Skyebird Foods are passionate about making healthy eating easier. They’re a family-owned business, creating low-carb, keto-friendly, high-protein and diabetes-friendly products that are nourishing, delicious and convenient.
It all started in 2016 when Founder Dani Holt-Iyman’s young daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
“Our business was created after our daughter was diagnosed over four years ago on the eve of her 3rd birthday. We discovered that by choosing low carb foods, it helped her maintain stable blood glucose levels. As a family, we lost weight and just felt better,” says Dani.
“However, meat, veggies, cheese and nuts gets a little boring. We felt that our family's requirements did not have to be restrictions. We found ourselves baking all the time.”
Baking was a big time commitment, which sparked the idea for convenient baked goods that meet their requirements.
Plenty of research, testing and sharing amongst family and friends followed, and led to the development of low-carb, keto-friendly bread and cookies.
Doing something different
A challenge now for Skyebird Foods is communicating how their products are different from other health food products.
“A lot of the so-called low carb or keto foods are made with cheap fillers, emulsifiers, highly processed vegetable oils or sweeteners,” says Dani.
“The low carb, keto snacking category is pretty confusing and we're trying to do something different. Produce healthy products that taste great using premium natural ingredients like hemp protein, ground almonds, coconut flour, New Zealand butter, actual vanilla and sweeteners that don't spike sugar levels.”
While Dani’s daughter’s autoimmune disease isn’t reversible, many diet-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease can be reversed.
“There is a growing body of research around the damaging impact of sugars and highly processed vegetable oils on our diet,” says Dani.
“The available foods in the healthy snacking category on our supermarket shelves hasn’t really kept up with this research or the trend of using low carb diets to reverse pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes.”
NZ Made with integrity
Skyebird Foods joined Buy New Zealand Made to use the iconic “New Zealand Made” Kiwi trademark in 2020 for validation of their commitment to New Zealand.
“We're a new brand and thought it would provide some of our customers with confidence in our products,” says Dani.
“We do have export ambitions and felt this would be a clear way to signal that our products are made in New Zealand with integrity. It's on the front of all of our cookie boxes and will be on the front of all other products. We're a little obsessed with it!”
While supermarket shelves are a mix of local and international products, Dani believes the Kiwi trademark makes it easier for people to find what’s made in New Zealand.
“Food choices in New Zealand have been flooded by international products. A number of our customers really like that our products are manufactured here in New Zealand,” says Dani.
“The Kiwi trademark resonates with the recent shift in customer preference to buy New Zealand made.”
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Shop online or at your local Farro, Moore Wilson's or Bin Inn store.
The “New Zealand Made” Kiwi trademark is available for Kiwi trademark licence holders to download online and print onto their packaging.
