Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Little Kernel: Big Taste in a Mini Snack

By

little kernel
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you’re looking for a “better for you” type of snack, there’s a hot new product that’s winning rave reviews. All it takes is a handful of Little Kernel popcorn and we predict you’ll be a fan too.

The man behind the brand is Chris Laurita, husband of Jacqueline Laurita of the reality TV show Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Recommended Videos

“The show is a great platform for exposing a brand,” said Chris. “That’s what I use it for. They follow our life story and part of our story in the past year has been developing this product. There’s a lot of drama on the show. I try to stay away from that and use the platform to raise awareness for autism.”

Chris, a lifelong entrepreneur, began exploring the food and beverage space about seven years ago. His son has autism, so he and his wife have focused on nutrition and providing their son with healthy snacks. That interest led to the idea of coming out with their own snack food brand. Even though the snack food market is crowded, he said “I started to realize there were opportunities in the popcorn category. We use a smaller kernel. It’s got a much better crunch and better flavor.” He also says the size eliminates the choking hazard for kids and is also rare to get any stuck in your teeth.

There are currently six flavors, distinguished by bold, colorful packaging. They include Naked, Butter, White Cheddar, Sweet & Salty, Pink Himalayan Salt, and Truffle Sea Salt, which Chris names as the most popular. He plans to release a S’mores flavor in January. Each variety is non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, kosher and popped in 100% olive oil. The 4 oz. bags retail between $3.49 and $3.99.

“We are also about to launch a 1-ounce bag in four flavors starting in January,” said Chris.

Little Kernel has national distribution. It’s sold online as well as in retailers such as Sprouts, Shop Right and Giant Stores. They are currently in the process of getting set up with Amazon to retail there as well.

One key component at the heart of this business is giving back. “Because of our journey with our son and his autism, we give a portion of all sales back to Generation Rescue,” said Chris. “It’s an autism charity that has helped our family so much. We try to raise awareness for autism. For my wife and I, that’s our passion. We do everything we can to give back to the autism community.”

Marla Milling
Marla Milling
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Marla Hardee Milling is a full-time freelance writer living in a place often called the Paris of the South, Sante Fe of the…
Copperworks releases 3 new whiskeys, and they’re outstanding
The Seattle-based distillery is release three whiskeys
Two whiskey glasses

If you’ve never heard of Copperworks Distilling Company, now is the time to get on the proverbial bandwagon. Opened in 2013, this distillery is located in downtown Seattle. But, even with a tasting room and gift shop, it’s more than just a tourist destination. This award-winning outfit is well-known for its series of gins, vodka, and its small batch American single malt whiskey.

Its prowess in crafting American single malt whiskey is what we find most exciting. That’s why we were very interested to hear that the distillery was releasing not one, not two, but three new single malt whiskeys. They are Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey Single Cask No. 22-2 as well as Release 049 and Release 050.
The whiskeys

Read more
Midleton releases its oldest whiskey to date — here’s how much it costs
This whiskey was distilled when Nixon was the President
Midleton Whiskey

If you’re not an avid Irish whiskey drinker, you might not know about the whiskey prowess of The Midleton Distillery. Located in County Cork, Ireland, this Pernod Ricard-owned distillery has been crafting award-winning whiskeys since it was opened back in 1975. While the brand is known for myriad, limited-release, exceptional whiskeys, there are few more well-known than Midleton Very Rare.

Recently, the distillery announced the fifth chapter in its Silent Distillery Collection. Referred to as Chapter Five, this single-pot still whiskey isn’t the type of expression you’ll grab at your local liquor store. That’s because it’s Midleton’s oldest whiskey to date at 49 years old.
The whiskey

Read more
Yes, you can live on a vineyard — check out these dream homes for sale
What's a cool 10 million, anyway?
Vineyard

When fantasizing about one's dream house, common players may include a sleek and modern cliff house by the sea or a tropical Hawaiian paradise complete with thatched roof and lazy, sun-bleached hammock. Perhaps a snowy mountain retreat comes to mind, fully stocked with all of the snowboarding gear one could hope for. Some may dream of making their home on an enormous yacht, having the ability to travel the world at a moment's notice. We'd also wager that high on that list for many of us would be a gorgeously romantic vineyard home nestled between the grapevines. While for many of us, these idyllic homes are but fantasies or ambitious goals, it's always fun to dip a toe into that fantasy world every now and then. Perusing real estate sites like Redfin and Zillow, clicking through photos of the homes we so crave, imagining how we'd fill the rooms and what our lives would look like in them is indeed a fun way to pass the time.

So if you, like us, share the fantasy of living on a vineyard, horseback riding through dusty rows of delicious grapes, plucking them from the vine and imagining what their wine will taste like, you may want to check out these listings. These vineyard homes are all currently on the market, just waiting for someone's fantasy to become a reality.
College Station, Texas
Price: $1,250,000

Read more