Unboxed: 14 new nutrition bars

Welcome to the latest edition of Unboxed, where Delicious Living's Senior Food Editor Jenna Blumenfeld reviews the newest natural food and beverage products that have crossed her desk.

This week: Love 'em or hate 'em, nutrition bars are here to stay. These new natural formulations offer cleaner protein options (read: more nuts, meats and pea protein; less whey and soy isolates), and shorter ingredient lists. The smartest bar brands are also minimizing sugar content by pumping up flavor, or even going the savory route with ingredients like kale, pumpkin seeds, olives and more.

KIND Breakfast Blueberry Almond

Five nutrient-rich grains including oats, millet, buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa make an ideal breakfast bar from ethical company KIND. Also contains refreshing, wake-you-up ingredients including citrus, blueberry, apple and plum purees, raisins, cranberries and more. At 220 calories per serving, this take-along morning meal is sure to stave off hunger until lunch.

kindsnacks.com

Avani Pistachio & Pineapple

A gluten-free fruit-and-nut bar that delivers 5 grams of protein and 190 calories. What’s inside: pistachios, dates, almonds, cashews, pineapples, raw honey, non-GMO glucose, raisins, crisped brown rice, gluten-free oats, apples, turmeric and sea salt. But there’s quite a bit of sugar in this bar for it’s size—13 grams. What's cool: “Avani” is a Sanskrit word for “Mother Earth.”

avanisnacks.com

Don’t Go Nuts Gorilla Power Bar

Founded by a 14-year-old with a life-threatening nut allergy, this company is dedicated to preventing nut contamination by processing ingredients only on nut-free equipment, preparing foods in an entirely nut-free facility and more. Each kid-approved snack bar is lunchbox worthy, thanks to tasty add-ins like organic oats, organic chocolate, rice cereal, organic tapioca syrup and more. Also Certified Gluten-Free.

dontgonuts.com

Earnest Eats Double Choco Espresso

This breakfast bar is a prime morning pick-you-up. Here, a chewy, vegan formulation of whole rolled oats, almond butter, organic dark chocolate, oat bran, cocoa powder and even espresso coffee extract combine into something you’ll want to wake up for. Pairs particularly well with a cup of strong coffee. Each bar contains 4 grams of fiber, too.

earnesteats.com

Enduro Bites Fig and Dark Chocolate

My cycling and trail running friends will devour these real-food bars designed for endurance sports. Each pouch contains two pre-cut 100-calorie servings so you know exactly how much nutrition you're consuming while on the run (or bike or hike or climb). Each gluten-free formulation is made with Adriatic figs, rice flour, raw and unfiltered honey, organic brown rice syrup, dark chocolate, rice protein concentrate and more.

endurobites.com

Curate Salted Decadence

This chewy, gluten-free bar contains a medley of nourishing, delicious ingredients, including Marcona almonds, crisp sorghum, hemp seeds, almond butter, pea protein, quinoa and more. 7 grams of protein aids with satiety. One caveat: There are several sweet ingredients in this bar, including brown rice syrup, organic blue agave nectar syrup, sugar and tapioca syrup—likely to help bind ingredients together.

curatesnacks.com

EPIC Venison Salt + Pepper

Tasters were pleasantly surprised by the clean taste and nutrition in this consciously sourced venison bar. Made with grass-fed free-range axis deer, this no-sugar-added bar is part of Epic’s Wild Game Line, which also includes a bar made with wild boar, an animal that is deemed an invasive species in Texas. Per its flavor name, the venison bar also contains sea salt, cracked pepper, celery powder, onion and garlic powder and lactic acid.

epicbar.com

FLYJOY Ancient Grain Energy Bar Blueberry Almond

We were impressed with this soy-free, gluten-free and vegan bar made with clean ingredients, including almond butter, organic brown rice syrup, organic quinoa crisps, dried blueberries, chicory root fiber, gluten-free rolled oats, almonds, organic evaporated cane juice, flax meal, organic chia seeds and organic palm fruit oil. From a conscious Austin, Texas-based brand that donates 10 percent of profits from every bar to a nonprofit organization called HOPE International.

flyjoy.com

Forth Brain Bar

Each bar from Forth contains functional ingredients targeted to support a specific body part. The Brain Bar is a nutrient-dense concoction of oats, quinoa, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, dates and also unique add-ins like dried aronia berries, acai resveratrol, maca, dehydrated coffee and a large hit of spices (is that cardamom and cloves I taste?).

weareforth.com

Mamma Chia Maple & Pecan with Chia

A sweet-tasting, nut and whole-grain bar that contains just 4 grams of sugar? Be still my fluttering heart! We’re wildly excited that Mamma Chia ditched the sugar-in-everything trend with this new chia bar that delivers 1,000 mg of omega-3s from chia seeds. Also in this USDA Organic snack bar: almonds, pecans, fair trade tapioca syrup, quinoa, popped sorghum, chia seed oil and more.

mammachia.com

Mediterra Kale & Pumpkin Seeds

One of the tastiest, most balanced savory nutrition bars we’ve encountered, this bar is chock-full of healthful ingredients, including pea protein, pumpkin seeds, organic brown rice syrup, cashew butter, apricots, olive oil, amaranth puffs, kale, rosemary and more. All ingredients are rolled into a perfect crunchy-chewy bar with 6 grams of protein and just 1 gram of sugar. Also try the awesome Black Olives & Walnuts flavor.   

mediterranutrition.com

ProBar Bite Organic Energy Bar Superfruit + Greens

Ever go to sleep and realize you haven’t eaten anything green all day? I get it. Getting in romaine lettuce is hard, let alone nutrient-dense wheat grass, alfalfa and barley grass. That’s why I’m psyched about this USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified bar, which combines oats, cashew butter, sunflower seeds, brown rice flour, pumpkin seeds chia, raisins and the aforementioned greens are into a surprisingly delicious nosh. Oh, acai is here too for pumped up antioxidant power.

theprobar.com

Roo’Bar Chia & Coconut

This straightforward, seemingly simple bar is made with just four pronounceable, organic ingredients: dates, dried coconut, chia seeds and lemon oil. A small but mighty snack bar ideal for slipping into your child’s lunchbox.

roobar.com

RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt

I’m digging this indulgent-tasting bar. From the ingredients on the front of the package to the brand’s use of egg whites to add 12 grams of protein, this paleo-friendly bar can satisfy sweet cravings and still be considered a healthy, hefty snack (it’s 200 calories).

rxbar.com