SnackRiot’s Erica Wagner and Arielle Diskin
Snack Heroes
By Janice Llanes Fabry
Two moms with six children between them have a lot on their plate, but they’ve managed to carve the way to a much happier cupboard. SnackRiot, the brainchild of Arielle Diskin and Erica Wagner, provides the best healthy treats for the whole family in a snack box delivered to your door.
These busy mother sleuths scour the country in search of new, delicious selections of dried fruit, bars, crackers, jerky, and chips that, as Diskin puts it, are “better versions” of the typical snacks. Think pop chips that are baked, not fried; plant– based “cheese” crackers; organic meat sticks with grass-fed beef; butternut squash pretzels; chips made with cassava flour; and rice cakes with quinoa, chia, and flax as the main ingredients.
Diskin, a former teacher, and Wagner, who worked previously in publishing, met four years ago in between staggered drop–off times when each had two kids enrolled at Rye Community Synagogue pre-school. Diskin was drawn to Wagner’s “creativity and easygoing” manner, while Wagner felt Diskin was “my kind of person, no pretense, and fun to be around.”
Before they knew it, their children had become best friends and they were spending their days at each other’s homes feeding each other’s kids, who now attend Rye Neck schools. “One day, I happened to be at Whole Foods and started picking out some healthy snacks,” recalled Diskin, who had dropped off her brood at the Wagner household.
“She brought the snacks home and that was our aha moment,” added Wagner. “Wouldn’t it be great if someone could do this for us on a regular basis?”
It wasn’t a far leap to putting together different kids’ snacks themselves. They recognize that days inevitably revolve around food, whether in lunchboxes, during playdates, after school, carpooling, pre- and post-games, all the way through to bedtime. They acknowledge that parents could certainly buy snacks in bulk, but the novelty wears off quickly and the kids get bored.
Attending snack trade shows together was a game changer for the duo. Subsequently, they took their inspiring “curating” concept to their peers.
“We discovered that a lot of the innovative, unique ideas come from out West — California and Portland, Oregon,” noted Wagner.
“It was a constant discussion with friends, and we started filling that void for them,” said Diskin.
The SnackRiot moms made it a family business. Before assembling their monthly SnackRiot boxes, the Diskins and Wagners do their homework. Their kids, whom they call “Try It Riot”, work dutifully and happily as test tasters, handing over the wrappers of any items that are given a thumbs up. The moms become well acquainted with nationwide brands, buy them, and distribute.
Families can order a SnackRiot box, which includes 17 to 18 snacks, as a one-time trial for $37, or sign up for a monthly subscription for $34. Already, parents are taking it a step further and signing up for their college freshmen. A box may include such brands as Nature’s Bandit in Port Chester, The Good Crisp Company in Colorado, and Ekoa fruit bars from Florida.
Diskin and Wagner hope to introduce parents to new brands they might never have heard of. As a matter of fact, the magnanimous moms share a descriptive, comprehensive list of all the brands in each box that includes each company’s website and a code where you can purchase them for 20% off. Of course, it’s awfully convenient to have Diskin and Wagner do the monthly legwork instead.
“Our goal is to make everybody’s life easier. Parents sign up and we make them the snack heroes of their own homes,” said Diskin.
Wagner added, “All they have to do is open their front door. Who doesn’t love to open a mystery box?”
For more information, visit http://snackriot.com
