It feels like forever since I’ve posted. I have been doing plenty of cooking though so have a lot I want to share, it’s just been a little busy my end so I haven’t been able to get it together to post.
You’ll have to wait a teeny bit longer for more recipes though as today I’ve got a product review for you- LoveRaw Superfood Energy Bars!
If you’re a long-time reader of Coconut and Berries you’ll know I’m a big fan of energy bars to stash in my bag for when I’m out and about. It’s still not always easy to find healthy, vegan food away from home. I do have to say that I have been fairly impressed with the food on offer on my university campus. You can get super cheap herbal tea (!), and I’ve just discovered that there’s even a café with a fully vegetarian menu and daily vegan options!
Still, for the 5 minute breaks between classes, snack bars are ideal, and LoveRaw Bars are my new favourites .
I imagine most of my readers know about the benefits of raw food already, but if not, you may be interested to learn that heating certain foods means that you lose a lot of their nutrients and all the natural enzymes which are so good for us. With this in mind, LoveRaw slow-dry their bars to preserve the vitamins and minerals of the quality, organic ingredients used.
I’ve been on a big raw kick recently ( more on that to come too…) so these came at the perfect time.
I love the story behind the company too. You can read more about Rimi, the founder, and how LoveRaw came to be here. Rimi is clearly passionate about healthy food and committed to creating the products as healthy as possible. The bars are all hand-crafted and packed in Cheshire, UK. I like the idea that there are real people behind what I’m eating rather than just machinery!
I had the opportunity to try 3 of their flavours:
Coconut & Chia
Rosehip & Lemon
Cacao & Maca
A bar made with wholefoods ingredients- nuts, dried fruits and superfoods with no added sweeteners or fillers is already a plus for me, but, just as importantly, they taste delicious too.
The coconut bar was perfect for this coconut-loving girl. It’s nice and chewy from the shredded coconut with a pleasant crunch from the super-nutritious chia seeds. I talked a little about chia seeds earlier here.
This might have been my favourite of the 3, though it was so hard to choose! The chocolate taste is nice and prominent, and there are definite nutty, malty undertones from the maca, though I wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint the flavour exactly without knowing what was in it. Oh, and this one’s got cacao nibs in too which add a little bit of crunch. I’ve recently learnt about the nutritional benefits of maca, traditionally used in Peru. It’s most known for its positive effect in balancing hormones so is especially good for women to be consuming.
Lastly, I tried the rosehip and lemon bar. No picture of this one as it was eaten on the go, but I still made sure to savour it. This one’s very different from any other snack bar I’ve had but was really lovely. Lemony and fruity/floral-tasting, as to be expected really from its name! Rosehip is another one that’s been getting recognition recently for its health properties. It’s a concentrated source of Vitamin C, as well as having high levels of antioxidants and other vitamins.
There’s a 4th flavour, Apricot & Camu Camu, which I haven’t yet tried. It looks as though it’s currently sold out (19/10/13) on the LoveRaw website but hopefully it will be back in stock soon. I see it’s got lucuma in, which I love!
Where to buy? LoveRaw Bars are currently available across London, in Wholefoods stores, Planet Organic and the Natural Kitchen, Marylebone. But, if you’re not in London there’s no need to fear! Love Raw also sell online direct from their website and you can buy boxes of 12 bars of each flavour. I’d love to see LoveRaw introduce a mixed box as I wouldn’t be able to pick just one flavour!
Have you tried LoveRaw Superfood Bars yet? What do you look for in a snack bar?
Note: These products were sent to me for review purposes, but the opinions expressed are my own.
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veganmiam.com says
I haven’t been posting recipe posts lately and I’ve been enjoying your recipe posts. As always, these are pretty cute packaging - the rosehip/lemon appeals to me the most! When it comes to snack bar, I love a bit of everything else from sweet to salty and of course caramel!
coconutandberries says
The packaging is so cute isn’t it? Look for some recipes here soon!
veganmiam.com says
Btw I would try the Coconut & Chia Seeds one these raw bars look so good….want some for my flight back to the U.S.
Lauren (@PoweredbyPB) says
I really liked the coconut chia one, lots of cinnamon- which I love! I’d love to try the others they sound equally delicious!
coconutandberries says
Oh yes, somehow I’d forgotten that it was nice and cinnamon-y! You’re in London aren’t you? so you can easily get your hands on the others. I’d be interested to hear what you think.
caileejoy says
Oh yum!!! These seriously look amazing!! I love nutrition bars! I love LUNA, Lara Uber bars and Odwalla! I love when they have lots of protein, but are also chocolate flavored!! It’s like healthy dessert!
Sincerely, Cailee @ http://hellohealthyeating.com
coconutandberries says
So agree! Sometimes I eat one for dessert in fact
Johanna GGG says
these look great - love the packaging too
I have nominated you to do a meme if you have the time and inclination - http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-z-bookish-survey.html
coconutandberries says
They are very pretty aren’t they?
Thanks for the nomination, will check it out
sonja@vesenmork says
ooo, now I’m all curious to hear about your raw kick! I’m pretty much a sucker for any raw snackbar. I can’t remember a bar that I didn’t like. Of course, I have flavour preferences and would undoubtedly go for the coconut chia one in this case. Chocolate would have been a real contender, but not in conjunction with maca I’m afraid.
coconutandberries says
I’d forgotten you react to maca don’t you? I’m sure you’d love the coconut one anyway- it’s cinnamon-y too.
On the raw kick front, don’t get too excited! I’m definitely not going raw or anything, just got a little more raw food yummies to share.
Gena says
These look awesome!
Adam says
The Rosehip and Lemon is a very interesting flavour combo… I’ll have to give it a try as I’m very curious how it tastes!
coconutandberries says
It’s a really beautiful flavour. If you can get your hands on the LoveRaw bars where you are I definitely recommend it