The world of protein bars is saturated with a million different entries from snack and candy giants to local upstarts who are trying to improve on the recipe. What drew us to Oatmega, more than the taste (which we will get into a bit more), was the message. It’s rare to see new businesses just as passionate about giving back as they are about selling a product and it shows in the care they have taken on both sides.
THE STORY
Our team’s experience with Oatmega started with a trip to Whole Foods and a chance grabbing of a bar. Once we tasted it, we immediately wanted to learn more. Based in Austin and started in the late 2000s, Oatmega has come from a place of loss and from that came a renewed passion to help others. Their founder, Trevor Ross, really found the market lacking what he personally was looking for and set off to do it himself. In this, he has really created a contender that an compete with the giants in the market. And socially, the company provides free bars to local food banks in the Austin area furthering their message of “nutrition shared”. It’s this thinking and this level of social commitment that really makes Oatmega stand out and why we chose to review them.
THE BARS
The Oatmega bar is pretty much a study in what should go into an energy bar. Every bar is all-natural, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, and contains grass-fed whey protein and Omega-3s. They are not vegan as they contain fish oil which is where you get those Omega-3s, long known to provide cardiovascular benefits. They are really low in sugar (5g) and contain a decent amount of fiber (7g), but even better they all contain a solid dose of protein (14g). The low sugar is driven off the use of Luo Han Fruit extracts and the extra fiber comes from Chicory Root. Also note they wouldn’t be FODMAP compatible due to the inulin addition if that is a concern for you.
On the taste side, prepare to be blown away. First off, they have scrapped that fake chocolate dipped outer layer that so many bars have moved to. You know, that sugarless cocoa blend with a plastic taste that you can’t quite figure out, none of that here. The bar is also not just a pile of nuts either; in fact, it’s just the opposite. The bar has been blended down and then shaped and while visually is not super appealing, its got a very consistent mouth feel and all the bars have the same consistency. The most pleasing aspect most noticed are the small white balls which provide a great crunch and the closest thing we could think of were malt balls. Like we said, yum.
The bars come in 8 different flavors and really features something for everyone from the traditional chocolate and peanut butter to the lemon and blueberry, our crew really dug the Peanut Crisp and Chocolate Mint, but no one had an issue with any of them. Even though coconut haters were down the Chocoate Coconut Crisp . They are available now direct from Oatmega for $23.88 a box ($1.99 a bar). You can also find them in Whole Foods.
