What Schoolyard Snacks does

Schoolyard Snacks is a US-based direct-to-consumer packaged food company that produces high-protein, low-carb, and sugar-free snack and cereal products targeted at consumers following ketogenic, low-carb, diabetic, and GLP-1-friendly diets. The company's portfolio spans four product categories — Protein Puffs, Protein Crisps, Protein Cereals, and Keto Chocolate — comprising approximately 30 SKUs including cheddar protein puffs, fruity keto cereal, peanut butter cups, and chocolate bark bites. Products are manufactured using a proprietary air-puffing technology applied to 90% Whey Protein Isolate (sourced as a byproduct of cheese-making), yielding 15g+ of protein per serving with only 1-3g net carbs and 90-130 calories. Sweetening relies exclusively on monkfruit and allulose, producing zero glycemic impact.

The company operates a multi-channel distribution model anchored by a Shopify-powered direct e-commerce site at schoolyardsnacks.com, with secondary distribution through Amazon.com marketplace and select physical retail at Sprouts natural grocery stores. The pricing architecture includes one-time purchases ($24.99-$59.99), a subscription model offering 20% off first orders and up to 30% recurring savings, and a Build Your Own Bundle configurator with tiered volume discounts. Marketing relies on nostalgia-driven positioning ('eat like a kid again without the guilt'), influencer and celebrity endorsements (WWE's Edge, singer Jewel), content marketing via company blog and social channels, and earned media coverage in GQ, Inc., Women's Health, and Vox.

The company was founded by Keith and Tina in 2016-2019 originally as Better Than Good Foods, motivated by their son's leukemia diagnosis and the need for palatable, high-protein foods during chemotherapy. In 2023, the couple acquired the Schoolyard Snacks brand from its prior venture-capital-backed operators and rebranded operations under the Schoolyard Snacks name. The company is founder-owned and bootstrapped with 1-10 employees and headquarters in Garfield Heights, Ohio. Customers are primarily individual health-conscious consumers, segmented into keto/low-carb dieters, GLP-1 medication users, diabetics, and nostalgia-driven snackers.

Name

Schoolyard Snacks

Legal name

Schoolyard Snacks

Website

https://schoolyardsnacks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Schoolyard Snacks is a US-based DTC food company producing air-puffed, high-protein, low-carb cereals, puffs, crisps, and chocolates using whey protein isolate and monkfruit/allulose sweeteners. It serves keto, diabetic, and GLP-1 medication consumers through Shopify, Amazon, and Sprouts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthy Protein Snacks

NAICS

Other Snack Food Manufacturing (311919)

SIC

Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Health/Protein Snack Bars Manufacturing (AFAKAIAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special-Diet & Functional Prepared Meals (Keto, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Medical) (CRAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Protein snacks
• Keto cereals
• Low-carb foods
• Sugar-free snacks
• High-protein cereal

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Product Sales: One-time and subscription-based product sales through company website. Customers can purchase individual items or build custom bundles with tiered discounts (10-30% off). Subscription model offers recurring deliveries with 20% savings and additional perks like free mystery gifts.
2. Amazon Marketplace Sales: Products sold through Amazon.com as an additional distribution channel for product sales.
3. Retail/B2C Sales: Products sold through natural grocery stores including Sprouts, reaching customers in physical retail locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Schoolyard Snacks manufactures and sells high-protein, low-carb, zero-sugar snacks and cereals targeted at keto, diabetic, and GLP-1 users. Products are made using air-puffed whey protein isolate technology (never fried) and sweetened exclusively with monkfruit and allulose. The portfolio includes protein puffs, protein crisps, keto cereals, and chocolate treats, each delivering 15g+ protein with only 1-3g net carbs per serving.

