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Uploaded: Friday, April 9, 2010, 4:43 PM
Updated: Monday, April 12, 2010, 10:52 AM
Mtn View company launches breakfast cereal
Pul Foods introduces lentil-based 'Crunchfuls' at grand opening Saturday
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by Daniel DeBolt
Mountain View Voice Staff
A Mountain View woman says she has figured out how to make a breakfast cereal with the taste and texture of sweetened Cheerios but the nutrition of eating bean-and-lentil soup for breakfast.
Dr. Deepa Shenoy launched her cereal, "Crunchfuls," at a grand opening of the Mountain View retail store and headquarters of her new company, Pul Foods, on Saturday.
She calls Crunchfuls a "superfood" and the "perfectly balanced 24/7 cereal" in part because one cup of it has more protein than a large raw egg. Her cereal and Cheetos-like snacks are made from milled "pulse seeds," which are basically beans and lentils.
The new Pul Foods storefront is in the Grant Park Plaza shopping center, next to Erik's Deli at Phyllis Avenue and Grant Road, and the products will be available for sale there. Crunchfuls tastes like sweetened Cheerios, but nutritionally, Shenoy claims, it is like eating a bowl of rice, bean and lentil soup for breakfast.
Shenoy remembers the exact day that she and her husband Sandeep decided to take a shot at the health food business: July 17, 2007. She was 33, newly married and had just arrived in Mountain View. The resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood says she has worked "24/7" since then to develop the cereal using her research background in "nutracueticals" and $250,000 raised from friends, family and former college classmates at the University of Maryland.
Her goal was to create a healthy food that people would eat regularly, and cereal seemed like a good avenue for pulses to be eaten in every household in America, she said.
It took a year just to find a place that had the right equipment to do the research (she ended up leasing space at universities in North Dakota and Kansas). Then Shenoy went to work testing dozens of different recipes. She ended up using only five main ingredients: pulse seeds (dry beans, split peas and lentils), rice, cane syrup, cane sugar and sea salt. Most cereals use dozens more ingredients, and Shenoy says some of them can cause digestive problems.
"The food industry is just trying to please your palate," she said.
Pulses are more commonly eaten in Eastern countries like India. Shenoy, who grew up in India, says legume-based foods present a major opportunity for U.S. farmers, because about 85 percent of the pulses farmed here are exported. She said some agricultural groups, such as the U.S. Dry Bean Council, have been looking into legume-based foods, including cereals, for years.
Shenoy hopes Crunchfuls will catch on across the country. She said 90 out of 100 people liked the cereal in "sensory trials," and that the cereal, which comes in chocolate and caramel flavors, qualifies to be sold at Whole Foods. So far, several smaller grocery stores have apparently expressed interest.
Shenoy and her husband -- an experienced business developer who encouraged the venture from the start and is a partner in it -- currently make up the company's entire workforce. The cereal is produced by contractors at a mill in California and a production facility in Nebraska.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Anonymous, a resident of the Jackson Park neighborhood, on Apr 11, 2010 at 10:37 am It sounds interesting, but you should review your articles prior to publishing them - "Her goal was to create a healthy that people would eat regularly, and cereal seemed like a good avenue for pulses to be eaten in every household in America, she said."
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Posted by questionable..., a resident of the Sylvan Park neighborhood, on Apr 11, 2010 at 5:10 pm sounds like crap....but good luck! im sure it is not cheap renting retail space in this area. there also might be a reason that "we" the usa export 85% of pulses farmed here. maybe there is no market? im sure people have tried, they probably most likely taste like they sound. caramel and choclate flavors must cover up the bad taste. again good luck! i will stop by the store and pick up a box next time i am at ranch 99
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Posted by Surprised, a resident of the Rex Manor neighborhood, on Apr 12, 2010 at 2:05 pm I tried a box and was very pleasantly surprised. It actually tastes really good. My 12 year old who hates all other cereals, loves it! I'm sold!
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Posted by Matt Hargett, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Apr 12, 2010 at 2:51 pm It's great to have all these local food companies, my other favorite is GoRaw. My husband and I will definitely be trying the cereal and snack food!
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Posted by barf, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Apr 12, 2010 at 3:17 pm barf
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Posted by jeff, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Apr 12, 2010 at 3:37 pm And it is "palate," not "palette."
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Posted by jeff, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Apr 12, 2010 at 3:39 pm Unsweetened would be more appealing to many - easy to sweeten to personal taste
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Posted by USA, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Apr 13, 2010 at 10:00 pm
USA is a member (registered user) of Mountain View Voice I am out of town for a couple of week. Could someone head over there and try a bite?
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Posted by Daniel DeBolt, Mountain View Voice Staff Writer, on Apr 14, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Daniel DeBolt is a member (registered user) of Mountain View Voice As someone who has had this cereal for breakfast several times now, I can say that it does indeed taste good. I can't tell a big difference between it and some other popular cereals on the market in terms of taste and texture, except for the unique sweetness which is apparently from more natural ingredients.
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Posted by Barry, a resident of another community, on Apr 21, 2010 at 11:24 am I'm going to try some although what I really want is a recipe for making my own wheat chex at home...
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Posted by Keely, a resident of the The Crossings neighborhood, on Apr 22, 2010 at 10:05 am What a find! I got a box of the chocolate flavor at the Milk Pail Market a couple of days ago and I love it. I've been bringing it to work to snack on. I'm going to give the caramel flavor a try, too.
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