I recently had such an unexpected, unique experience with a plain, old granola bar that I figured I would share. This is Slow Food For Fast Lives and they carry a few surprising flavors that you may want to check out;

The company objective is to create innovative, delicious and nutritious options for people on the go, setting themselves apart from the standard, sugary or chocolate covered energy bars that are so widely available. As each of the three founders wears a variety of titles and has their hands in other companies, it's no wonder they needed something quick and satisfying to boost their energy stores. Slow Food For Fast lives was born in the kitchen of an imaginative, healthy, home-cooking Mama and every bar is made around a central theme, such as "Thai" or "California".
Speaking of, I will tell you a bit about my experiences with each type.

The first option that I tried was the Moroccan, the original bar.
I have to admit, if you go into this thinking "granola bar" then you're going to become quickly alarmed by the assault to the tastebuds. I did and did not initially enjoy the experience, as I am so accustomed to the chocolate drenched, chewy, Quaker-like "granola" bars that offer no comparable nutritional value. These do offer the same mouth feel, with added chunks of real nuts or whole pieces of ingredients. I was not a fan of the ginger in this, although I really (and surprisingly) enjoyed the way the carrot sneaks up in this snack. I took a few bites and shared this one with my daughter, who devoured it in it's entirety quite quickly. I asked her what she thought and my little lady replied, "It's yummy! Delicious." Clearly, by the fact that my child who eats like a bird ate the rest of it, she approved. As a parent, I like the idea that she was eating something that offered diverse, new tastes while being full of nutritional value.

My least favourite of the package was the Indian selection;
I will start by saying that I absolutely love Indian food. In fact, if I was to choose any one regional cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, I would choose the culinary options native to India and I am extremely familiar with such dishes. I would not have chosen to combine these options in one palette for a snack bar, personally, and couldn't get over the cauliflower, coconut and cumin combination. It just was not for me and the scent of the cauliflower, as well as it's taste, was not my preferred ingredient. I think each component could have made for a unique bar but combined was not the best way to go. If coconut was being used then possibly cinnamon or cardamom instead of cumin and then rice, rather than cauliflower, may have been nice. Even a dessert bar inspired by India would have been delicious but not overly sweet, in keeping with the company theme. I don't know, this one was just not for me but I like the concept and it may be of interest for others.

The California bar and I have a love-hate relationship;
I am a huge quinoa fan and I will eat it mixed into dishes or even on it's own. I also love kale, almonds are a daily snack for me and pomegranates are something I enjoy immensely. All good things. The taste of this bar is especially great when you get a bit of fruit in there, or a whole chunk of almond. I asked my hubby to take a bite though and he could not get over the way it smells. Admittedly, it smells quite a lot like rabbit pellets and, as taste and smell are definitely linked, I feel that this is something that could be improved upon. After he mentioned it, I noticed the scent more so and became fixated to the point that it dampened my overall experience.

The Thai bar was like sitting down to dinner;
I was very surprised by the complexity of flavor and how much I enjoyed this. The peanut is more peanut buttery but it melds nicely with the other notes and there is a hint of lime in there, just perfectly mixed in with the pepper as a citrus undertone. I think, of all of them, I enjoyed this one the most.


Overall, I think Slow Food For Fast lives definitely lives up to the company name- each bar provides an experience that is worth savoring and taking some time out to reflect upon.
They are definitely not something that you will have come across before and I recommend them for those who wish to branch out of their comfort zone.