Product overview

Schoolyard Snacks is a direct-to-consumer snack company specializing in high-protein, low-carb, and keto-friendly foods. The product portfolio is organized into four core categories: Protein Puffs (light, airy cheese puff-style snacks in savory flavors like Cheddar, Fiery, BBQ, and Sour Cream & Onion); Protein Crisps (baked crisps and coated snacks in flavors ranging from Cheddar & Sour Cream to Salted Caramel and Strawberries & Cream); Protein Cereals (grain-free cereals available in bags and boxes, featuring nostalgic flavors like Peanut Butter, Cinnamon Bun, Cocoa, and Fruity); and Chocolate (keto-friendly chocolate treats including bark bites, chocolate-covered almonds, peanut butter cups, and chocolate gems). The company also offers a Build Your Own Bundle option for customized multi-product orders with volume discounts. All products are gluten-free, grain-free, and sweetened with monk fruit and allulose, with 1-3g net carbs per serving and 15g+ protein content. Distribution includes their e-commerce website, Amazon.com, and select natural grocery stores like Sprouts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Better Than Good Foods: Original brand name used by the founders when creating high-protein snacks for their son undergoing Leukemia treatment. Products were later rebranded under Schoolyard Snacks after 2023 acquisition.

Products and services

• Cheddar Protein Puffs (12 Bags) Light, airy protein puffs with bold cheddar cheese flavor, providing 15g protein per serving with only 2g net carbs. Keto-friendly and gluten-free snack for health-conscious consumers.
• Fiery Protein Puffs (12 bags) Spicy protein puffs delivering bold fiery flavor with 15g protein and 2g net carbs per serving. Keto-friendly crunchy snack.
• Sour Cream & Onion Protein Puffs (12 Bags) Savory protein puffs with tangy sour cream and onion flavor profile, offering high protein content in a low-carb format.
• BBQ Protein Puffs (12 Bags) Smoky, tangy BBQ-flavored protein puffs with 14g protein per serving. Keto-friendly snack with approximately 2g net carbs.
• Baked Cheddar Protein Crisps (12 Bags) Baked-to-perfection protein crisps with bold cheddar flavor, delivering 15g protein with less than 3g carbs per pack. Keto-friendly and diabetic-approved.
• Cheddar & Sour Cream Protein Chip (12 Bags) Crispy protein chips combining cheddar and sour cream flavors with 14g protein, zero added sugar, and only 2g net carbs per bag.
• Tangy BBQ Protein Crisps (12 Bags) Bold tangy BBQ-flavored protein crisps made with 100% natural whey protein, averaging less than 3g carbs per bag for low-carb diets.
• Jalapeno Cheddar Protein Crisps (12 Bags) Spicy protein crisps combining jalapeno and cheddar cheese flavors for a zesty, high-protein snacking experience.
• Ranch Protein Crisps (12 Bags) Classic ranch-flavored protein crisps offering a tangy, herby taste with high protein content in a low-carb format.
• Salted Caramel Protein Crisps (12 Bags) Sweet and salty salted caramel protein crisps combining dessert-like flavor with high protein and low carb nutrition.
• Strawberries & Cream Protein Crisps (12 Bags) Sweet strawberries and cream flavored protein crisps offering a fruity dessert experience while maintaining high protein and low carb standards.
• Cinnamon Roll Coated Protein Crisps (12 Bags) Coated protein crisps with cinnamon roll flavor, delivering 10g protein plus fruits, vegetables, vitamins, antioxidants and superfoods.
• Protein Chocolate Coated Crisps (12 Bags) Chocolate-coated protein crisps combining chocolate indulgence with high protein content in a low-carb format.
• Peanut Butter Protein Cereal (12 Bags) Warm, comforting peanut butter flavored keto cereal with 15g protein and just 1g net carb per serving. Grain-free, gluten-free breakfast option.
• Cinnamon Bun Protein Cereal (12 Bags) Crunchy keto cereal inspired by cinnamon bun flavor with 16g protein and 1g net carb per serving. Grain-free, low-sugar breakfast.
• Cocoa Protein Cereal (12 Bags) Rich, chocolatey cocoa-flavored keto cereal with 15g protein and 1g net carb per serving. Sweetened with allulose and monk fruit.
• Fruity Protein Cereal (12 Bags) Bursting fruity-flavored cereal naturally sweetened with monk fruit and allulose. Only 1g net carb and 90 calories per serving with no added sugars.
• Keto Chocolate Bark Bites 3oz (2pk) Bean-to-bar quality 56% dark chocolate bark bites made from Fair Trade cocoa. Keto-friendly with 1 net carb, 6 individually wrapped pieces per bag.
• Keto Dark Chocolate Almonds 6oz (2 Pack) Premium dark chocolate-covered almonds with 0g sugar and just 1 net carb. Vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO with only 44 calories per serving.
• Keto White Chocolate Almonds 6oz (2pk) White chocolate-covered almonds featuring 0g sugar and 1 net carb. Made with 100% natural, non-GMO ingredients and organic cocoa butter.
