Tracey Brown and Delena Nathuran make a blend of pea protein and superfoods that Tracey sells at Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.
How did you and Delena meet? We went to school together in West Auckland and were good mates, but we lost touch over the years.
How did you reconnect again?
Good old Facebook. Somehow, we worked out that our families were camping at the same place every year and just missing each other by a few days. We both adjusted our stay the next year to ensure that we overlapped, and now we pick the same dates and the same campsites every year.
It sounds like a quintessential Kiwi holiday.
It is! Every January we relax at the beach, walk, swim and explore. Our kids are similar ages - late teens. We love that they get on so well and still like coming on holiday with us.
How did you get into business together?
We came up with the idea at our campsite in January 2020 just before the world tipped upside down and we went into lockdown. We were making our breakfast smoothies using blends of protein and superfood powders and wondering why we couldn’t get pre-mixed blends.
Have protein powders always been part of your diet?
When I became vegan, I realised that I needed to work harder to get protein. I needed a way to get protein at the start of my day to kick start my metabolism and protein powders were the easiest option.
Why did you choose pea protein as a base for your blends?
Pea protein digests quickly and tastes plain so it is easy to mix with a range of fruit or greens. Some other plant proteins have a strong taste that can clash with added flavours and I need a more palatable flavour for my daily routine.
How did you chose the other ingredients for your blends?
We wanted the maximum benefit possible and we wanted ingredients that have benefits for both men and women. We chose ingredients that people have used for hundreds of years and taste good. The vanilla blend has ashwagandha and macca. The chocolate blend has macca and cacao.
Tell us more about those ingredients.
Ashwagandha was the superfood that I always wanted to include because of its reputation for alleviating stress and anxiety as well as moderating blood sugar. I find that it helps me feel balanced. Macca is high in vitamins and minerals – it has a reputation for balancing hormones, helping with gut health and skin radiance. Cacao is also an excellent source of minerals and of course it tastes delicious.
We use a bit of monk fruit as a sweetener – in my opinion, it tastes nicer than stevia.
Where do you get those ingredients from?
We wanted ethical sources and organic sources so the ashwagandha comes from an organic farm in India. The macca and cacao comes from a family-owned organic farm in Peru.
Who eats this in your family?
Everyone. These protein powder blends are part of our whole family’s morning routine. The blender always comes to camp. My teenage son loves a blend of oats, peanut butter, milk, and blueberries with the chocolate blend. My husband’s favourite is vanilla protein powder with yoghurt, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Mine is vanilla protein powder with almond milk, banana, mango, baby spinach, pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts.
How did you come up with the name 'Seconds and Thirds'?
We wanted it to be so delicious that people would want to go back for second and third helpings.
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