Twinkies Are Everywhere You Look—even The Gym
For those who don't remember, eight years ago, Twinkies were in peril. Parent company Hostess filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2012 after sales of its flagship product, the Twinkie, had fallen sharply, presumably as consumers moved toward healthier alternatives. But after Hostess was purchased by an investment firm with the less than tasty name of Apollo Global Management in 2013, Twinkies were restored to shelves after a yearlong absence, and since then, we've learned to hold our Twinkies close and cherish every moment with them. (Except maybe those seasonal flavors.)
Yet the Twinkie seems restless to expand its horizons. First, we saw the release of Twinkies cereal, which sounded less than ideal, but was at least an item that, like an original Twinkie, could be bitten and chewed upon. This was not the case the next time we saw a new Twinkies product: the Twinkie-flavored bottled iced latte, which stood tall in the fridge case alongside its counterparts, the Ding Dong iced latte, Honey Bun iced latte, and Sno Ball iced latte. Drinkable Twinkies was an innovation we weren't sure we needed or even wanted, but the novelty factor was enough to make it seem like a charming swerve from the original portfolio.
And now, we have...Twinkie-flavored protein powder? According to a press release from Bodybuilding.com—a company that does not typically catch the attention of The Takeout—this new "delicious and functional" product is the first release from new health brand Remix Nutrition.
"What better way to get the healthy, fit body you're working hard for while enjoying the irresistible and iconic flavors of America's favorite snack cakes?" the press release asks. "[Bodybuilding.com is] committed to helping people across the world achieve their fitness goals while still being able to enjoy the taste of their favorite treats. Who says you can't have your Hostess Chocolate CupCake and eat it too?"
It is truly exhilarating to think about when and where Twinkies and their Hostess brethren might pop up next. Might it be in the produce aisle, where a new hybrid of Honeycrisp apples and Honey Buns is announced? Or will Hostess collaborate with Glade on some Twinkie-scented room deodorizer plugins? For the record, I'm not opposed to the snack-cakification of our society, but if I'm craving a snack cake, it's unlikely that I will be satisfied by a bottle of coffee, or a bowl of cereal, or a macro-fueled CrossFit sesh. I probably just want the little cake.