I’m particular with granola bars – I don’t like when the
main ingredient is granola and they’re especially bad if the bar’s really
sugary. Hence, most of the run-of-the-mill boxed varieties found in
supermarkets were never appealing. Over the years, I’ve found brands that
remove some grains and replace it with additional fruits and nuts, cutting down
on the sugar also helps.
It wasn’t until recently that I’ve discovered Mediterra bars,
which has an entire savoury line inspired by the Mediterranean diet (think
greens, whole grains, olive oil and olives).
By far my favourite is the kale
and pumpkin seeds, milder in flavour compared to the ones packed with olives,
sundried tomatoes or capers, but nonetheless extremely satisfying as an add-on
during lunch or a snack to tie me over until dinner.
The bar was chocked full of hearty ingredients including
cashews, pumpkin seeds, crispy kale bits and dots of apricots to give it
chewiness. In lieu of granola, Mediterra incorporates pea crisps (a blend of
pea protein and rice flour) and some amaranth puffs for crunch. I’ll admit, the
first bite was a bit strange as I’ve always associated food bars with a sweet
taste. But, for a person who yearns for chips in the afternoon, the sea salt,
olive oil and rosemary helped satisfy the craving.
Of course, Mediterra also offers the traditional sweet
varieties. The yoghurt and oat bar with cherry or apricot has the sweet glaze
on one side, but isn’t as sugary as the popular grocery store brands. Adding
pistachio to the blend was a good choice as it’s a mellower nut.
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| Sundried tomato and basil savoury bar |
If you’re craving something even sweeter, the pistachio and
honey one is indulgent enough to replace a doughnut or cake. Mediterra modelled
their sesame energy bar line after the Greek pastel. Like the sesame seed bars, there’s a honey binder except
the consistency is chewy and soft. Considering an average doughnut is about 500
calories, the fact that the bar’s only 200 makes it a healthier alternative.
Finally, a brand that makes a savoury food bar. If you want
to try some for yourself, Mediterra is offering Gastro World readers a discount
code to receive 10% off their online order until January 31, 2017. Just head to
MediterraNutrition.com and type in SAVE10
at the checkout (please keep in mind it’s a US company).
Disclaimer: The above snacks were provided on a complimentary basis. Rest assured, as noted in the mission statement, I would never promote something I didn't actually enjoy.
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| Nutritional information for the kale & pumpkin savoury bar |
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