Organic and Natural Bars

Many companies have a passion for creating nutritional bars with organic and natural ingredients. “When I first created these bars in my kitchen, they were for my kids,” Veronica Bosgraaf, founder of PureBar, said. “I know how susceptible young children are to pesticides and herbicides, so it was not even a question for me. I chose organic, whole, unprocessed foods because they are the best for all people. I would not compromise that for my children.”

Jay Robb’s YAMMIT! energy bar and JayBar protein bars are made with natural and organic ingredients such as agave syrup, sweet potato pieces, flax seed powder, flax seed and raw sprouted grains. “Agave syrup has a low-glycemic rating and thus causes very little rise in glucose levels when someone consumes a JayBar. This feature makes our bars practical for use by diabetics and those with blood sugar disorders,” Robb said.

The issue of blood sugar management remains top of mind for marketers. “Many products market themselves as ‘healthy,’ but contain mostly refined sugars, artificial ingredients and a small amount of substandard protein,” said Saul Katz, president and CEO of SoLo GI Nutrition. “This type of product and message will not nourish the body, and sends an untruthful message to consumers by leading them to believe what they are eating is actually healthy. SoLo takes a sensible and honest approach, giving people natural, minimally processed products to give them real nutrition and long-term energy that lasts.”

Companies are also targeting more specific consumer niches. Clif Bar, for example, was one of the first to take this tactic, developing its line of bars for women, LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®. The bars incorporate ingredients like folic acid and soy protein to promote women’s health. “LUNA has always been entirely natural: free of trans fat, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), genetically modified or bioengineered ingredients, artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives,” said Tara DelloIacono-Theis, in-house nutritionist, Clif Bar. “Taking LUNA organic in 2006 provided the opportunity to reinforce LUNA’s positioning as a leader in women’s health and wellness.” DelloIacono-Theis also noted LUNA uses unique ingredients like algae and seaweed in its bars.

Garden of Life’s senior director of marketing, Greg Jacobson, said its healthy philosophy is based on three beliefs: “There is a direct correlation between nutrition and health. Whole food nutrition, from organically grown sources, is more beneficial for health than isolated nutrients. A traditional diet that includes the consumption of live foods, particularly those containing soil based organism, enzymes, and the by-products of their fermentation, is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.”