Life, not unlike a 60-minute game of football, can take unexpected twists and turns. It was impressive enough when Ed McCaffrey won three Super Bowls in the 1990s as an NFL receiver, first with the San Francisco 49ers, then with the Denver Broncos. Then, however, he and his wife, Lisa – a former athlete at Stanford University in her own right, in soccer – defied the odds and raised four sons who eventually starred in the NCAA football ranks, including Christan McCaffrey, a running back who earned NFL offensive player of the year honors with the 49ers in 2023.
Gifted athletes like the McCaffreys need fuel. And that helps explain the genesis of McCaffrey Protein Bites, a plant-based, gluten-free snack launched this month by McCaffrey Brands.
“We’re a family full of athletes,” Ed McCaffrey told The Food Institute. “My wife, Lisa, is an athlete. I was an athlete. All four of our boys played division-one football. As parents, Lisa and I were always looking for healthy foods to give our kids, before a game or at halftime, or after a game.”
A Budding Healthier-for-You Brand
The elder McCaffrey, who has endorsed products like mustards for years, sought to produce an on-the-go snack free from common allergens, and one that ensured athletes like his sons wouldn’t “bonk” – i.e. have their muscles run out of fuel – during an athletic event.
That’s why Ed McCaffrey worked “radio row” at the recent Super Bowl in New Orleans, handling out cookie dough and brownie-flavored Protein Bites to current and former NFL coaches and players, as well as broadcasters. The snack product includes plant-based ingredients like pea protein and flaxseed. It’s also vegan, kosher, and non-GMO.
The McCaffreys worked overtime to find ingredients that were not only healthy, but easily digestible and ideal tasting. The brand’s R&D team, in essence, includes sons Christian, Luke, Dylan, and Max, all of whom taste-tested the new snack product and weighed in with feedback.
“You’ve got to combine premium ingredients – the best, quality ingredients – and then you have to combine them in the right way. And it’s trial and error,” Ed McCaffrey said. “It takes forever. Luckily, we found an incredible manufacturer.
“The biggest challenge for me is (the product) tasting great,” he added. “I mean, there’s a lot of ways you can ingest healthy food, but it’s hard because it tastes so bad; it’s like cardboard.
“Life’s too short, man. I need to eat something that tastes decent.”
Playing off the Protein Trend
Ed McCaffrey has, most definitely, taken note of consumers’ growing fixation with protein. That’s one reason why McCaffrey Brands’ latest snack has 5g of protein per serving.
“We wanted to be high in protein because we think there’s a protein deficiency,” McCaffrey said. “Most people don’t get enough protein in their diet. … There’s a lot of adults in their 50s and 60s, maybe even younger, that are on the GLP-1 drugs and they’re missing out on a lot of protein; you’re losing weight and you’re losing muscle mass also, and you’re not getting enough protein in your diet.”
McCaffrey Brands is careful not to add too much protein, however, otherwise snack items can begin to taste “chalky,” the brand’s founder said.
The Gameplan: Inspiring Repeat Purchases
Just like he sought out the end zone during his playing days, McCaffrey seeks a “stamp of approval” for his new product from fellow elite athletes … weekend warriors… and parents.
And, so far, the reviews are encouraging.
“We’ve already had tons of pro athletes that love it. And not just football, but basketball, baseball, women’s soccer, WNBA – lots of other athletes have reached out to us about our product,” McCaffrey said. “A bunch of people from high school, college, and the NFL (have) reached out to us about being ambassadors for our product.
“The ones that have sampled it are raving about it. … We feel there’s a real need for healthy, great-tasting products.”
The new snack product is currently available via McCaffrey Brands’ website, and the elder McCaffrey is confident it’ll soon land on the shelves of retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods and major grocery chains.
“We sold out in our first week and had to do another production run,” McCaffrey said.
The former Denver star knows the expectations of today’s health-conscious consumers are nearly as high as Pikes Peak. Thus, he holds his brand to a high standard.
In 2025, McCaffrey said, “the people that are very versed in health and nutrition, they’re going to look at the back of the bag, they’re going to read through ingredients. They’re going to vet it. It needs to pass the most stringent tests of health food.”
You can inspire a lot of consumers to try a healthier-for-you snack once. The challenge, McCaffrey said, is creating a product that tastes so good that shoppers buy it repeatedly.
“If it’s not a great-tasting product,” he said, “people will only buy it once. And that’s not the goal.”
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