Snap & Giggle

Everything starts with an idea...

I believe there is a single moment in life that leads you down a new road and brings forth experiences that can shape an idea into something great. - Founder, Snap & Giggle

My single moment occurred at home while in conversation with my parents during dinner. My father would often speak of natural health remedies he had discovered online or in an article. Casually, he would mention unsubstantiated facts, such as “did you know that cinnamon and honey can cure just about anything?” Well, no, but I’m sure it tastes great. This particular day, however, he presented me with a thick, hardcovered, somewhat controversial book entitled “Natural Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About” by American author Kevin Trudeau. I remember lugging the book back to my room, sitting on my bed cross legged, and ingesting its contents with ravenous force. I’ve never inhaled information like that in my life. Something inside me knew this was a special moment, perhaps my awakening. It was this moment that led me to enroll and successfully graduate from nutrition school, which helped me land a management role in the organic department of a major grocery chain.

This role exposed me to a variety of foods I never knew existed. I can remember my excitement as I walked down each aisle analyzing every item sitting on the shelf. Snack foods, baking ingredients, beverages, cooking oils, all containing clean ingredients. I was thrilled to discover alternatives to conventional pantry items, such as coconut based non-stick spray, organic powdered sugar, and even organic vegan marshmallows. I was like a kid in a healthy candy store!

Something began to stir inside me. I wanted to do something that would mirror these feelings of excitement in others. I wanted parents to sigh in relief, knowing they could pack their child a delicious lunch treat that contained no harmful ingredients. I wanted the triathlon athlete to fuel her body without concern over compromised performance.

I had an idea, and I was going to make it great.

But what does the name mean...

Funny you should ask. Sometimes a great idea is actually spawned out of a preceding idea, and since we are now like family, I feel like I can share this tiny little nib of a secret. Truthfully, I had slightly different ambitions. My original conception for Snap & Giggle was to be a bean-to-bar artisan chocolate producer. I spent months researching this endeavor and learned quite a bit about chocolate production, including the art of tempering. Without going into too much detail, tempering is what gives chocolate that shiny refined look, and firm feel. Correctly tempered chocolate should break off with a “snap” when you bite it, and melt smoothly in your mouth. This smooth chocolate melting in your mouth contains a mild stimulant and neurotransmitter called Theobromine. Theobromine releases a compound called anandamide, which is known to trigger feelings of euphoria and contentment…perhaps enough to make you want to giggle. In essence, a well made healthy chocolate bar should snap off in your mouth, and make you want to giggle.

Various circumstances prevented me from bringing this idea to fruition, but you never know what the future may bring, and as they say, all roads lead to chocolate!