Diet or Lifestyle Product 2009

Outstanding Diet or Lifestyle Product 2009: Kitchen Table Bakers Aged Parmesan Mini Crisps

It’s a delight to discover a product that is labeled as healthful, but tastes decadent. Kitchen Table Bakers’ Aged Parmesan Mini Crisps are made of 100 percent baked Parmesan cheese that has been aged for a minimum of ten months, making them wheat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, low in carbs and rich in calcium and protein. They were created by President Barry Wels Novick when he went on a low-carb diet. He remembers, “I would go to a party and all I could eat was celery, so I would bring our crisps and they would disappear.” Initially made on their kitchen table, he and his wife Shelley coined themselves Kitchen Table Bakers and hit the market.

“We have sent cheese back and stopped production if it’s not up to our standards,” says Novick. To ensure quality, the company worked with the University of Wisconsin to create ideal specifications. “The cheese has to be within these parameters or we don’t use it,” he says.

They’re so good that they’ve become a media darling, with mentions in Rachel Ray’s Snack of the Day segment, NPR, Newsday and The New York Times. Serve them on their own, with a Caesar salad, a bowl of soup, a glass of wine or with dips. Available in seven other flavors, and 12-ounce and foodservice sizes. Suggested retail price: $3.99/1.75-ounce. kitchentablebakers.com.—D. Shoukas