• Peanut Butter Keto Chocolate Cups 1.69oz (6pk Buckeyes) Classic buckeye-style peanut butter cups coated in chocolate. Low calorie, keto-friendly chocolate treat.
• Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups 6oz (2 Pack) Creamy peanut butter cups covered in smooth milk chocolate. Low calorie snack crafted for those following low-carb or keto lifestyles.
• Keto Chocolate Gem's 2oz (M&M's 6pk) Chocolate candy gems modeled after M&M's, featuring dark chocolate with fructooligosaccharides, erythritol, and natural flavors. Keto-friendly confection.
• Variety Pack Pre-curated assortment of Schoolyard Snacks products offering a selection of their best-selling protein snacks and cereals. Rated 4.7 by over 10,000 customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15g+ protein per serving with only 1-3g net carbs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sprouts (Natural Grocery)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchoolyard Snacks products are sold through Sprouts natural grocery stores as a retail distribution channel, making products available to in-store shoppers who prefer to purchase health foods physically rather than online.
• Amazon.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProducts are sold through Amazon.com marketplace, providing third-party e-commerce distribution channel beyond the company's direct website.
• KetoKrateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchoolyard Snacks products were featured in KetoKrate subscription box, a monthly keto snack box service, providing product discovery and customer acquisition through the keto community.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationThe company's e-commerce platform is powered by Shopify Inc., providing the online store infrastructure, payment processing, and order management capabilities for direct sales.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Magic Spoon: Direct DTC competitor in the high-protein, low-carb, keto-friendly cereal category. Magic Spoon's grain-free cereal is the most head-to-head product comparison to Schoolyard's Protein Cereal line, targeting the same keto/diabetic shopper with subscription and bundle economics.
• Quest Nutrition: Large-scale protein snack brand competing directly in protein puffs, protein crisps/chips, and protein bars. Quest's widespread mass retail distribution (Walmart, Target, GNC) and broader product portfolio make it a scaled comparable in the same functional-snack category.
• HighKey Snacks: Direct competitor in the keto/low-carb cookie, cracker, and chocolate-covered treat space. HighKey's mini cookies and chocolate products overlap with Schoolyard's chocolate bark bites, peanut butter cups, and chocolate gems.
• Catalina Crunch: Keto cereal and snack brand with strong DTC presence. Catalina Crunch's cereal line competes directly with Schoolyard's Protein Cereal SKUs, both targeting low-net-carb, diabetic, and keto consumers via subscription-driven e-commerce.
• Legendary Foods: Keto-friendly pastry, cereal, and snack brand. Legendary Foods competes in the same nostalgia-driven, low-carb snack category with sweet- and savory-flavored protein snacks sold via DTC and Amazon.
• BHU Foods: Organic, keto, and protein-focused snack brand offering protein bars, cookies, and baked goods. BHU targets the same clean-ingredient, low-carb shopper with comparable price points and DTC distribution.
• Smart Baking Company: Keto and diabetic-friendly baked goods manufacturer (SmartCakes, Smartmufins). Competes in the functional, low-net-carb baked snack segment with retail distribution and a similar diabetic/keto consumer proposition.
• Know Foods: Low-carb, keto-friendly baked good brand producing crackers, cookies, and bread. Direct overlap with Schoolyard's protein crisps in the savory/snack cracker category and the same diabetic/keto target customer.

Broad incumbents

• Atkins (brand): Established legacy low-carb lifestyle brand owned by a major CPG company (Conagra/Brands portfolio history). Atkins is a much broader incumbent offering meal bars, shakes, and frozen meals — overlapping with Schoolyard's diabetic/low-carb positioning but lacking the protein-puff specificity.

Emerging players

• Flock Foods: Emerging chicken-based protein snack brand (chips, puffs). Partial overlap with Schoolyard's protein puff and crisp category using an alternative protein source, targeting the same health-conscious, low-carb snack consumer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@betterthangoodfoodsllc1915
• Facebookfacebook.com/schoolyardsnacks
• Instagraminstagram.com/schoolyardsnacks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cereal-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schoolyard Snacks