I remember meeting Rimi, who started Love Raw, in 2013 at one of her first trade shows. I thought then that the bars were delicious and have been delighted to see the company go from strength to strength ever since. There are four flavours:
- Coconut & Chia
- Cacao & Spirulina
- Rosehip & Lemon
- Cacoa & Maca
WHAT DO I LIKE ABOUT THEM?:
- Free from: gluten, dairy, wheat and soy
- 100% organic
- Raw
- Ingredients: a short list of just a few 'real food' ingredients
- No added sugar (only naturally occurring sugar from the dates and sultanas)
- Interesting flavours with my personal favourite – Rosehip and Lemon
- Vegetarian and vegan friendly
WHAT DON'T I LIKE ABOUT THEM?
As with all of these bars whilst there is 'no added sugar', these are not sugar free products. All the bars have dates as one of the first ingredients (if it is listed first on the ingredients list it is the largest component of the bar). Dates are a concentrated form of sugar. The bars range from around 10-13g of sugar per bar, that's around 2.5 - 3 tsp of sugar* in each. Which I have to say is better than many other comparable ‘health’ bars. My perfect bar would probably have a bit more protein.
WOULD I RECOMMEND THEM TO THE PEOPLE I SEE IN MY CLINIC?
YES - I think that they tick a lot of the 'free-from' boxes and are a good clean product. They stand up well against many of the other comparable products. However, I would not be encouraging people to eat them everyday. They make a great option if you fancy a sweet fix or as an occasional treat.
WOULD I EAT THEM MYSELF?
YES – although I am not a ‘smooshed’ bar fan I have to say I love this product. It seems to be less sticky and sweet than many and the flavours are delicious.
*when you read a label take the amount of sugar in grams and divide by 4 as there are approximately 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon.