I'm not really a crunchy granola type of guy but like most of you I know what I like and that's stuff that is fun to eat, tastes great and is high quality. That's not to say that I don't enjoy a candy bar here and there, but there's a clear difference between something like what I just enjoyed as a 2 am snack to help me power through one last article ... and something simply packed with refined sugar. That's why I am in love with Kate's Real Food and I can't wait to explore more of the treats in the box they sent me a few weeks ago.
The PR folks probably hate me because I sat on this review for so long. Quite frankly I was hoping to be able to go out and do something fun like a hike or a ride up in the mountains or go to the beach for a photoshoot. Instead, here I am like all the rest of you stuck inside working weird hours and trying to maintain some semblance of a normal schedule.
When I look around Facebook and Twitter I see posts talking about how people have loaded up on candy, cookies, and chips. It's a natural reaction to do that since food is comforting. However, I've taken a different path. One of the biggest obstacles that I faced in the world before was that I traveled constantly and ate where I could and what was available. If that was a breakfast or lunch consisting of Bischoff cookies while flying across the country and a burger grabbed while running between gates, then so be it. That was my life and frankly, it sucked for my health.
I'm not perfect, but during this time where we're all facing dramatic changes in lifestyle, so am I. I've eaten more carrots and more salads in the past few weeks than in the past few years. Quality food that I can trust is critical. So is keeping your body healthy. Today, that is quite frankly it is now a matter of life and death.
That's why I was excited to try Kate's Real Food when they contacted me. I always have "bars" of some sort in my travel bag because they are easy and convenient. They keep for weeks so they are ready to grab when I am hungry ... but honestly, most of the ones that are "good for you" taste terrible. It seems like you can only have energy bars that either taste awful but are good for you ... or sugary ones that taste great but shoot your blood sugar high when eaten on an empty stomach and ultimately make you more hungry just a few minutes later. Plus, all that sugar makes it more challenging to think straight too.
Kate's Real Food, on the other hand, is different.
Immediately I was grabbed but the sense of humor and branding. Instead of it just being an "Energy Bar" - the Mango Coconut is a "Tiki Bar" and the Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate is a "Tram Bar". Also, I really liked the fact that in addition to the standard energy bar format they also have Snack Bites that are tiny bite-sized cubes that are easy to keep in your backpack or go-bag so that it's always with you when you need it.
Kate's Real Food bars and bites are all Soy Free, Gluten Free, USDA Organic certified, non-GMO, and use organic honey. You can see from the photos above that these are not your typical energy bars.
For instance, look at this Tiki Bar close up ... you are able to identify pretty much everything that is in it from the big flakes of coconut to the chunks of mango, almonds, and brown rice crisps. That says something and literally leaves nothing to the imagination!
You can buy Kate's Real Food bars and bites online as well as in select stores around the country including REI, bike shops, and luxury grocery stores such as Bristol Farms and Lazy Acres Market here in San Diego.
