Like it or not, we are at the top of the food chain.  We are the ultimate consumers of all things!  That doesn’t mean as humans we HAVE to eat meat.  But should we choose to indulge, Epic Bar has produced some healthy and very tasty options!  After exchanging a few emails with Epic, I decided to place an order from their website with a coupon code they sent me.

The Epic Bites are pretty similar to jerky in texture and looks.  However they’re more jam packed with flavor than simple jerky.  The two I preferred were the Uncured Bacon (pork & sea salt) and the Beef Steak (cranberry & Sriracha).  They came in pretty large pouches for their size but were sturdier than a simple sandwich baggie.  Epic Bites are rich in protein, low in sugar, gluten free, grain free, and absent of both soy and dairy. Finding Whole30 approved jerky is a more difficult task than one would think!

The Epic Bars are the shape and size of a pair of granola bars but that’s where the similarities end. Epic Bars are the original meat, fruit, and nut bar. They’re protein rich, low sugar, gluten free and grain free without any soy or dairy. My favorites were anything with the word bacon, pork pineapple and the chicken Sriracha.

Epic also offers the Hunt & Harvest Mix as well as the Bits line.  Hunt and Harvest is an upgraded take on traditional trail mix with grass fed beef, berries, nuts as well as seeds.  The Bits are for lovers of all things bacon!  You should also check out their cool t-shirt line as well.

When it comes to eating right I feel like as humans we are at a crossroads.  Some people are on the highly processed end of the spectrum: frequenting unnamed fast food joints serving up hot cooked poison.  Others are venturing back to their roots.

People are becoming disenfranchised with the overly processed foods of the past.  We want ingredients we can pronounce and healthier snack options.  The terms vegan, gluten free, paleo and non-GMO have become more widely used in the past five or so years.  It may be an indicator that people are more interested than ever in what they are putting into their bodies.  This is beyond a good thing.  This is a great thing!  They say our body is a temple.  Let’s treat it as such.

 

 

<<Shop Epic here>>

 

It came as no surprise when I did a quick Google search of what “Jungle Bacon” really is.  This is the strangest thing Co-CEO Gabi Lewis of Exo Protein has admitted to eating.  Equally as adventurous, his college roommate and Co-CEO, Greg Sewitz attended a conference at MIT on the breakdown of global systems.  That sparked a conversation about insects’ tremendous environmental benefits.  It takes people this adventurous in the kitchen to think to add cricket flour to protein bars.  Exo is a small business that’s making big waves in the sustainable food industry!

Why crickets?

Cacao Nut

These bars were actually on back order when my items were shipped.  Unfortunately I was unable to try them for myself.  Their description is pretty cool though and the reviews online were all good too. [box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]”Who doesn’t love chocolate? This bar tastes just like that brownie you crave without any of the junk. Boasting an exceedingly simple ingredient list with nothing you can’t pronounce, Cocoa Nut is the perfect primal snack. Try pairing it with your favorite coffee for the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.”[/box]

Apple Cinnamon

The apple and cinnamon bar was the one I had the highest hopes for.  Apple crumb pie is a Thanksgiving tradition in my house after all.  It has a more predominantly nutty flavor with a hint of apples and cinnamon on the back end.  It’s perfect for a between meal snack because it’s not overly sweet like snack bars can be.

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Peanut Butter & Jelly

Let’s talk about these bad boys!  If there is a way to make it taste like they took a PB&J stuck it in a blender and add cricket flour, they found it.  It is like eating spoonful’s of a healthy version of Goober Grape sandwich spread.  Psychologically you could easily eat this for lunch on the trail and feel like you sat down for a legit PB&J.  Well played Exo, well played.

Blueberry Vanilla

This was by far my favorite bar of the 3 I tried.  I am going to order a box of these to keep handy for anytime I’m on the go.  The flavor reminded me of a homemade blueberry crisp dessert.  The only way it would have been better was if it was eaten out of a bowl topped with vanilla bean ice cream.  In fact I may just recommend trying that.  But not with that fake astronaut ice cream marketed to hikers.

Exo Elite

Exo also offers a cool product subscription service for true cricket bar connoisseurs.  Members receive an additional 11% off and free shipping for Exo Bars.  Orders are sent 30, 45, 60 or 90 days at the interval of your choosing.  Products can be switched at any time so you aren’t locked into one bar the whole time.  They are also available for free samples, and some other sweet giveaways.

Exo Apparel

Exo also offers these super sweet T shirts.  I was excited to score the very comfortable eXo V neck.  I also really like the “Crickets are the new kale” shirt also seen below.  Both are definitely going to lead to questions from curious people every time you wear them.

 

 

 

By simply signing up for the email list you 10% off your first purchase.

An excerpt from the Our Story section of Exo Protein’s website: “Gabi turned down a job at a hedge fund. Greg deferred grad school. All because we believe that insect protein has an awesome role to play in the future of our food. Now we just have to convince everyone else.” Success is defined by each of us as individuals not a societal norm. Keep chasing the dream Exo!

 [ Shop Exo Bars Here ]

 

Photos courtesy of Exo Protein and AllPaleoCoupons.com

Disclosure: the following product was donated for the purpose of review.