by Kristen Stoehr is Brand Manager at Nestlé and founder of Vital Pursuit. She received a BS in Food and Nutrition from the University of Miami, completed post-baccalaureate training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to become a certified Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and completed an MBA from Pennsylvania State University.
“My career has always been in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, but not always in marketing,” she says. “Some of my more unique roles have been in commercial development, regulatory and scientific affairs and category management, which gives me a unique end-to-end perspective on brand management.”
Currently, Kristen serves on the board of the University of Miami’s College of Education, Health and Society and is the proud mom of three young children.
“In my role, I lead brand development, experience and long-range strategy for Tóir Beatha. I am driven by a passion for food and drink and the opportunity to impact that landscape on a macro scale,” she says. “With any brand I manage, I look at brand development from the consumer’s point of view – and guide with compassion to best serve them. Commercial is the core of my experience within CPG – driving strategy, brand building and sales development on brands from cross-category to internal upstart brands. That experience is what inspires me to think bigger and bolder with Vital Pursuit.”
What is Life Pursuit?
“Through our nutritional expertise and consumer-focused approach, we recognized the need for a new line of products that deliver great taste and functional benefits to provide nutritional support to GLP-1 users or those managing their weight in a different way,” says Kristen.
Vital Pursuit is Nestlé’s first-to-market brand intended for GLP-1 users with the goal of complementing the eating habits of the millions of Americans currently prescribed weight loss medication and anyone actively working on their weight to manage.
“Each weight management journey is a personal journey for GLP-1 users, but the common thread is always the importance of eating a nutritious diet in smaller portions. We want Vital Pursuit to be an ally in creating lasting lifestyle changes and protecting the progress of our consumers,” she continues. “Vital Pursuit delivers the nutrients this consumer group needs with thoughtfully portioned products that offer at least 20 grams of protein, great taste and vibrant vegetable options. Chef and dietitian proven, the new line offers 14 frozen meals that are convenient, packed with flavor and only take minutes to prepare.”
The line includes vegetarian and gluten-free options and offers several ready-to-air fry items for those looking for great taste and added accessibility. Vital Pursuit is now available at retailers across the United States including Walmart, Target and Kroger.
“Throughout the years, Nestlé has evolved to meet the diversity of consumers and to offer products that suit different needs,” she says. “The team’s latest opportunity focuses on the evolving nutritional needs and desires of the growing number of people taking GLP-1.”
Pursuit of Life: A tailored approach to nutrition for weight loss medication users
In determining the need for Pursuit of Life, Kristen and her team spent a lot of time with consumers who take weight loss medications to better understand their reality – what their day looks like, their pains and gains, the changes they are making or not making. eating and shopping.
“We also wanted to understand on a deeper level what the biggest nutritional challenges are for individuals on GLP-1s, so we could serve and support them as a consumer group with unique needs,” she continues. “Based on this research and a review of additional existing research – these are the goals we came up with on how to develop a line that would best support the needs of the GLP-1 user population.”
The following items needed to be provided:
- high protein to help preserve muscle mass
- Nutritionally dense ingredients to make every meal count, so smaller portion sizes can still provide health-benefiting nutrients
- Thoughtful portions to reflect the appetite of a weight loss medication user
- Really tasty food options with good carbs and vegetables in approachable formats and flavors
- Fiber to help manage GI side effects – and because more than 90% of American adults do not meet recommended intakes
- A convenient method of preparation, because we heard his desire to be able to make better choices without a ton of effort
- Taste appeal – because of course, if it doesn’t taste good, it won’t be nutritious anyway and food should be a joyful experience.
“Vital Pursuit is designed to meet these desires with meals that contain high-quality ingredients and a great source of protein and essential nutrients,” she says. “Our goal with Vital Pursuit is to help take the guesswork out of mealtime for the millions of Americans who are taking GLP-1 medications or engaged in weight management.”
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