On the blog today, we’re talking about an absolute staple in the Dear Media and The Skinny Confidential office pantry: Chomps Meat Sticks which, if you haven’t tried, then what are you waiting for? These protein-filled meat sticks are the fastest-growing snack business in the United States. If you want to stay on top of tasty trends, you’ve gotta be looking Chomps’ way!
Lauryn and Michael themselves have been riding the Chomps train for quite a while. In fact, Chomps meat sticks are one of the healthy snacks Lauryn eats to hit her protein goals for weight loss support, more energy, and healthier hair. And we know it works because seriously, have you seen her hair lately?!
If you know Lauryn, you know all about her bowl of meat but sometimes, it’s way easier and faster to grab a few Chomps sticks. With 10-12 grams of protein per meat stick, these are a quick, simple way to prevent that afternoon crash.
Today, we’re giving you the skinny on Chomps: from the founders to the ingredients to the products & more. The Chomps founders, Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali, were recently on the show to discuss their meat stick brand. In the episode, they gave Lauryn and Michael all the deets from the initial concept all the way to massive success. If you love stories of entrepreneurship & the road to success, this is the one for you. You can watch the full show here:
Meet the Chomps Founders
Let’s introduce the men who started the fastest-growing natural meat stick brand in the USA: Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali. These two took a $6,500 investment for their business and turned it into a brand bringing in $244 million in retail sales in 2023. We don’t know about you, but we definitely want to know more about these two!
Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali are the original founders of Chomps Meat Sticks, and they still own and manage the brand now. Pete Maldonado is a former personal trainer who’s started a few other companies, but Chomps is the brand that really took off. Rashid Ali worked as an Operations Consultant in Chicago for 10 years prior to founding Chomps.
The idea for the brand first came up between Rashid and Pete after a poker game. Pete had already been interested in creating a meat stick without all the additional processed junk and added sugar that is in normal meat sticks.
When Rashid and Pete spoke that night, they realized what a good team they’d make. All the things Rashid loved to do for work were things Pete hated, and vice versa. They knew they’d complement each other well. Still, it wasn’t until the next day that the brand really got started after a text from Rashid to Pete asking if he’d ever want help with his meat stick brand.
Who Owns Chomps Meat Sticks?
So, what next? Well. . .
Pete had originally become passionate about creating an alternative meat stick brand after he became a personal trainer. He’d realized his favorite guilty pleasure (meat sticks, obviously) was filled with added sugars and other unhealthy additives. At the time, there were no alternatives, so Pete and Rashid set out to make a healthier alternative.
Their vision was of a tasty yet healthy meat stick made with grass fed and finished beef and venison and free range turkey, and no added sugars. Additionally, it was important that the product was shelf stable they wanted Chomps to be a high quality, yet easy, on-the-go, quick snack.
And that’s exactly what they created! But, it took some time for them to get there.
Their brand was formed in 2012, but you wouldn’t have seen their products on any shelves until 2016, when they began selling in Trader Joe’s. Prior to that, their products were only available online.
The business began as a side hustle, but when their products hit the shelves of Trader Joe’s, they saw a huge increase in demand. They grew to produce 10 times the amount of product they had been making previously. In 2018, Rashid went full time with the business.
Since then, Chomps has expanded to more than 18,000 retail stores, including Walmart, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods Markets. In 2022, they secured a minority investment with private equity firm Stride Consumer Partners worth $80 million of equity capital. Pete and Rashid are still CEO & COO, respectively.
Chomps Meat Sticks Review
Chomps Meat Sticks Ingredients
- 100% grass fed and finished beef
- 100% grass fed and finished venison
- Antibiotic-free Turkey
- Sea Salt
- Garlic
- Celery
- Red Pepper
- Black Pepper
Chomps Meat Sticks Nutrition Facts
- 10-12g of protein per stick: supports muscle growth & helps you feel more full
- Omega-3 fatty acids from grass fed and finished beef: good for heart health
- Iron: supports a healthy immune system
- Amino acid tryptophan from antibiotic-free turkey: gives you a mood boost
- Sodium from sea salt: balances your electrolytes (which you can also get from BEAUTY SALT)
- Antioxidants from garlic: promotes healthy aging & immune function
Are Chomps Meat Sticks Healthy?
YES! Lauryn and Michael actually love Chomps meat sticks for multiple reasons.
Eating meat sticks supports strong jaw health. Not only is the protein good for building and repairing tissue, but these meat sticks also take effort to chew. This makes Chomps meat sticks a great option for anyone who’s looking to sculpt their jawline AND as a snack for the kids to support their jaw strength and development.
Chomps meat sticks are also free from the icky stuff that’s often found in meat sticks, like corn syrup and mechanically separated chicken. Thank god, are we right?
Plus, these meat sticks are Whole30 approved, certified gluten free, keto friendly, and allergy friendly. We seriously can’t get enough!
Where to Buy Chomps Meat Sticks
- Chomps (use code SKINNY for 15% off)
- Thrive Market
- Walmart
- Target
- Whole Foods
- Amazon
- iHerb
Our opinion? Chomps totally deserves the hype!
We’re not surprised they’re the fastest-growing snack in America, because we’ve been chomping away for ages. If you haven’t tried them yet seriously, it’s time to check them out. We’re so glad we did!
Drop a comment below & let us know what you thought about the episode!