitake which are three different types of adaptogen mushrooms.

“When we develop products, we obsess on four things: it has to be good for you; it has to taste good; it has to be eco-friendly, and it has to be inclusive for everyone,” said Paul Hodge, CEO, and co-founder of Laird Superfood. “Our new hot chocolate with functional mushrooms checks all of the boxes.”

According to Laird, each mushroom provides different functional properties. Reshi and Maitake have been recognized as medicinal mushrooms for thousands of years across Asia and both contain Beta Glucans, which is a soluble dietary fiber that lowers cholesterol and boosts heart health.

Combining sweet holiday treats like a hot cup of cocoa with superfoods could resonate well with a growing number of health-conscious consumers who are looking for better-for-you treats to indulge in.

According to Million Insights, the functional ingredient market is expected to be worth $96.1 billion by 2026 growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.9 percent.

In addition, mushrooms are also expected to benefit from the functional food trend. According to Transparency Market Research the global mushroom market is estimated to increase from 34.1 billion in 2015 to $69.3 billion by the end of 2024 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.2 percent.

As plant-based and functional food continue to flourish, mushrooms’ antioxidant and immunity boosting properties make them a prime superfood that can be incorporated in a variety health food products.

Furthermore, mushrooms have also been touted as a high source of protein and their rich, earthy and fleshy texture has also made them a popular substitute for meat, like mushroom-based jerky.

Whether its savoury or sweet, it looks like mushrooms are going to be a popular ingredient for the food industry to experiment more with in 2020.

As for now, the Laird Superfood Hot Chocolate with Functional Mushroom retails  for $10.95 per 8 oz bag and can be purchased online and at select health food stores for consumers to enjoy.