Piller's Fine Foods launched its uniquely packaged new Minis Sausage Snacks.

The Piller's Pepperoni, Skinny Bites and Simply Free Minis are all free of gluten and MSG. The new product is calorie conscious, with only 70 calories per pack for the chicken Skinny Bites Minis and only 50 calories per pack for Simply Free Kolbassa Minis.

The Simply Free Kolbassa Minis are also free of all major food allergens, including milk, peanuts, tree nuts, mustard, sesame, egg, fish, soy and sulphites, making it the perfect lunch snack for classrooms with allergy issues. This variety received the 2015 Canadian Living Best New Product Award prior to launch based on its Meat Sticks product legacy.

"Each of the bite-sized Minis contain 23 per cent meat protein, and are uniquely packaged to make portioning of the 8 grams of protein per pack easy; a simple snip with scissors and the packages divide into four servings for a shot of protein in a lunch or sports bag," says Rita Weigel, Director of Marketing for the 58-year-old Waterloo-based company. "Piller's Minis are right on trend with consumer snacking data, and meet the consumer demand for snacks that are high in protein, all natural, easy to portion, and low in calories."

Weigel points to the latest data on snacking that 77 per cent of consumers snack at least once daily, and that 51 per cent snack at least twice daily. Four out of 10 Canadian consumers snack as a meal replacement, she adds.

And she reminds us that kids need protein in their daily diet, noting that Health Canada's recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein for pre-teens and teens between 9 and 18 is 34 to 52 grams. And while the average adult needs 0.8 grams per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight per day, athletes need double that.

Piller's Minis sausage snacks are available at major grocery stores across Canada at a retail price of about $3.99 and can be found in the deli meats aisle.