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As a food publication, we receive lots of samples. Energy bars, protein bars, and snack bars are a particular group that we’ve tasted and tasted, but find it hard to write about without spending lots of time on comparative nutrition. Health isn’t the focus of the Nibble; great-tasting food is. Hence, our Top Pick Of The Week, is great-tasting Simple Bars.
They’re less than a year old (launching August 1, 2022) and are well worth your attention.
Simple Bars are better-for-you snack bars with minimalist, healthy ingredients, starting with nuts and seeds for protein and fiber.
Founder Amanda Ament created the line because she “was amazed by the fact that I could not find a single sugar-free snack bar. Not one.
“I realized I could not possibly be the only one searching, so I decided to make my bars available to others.”
She worked with a food scientist to perfect the recipe and founded The Simple Company. Check out the photos of her journey to making delicious, sugar-free snack bars.
The bars contain:
No added sweeteners*, including brown rice syrup, cane sugar, HFCS, honey, sugar alcohols, and stevia
No preservatives
Nothing artificial, no preservatives
FOUR DELICIOUS FLAVORS
Flavors include:
Almond & Dragonfruit
Almond, Matcha & Chia
Chocolate Sea Salt With Almonds & Peanuts
Walnut & Golden Spices
Each ingredient in each flavor has its own special natural properties that work together to create a unique, flavorful experience.
Each 35g bar has 160 calories, 5g to 6g protein, and 7g to 8g dietary fiber.
We find them refreshing as a snack or as dessert, with a cup of coffee.
GET YOUR SIMPLE BARS
Head to SimpleBars.com.
All flavors are delicious, so we recommend the Variety Pack.
You may wish to get some for friends and family who are steering clear of Easter confections. Simple Bars are pretty much guilt-free, and the wrapper colors (photos #2 and #4) are just right for a pastel holiday.
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[1] Simple Bars in four flavors: Almond & Dragonfruit, Chocolate Sea Salt, Almond Marcha & Chia, Walnut & Golden Spicess (photo © The Nibble).
[2] Go nuts with this protein-packed, all-natural snack bar (photos #2, #3, and #4 © Simple Bars).
[3] Beyond different nuts and seeds, each flavor has something special. Here, almond and chia are enhanced with matcha tea powder.
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THE HISTORY OF ENERGY BARS
Energy bars and protein bars have become increasingly popular in recent years as a convenient and portable snack or meal replacement option for people on the go.
First, the difference between the two:
An energy bar is full of carbohydrates and sugars to give an instant boost of energy.
A protein bar has high protein content which works as a meal replacement bar, fulfilling one’s protein needs.
The history of energy bars and protein bars dates back decades.
In the late 1960s, a product called Space Food Sticks was created by Pillsbury as a snack bar for NASA astronauts. These bars were high in calories and protein, and were designed to provide astronauts with a convenient source of nutrition during space missions. They were subsequently released as a consumer brand (they were discontinued in 2014).
In 1986, the PowerBar brand was founded by Canadian athlete Brian Maxwell and two colleagues, one a nutritionist. PowerBars were initially designed as a high-carbohydrate snack for endurance athletes, but soon became popular among a wider audience (the brand is now owned by Post Holdings).
In 1991, CLIF Bar debuted, founded by American cyclist Gary Erickson with Lisa Thomas. Erickson got the idea for his product in 1990 on a day-long, 175-mile bike ride. He developed the recipe in his mother’s kitchen and introduced them at a bike show in 1991.
Energy bars and protein bars began to trend in the 1990s. Balance Bar, MET-Rx, and ProBar Meal Bars debuted, marketed towards athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts.
But the natural foods movement and the increase in gym memberships engendered a wide variety of flavors and formulations and became popular snacks for busy people who wanted a convenient snack or meal replacement option for people who are busy or active and want something more nutritious than a Snickers bar.
They were soon joined by snack bars: not necessarily energy- or protein-focused, but better-for-you snacks. Brands proliferated, including Bobo’s Oat Bars, Lara Bars, Kind Bars, and Luna Bars, among numerous others.
Today there are bars to accommodate any food plan: gluten-free, keto, nut-free, vegan, etc. And thanks to Simple Bars, you can find a sugar-free snack bar, too!
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*The Chocolate & Sea Salt flavor has dark chocolate, and other flavors have allulose, a naturally occurring sugar that naturally occurs in fruits like figs and raisins. It’s about 70% as sweet as sugar and has virtually no calories. The bars contain just enough to provide a hint of sweetness. Here’s more about it.
[4] Simply delicious.
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