Photo courtesy of Eat Me Guilt Free
Audio By Carbonatix
Attention, Miami residents yearning for a fleeting moment of fall: One local baked-goods business is hoping to fill the autumnal void.
If you’re one of the thousands of Magic City denizens guilty of obsessing over pumpkin spice lattes, you’ll be happy to hear Miami-based Eat Me Guilt Free has a limited quantity of its new “Basic Girl” fall starter packs, available now until sold out.
Perhaps you’re already familiar with the brand, which received national attention after pop star Demi Lovato criticized Eat Me Guilt Free for perpetuating “vulture diet culture” after seeing a display at Los Angeles-based fro-yo shop The Bigg Chill.
For Eat Me Guilt Free CEO and founder, Cristie Besu, it was an inspiring moment.
“We saw a lot of support, and we saw a lot of people come out of the word work that found out about the brand as a result,” Besu tells New Times. “Luckily, we didn’t lose any business, but we have a positive message, and I think that really helped.”
As part of its mission to give back, Eat Me Guilt Free recently announced the first recipient of its “You Glow Girl” grant. The program, which Besu launched in February, was created to provide guidance and resources for female entrepreneurs like herself to “level-up” personally and professionally.
In Miami, Besu’s brand quickly went from passion project to a thriving small business after launching in 2013. The Cuban-American mom of three says she began baking her Eat Me Guilt Free treats from her own kitchen while working as a registered nurse and certified sports nutritionist, creating the company to help both her patients and clients achieve their dietary goals.
Her focus: finding a satisfying, protein-packed, “better-for-you” treat.
To date, that includes a number of seasonally themed baked goods, like her all-new “Basic Girl” starter pack.
“We toned it down from the usual moniker, and we’ve gotten a really great response,” Besu says. “And this year our pumpkin spice blondie is a little spruced up with white chocolate chips and a different recipe from last year. It makes a great gift, or a way to enjoy the season here in South Florida.”
Packaged in a shimmery gold box with light orange crinkle paper, the “Basic Girl” starter pack is as Insta-worthy as it is festive. The box contains a half-dozen of the company’s new seasonal Pumpkin Spice 2.0 blondies with white chocolate chips; two packs of Pumpkin spice chai latte mix; a “Pumpkin Spice Fo’ Life” mug; one pumpkin spice-scented candle; and fall-themed stickers.
Valued at $55 per pack, Eat Me Guilt Free is currently offering the “Basic Girl” for $38 via for nationwide delivery via the website. Miami residents can also pick up orders locally at Eat Me Guilt Free’s headquarters located at 4600 SW 71st Avenue in Miami. Miamians can also order the treats through DoorDash
Eat Me Guilt Free, which sources ingredients primarily from Europe for its high-quality food standards, offers healthier alternatives to treats such as cookies, breads, and brownies.
Made using original recipes, items are baked in small batches to ensure optimal freshness. The brand also uses special packaging for select products to exclude unnecessary preservatives, which covers a range of snacks, bread, brownies, and tortilla wraps that offer a high-protein, low-carb alternative to traditional food options.
“I founded Eat Me Guilt Free based on listening to others needs and wants, and this starter pack is a perfect reflection of our mission – to make people feel good about what they are eating, while being healthy and having some fun,” says Besu.
Eat Me Guilt Free. 4600 SW 71st Ave., Miami; 800-416-562; eatmeguiltfree.com. Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
