Picky Bars

Real Food Energy Bars

Picky Bars' lighthearted approach to marketing and promotional materials is at stark odds with the actual nuts and bolts (and berries) that inform the science behind the Real Food Energy Bars. If you don't give a fig for that stuff and just want to get fueled and get after it, then by all means just click on the Add to Cart button and enjoy some active nutrition that actually tastes like food. We're into the know-how behind the can-do, though, so we dug through the goods to find out what makes them tick.

The ABCs of Picky Bars begin with Agave, end with Walnuts, and are filled out by equally "real" ingredients that target the sweet-spot of a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. The most exotic-sounding entry on the list is Pepitas, which are actually just pumpkin seeds, and which Picky Bars suggests help in recovery and metabolizing sugars. The rest of the normal-type foodstuffs are chosen for similar science-y benefits—not even the pedestrian, who-needs-an-excuse chocolate chip is spared from scrutiny (anti-toxin properties that promote blood flow).

Of course, if the exhaustive biology informing the ingredient choices isn't enough, just trying one will win you over. They may resemble typical workout bars, but they don't taste like them. They're also dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and vegan, so the only bar to entry is trying to tear the package open with your teeth in the saddle.