I’ve written before about various nutrition related topics, and I’m sure it’s quite clear that I’m a strong believer in the importance of healthy eating and meeting your nutritional needs to compliment your training. Over the course of the past year, my nutritional journey has taken a number of interesting twists and turns. I may have began tackling the task of finding the perfect “menu” for my own body as something I could solve and stick with, but I’ve come to the realization since then that I’m never going to find that one perfect set of foods. Nutrition is about being open to trying new recipes and ingredients, and constantly adapting your palate to suit your needs.
When I stumbled across Journey Bars, I was arguably a bit skeptical. I’m not unique in the fact that my tastes lean more towards sweeter flavors, and this is especially true of protein and nutrition bars. In general, we’ve all become much more desensitized to sugar as a result of shifting societal dietary choices and the prevalence of processed food. However, I was game to give a new nutrition bar a try, and I had a discount code, so I ordered a sampler case and decided to give this savory alternative a try. Here are my thoughts on the five flavor offerings.
Pizza Marinara- This delicious bar tasted just like a pizza party in my mouth! The marinara taste was unmistakable, and the texture and consistency of the bar reminded me quite a bit of an actual slice of pizza. I headed out on a 5 mile run in 93 degree heat about 30 minutes after enjoying this bar, and it sustained me quite nicely for the duration. It was soft enough that it didn’t crumble in my mouth, without being so soft that I felt like I could have shaped it like a ball of play-dough.
Coconut Curry- I enjoyed the overall taste of this bar, but was somewhat underwhelmed by the taste. I’m a huge fan of a nice bold curry flavor, and coconut is one of our latest addictions, so I had high hopes for this bar. Unfortunately, I couldn’t easily make out the flavor of either great taste.
Rosemary- As soon as I opened up this bar, the distinctive aroma of rosemary came wafting out and did a little dance with my olfactory senses. The flavor is subtle, but noticeable, and a bit of sweetness from the quinoa and amaranth give it a nice flavor as well. Our backyard herb garden is an integral part of our culinary endeavors (ok, more the beautiful epicurean’s endeavors, but I’m an excellent sous chef), so this was a welcome flavor to the journey bar collection.
Sea Salt- This flavor can best be described as the “plain” selection from the box. Although there is the hint of sea salt if you really search your palate, this bar is by-in-large more bland than the others. It still has an appealing flavor, but that is more based on the quinoa and amaranth than it is an overwhelming saltiness.
Sesame Ginger- The overall taste of this flavor was on par with that of the Coconut Curry and the Rosemary varieties. The sesame flavor it subtle but noticeable, but I had a hard time finding the ginger while enjoying this flavor. Again, this is a satisfying flavor, and the base ingredients round out the experience nicely.
Overall, both the beautiful epicurean and I have been very pleased with the change of pace offered by Journey Bars. They offer a welcome flavor adjustment from the typical sweet nutrition bar. They are gluten-free, non-gmo, vegan, and soy-free as well so folks with any of a number of allergies and sensitivities can enjoy these bars without fear. In the end, we absolutely fell in love with the Pizza Marinara flavor more than the others, and purchased a whole case of them! You can buy cases of each individual flavor, as well as the variety pack to give you a chance to try each of the flavors out. I definitely recommend adding this savory nutrition alternative to your snacking menu!
