Upcycled foods reduce food waste by using nutritious byproducts that might otherwise be discarded to make new products. Their popularity is on the rise, and three locals are leading the way.

Here’s what’s up:

Fancypants Baking Co.

Fancypants Baking Co., our local go-to for high-quality, non-GMO and nut-free cookies, teamed up with Imperfect Foods to offer an upcycled cookie line (chocolate chip, double-chocolate and vanilla-oatmilk) made with “okara” flour, the fiber- and protein- rich pulp leftover in the process of making tofu. Their okara source is Renewal Mill, a California-based upcycling innovator with ties to Boston; Renewal’s CEO Claire Schlemme, one of Mother Juice’s original founders, was inspired to find a food waste solution through her own experience with the mountains of nutritious pulp the juice bar produced daily. Find Fancypants’ cookies at independent grocers and farm stands, most local Whole Foods, Roche Brothers Markets and online at Imperfect Foods.

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Brewers Foods

When we first profiled Kyle Fiasconaro in 2018, Brewer’s Crackers was his side gig—he still worked as a baker at Cutty’s, where his spent-grain crackers developed a cult following while using up the waste byproduct of craft brewing. He’s no longer a one-man show—the business saw tremendous growth in the ensuing years, adding two flavors of upcycled pita chips to their popular line of crackers made from spent brewery grains. They’re now found all over Greater Boston at small grocers, farm stands and specialty shops, as well as nationwide at Sprouts Markets, online in Hive boxes… even on Amazon.

Superfrau

Yes whey! No, not the protein powder—Superfrau is a low-sugar, nutrient-dense, hydrating beverage made from the liquid strained during yogurt and cheese fermentation that’s typically discarded. The Cambridge-based company rebranded and expanded their reach considerably since they first hit the market in 2018 —they’re now found in shops nationwide, including Whole Foods Markets.

Do you know about other upcycled-foods businesses making their products here in Massachusetts? Let us know and we’ll add them here! Drop us a line at info@edibleboston.com.