About five years ago, I had the opportunity to review some CORE Meal Bars and instantly fell in love with this easy, pre-packaged, vegan meal option that I could take with me on road trips or when attending an event where I knew vegan options would be scarce. I loved them so much that I hounded my local Whole Foods to stock them and, when they did, started regularly stocking my freezer with them.
Now their meal bars and other whole-food items are much easier to find at your favorite grocer – plus, they have expanded their offerings to include CORE bars, tonics and granolas.
There is a lot to love about convenient whole-food options that are vegan and organic, but there is even more to love about this company. So, when Corey from CORE Foods sent me an email to see if I would like to do a vegan product review for their CORE Bars, you know I was all over that.
Now their meal bars and other whole-food items are much easier to find at your favorite grocer – plus, they have expanded their offerings to include CORE bars, tonics and granolas.
There is a lot to love about convenient whole-food options that are vegan and organic, but there is even more to love about this company. So, when Corey from CORE Foods sent me an email to see if I would like to do a vegan product review for their CORE Bars, you know I was all over that.
Before we even get to the food, we’ve got to talk about this company. This small, Oakland-based company staffs their kitchen with formerly incarcerated people to give them a second chance and sources their sustainably grown ingredients from carefully selected farmers that share their dedication to organic, sustainable foods.
Their oats are grown by the Smith family in Colorado on the world’s leading gluten-free oat farm, and then processed in a dedicated factory to ensure their certification as gluten free. Their almonds come from an employee-owned, democratically ran company in Central California. The raisins are sustainably grown by the Sahatjian family on the world’s first organic raisin farm, which was established in 1928.
You can find out even more about where their ingredients come from on their website where you can read about how each ingredient is processed and where it was grown.
You gotta love that – but if buying from a company that gives second chances to the formerly incarcerated, supports sustainable family farms and is transparent about ingredient sourcing isn’t enough for you, there are plenty more reasons to love these whole-food bars, like 100% organic, non-GMO, certified gluten-free ingredients in tasty bars with no added sugar.
Their oats are grown by the Smith family in Colorado on the world’s leading gluten-free oat farm, and then processed in a dedicated factory to ensure their certification as gluten free. Their almonds come from an employee-owned, democratically ran company in Central California. The raisins are sustainably grown by the Sahatjian family on the world’s first organic raisin farm, which was established in 1928.
You can find out even more about where their ingredients come from on their website where you can read about how each ingredient is processed and where it was grown.
You gotta love that – but if buying from a company that gives second chances to the formerly incarcerated, supports sustainable family farms and is transparent about ingredient sourcing isn’t enough for you, there are plenty more reasons to love these whole-food bars, like 100% organic, non-GMO, certified gluten-free ingredients in tasty bars with no added sugar.
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Vegan, Organic, Gluten-Free Cashew Chip CORE Bars
The Cashew Chip Core Bar is made from organic, gluten-free oats, organic cashews, organic raw flaxseed, organic cacao mass, filtered water, organic coconut and organic almonds. With eight grams of protein, six grams of fiber, 15% of the daily allowance of iron, no additives, and no added sugar, these vegan bars are perfect for breakfast on the go, road trips, or heading out for a day of outdoor activities.
I loved this bar. I mean, really loved it. Sometimes I get a hankering for chocolate that just will not quit, but I definitely do not want to reach for some sugar-laden chocolate bar or something of that nature. So, instead, I can eat half (or all) of a Cashew Chip CORE Bar and feel totally satisfied without that icky feeling you get after eating something super sweet.
The Cashew Chip CORE bar is kind of like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie but not as sweet. Basically, it’s awesome.
Like all of their bars and meal bars – and any real food – these bars are perishable, which means you can store them in the freezer for up to two years, your refrigerator for two months or at room temperature for one week. Storing them in the freezer works great, because it only takes about 10 minutes for them to thaw, which means you can set one out for breakfast while you are getting ready or you can throw one in your backpack for later in the day.
I loved this bar. I mean, really loved it. Sometimes I get a hankering for chocolate that just will not quit, but I definitely do not want to reach for some sugar-laden chocolate bar or something of that nature. So, instead, I can eat half (or all) of a Cashew Chip CORE Bar and feel totally satisfied without that icky feeling you get after eating something super sweet.
The Cashew Chip CORE bar is kind of like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie but not as sweet. Basically, it’s awesome.
Like all of their bars and meal bars – and any real food – these bars are perishable, which means you can store them in the freezer for up to two years, your refrigerator for two months or at room temperature for one week. Storing them in the freezer works great, because it only takes about 10 minutes for them to thaw, which means you can set one out for breakfast while you are getting ready or you can throw one in your backpack for later in the day.
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Vegan, Organic, Gluten-Free Bananut Dream CORE Bars
The short, easy-to-pronounce ingredient list for the Bananut Dream CORE Bar includes organic gluten free oats, organic cashews, organic walnuts, organic banana, filtered water, organic flaxseed, organic coconut, and organic cinnamon. This one has seven grams of protein, five grams of fiber, 10% of the daily allowance for iron, and no added sugar.
If you are a fan of banana nut bread, oatmeal cookies and cinnamon, you are going to love this bar. It’s like the perfect combination of these three examples of deliciousness and, since there is no added sugar, it’s a cleaner taste where you can taste each of the real-food flavors without that overwhelming sweetness that should only be found in cupcakes but is often found in snack and meal bars made by other companies.
Like the Cashew Chip bar, the Bananut Dream bar is a filling, tasty option that is completely portable and ready to go for some quick fuel between meetings or activities. While I do take this one with me when I’m going to have a long day away from home, my favorite way to enjoy it is at home with some hot tea.
If you are a fan of banana nut bread, oatmeal cookies and cinnamon, you are going to love this bar. It’s like the perfect combination of these three examples of deliciousness and, since there is no added sugar, it’s a cleaner taste where you can taste each of the real-food flavors without that overwhelming sweetness that should only be found in cupcakes but is often found in snack and meal bars made by other companies.
Like the Cashew Chip bar, the Bananut Dream bar is a filling, tasty option that is completely portable and ready to go for some quick fuel between meetings or activities. While I do take this one with me when I’m going to have a long day away from home, my favorite way to enjoy it is at home with some hot tea.
Where to Buy CORE Bars
You can purchase CORE bars (and CORE Meal bars, granola and tonics) online at the CORE Foods website. You can also find CORE bars in Whole Foods Markets and in tons of stores across the country. Use their handy store locator to find one near you.
If you purchase your bars on the CORE Foods website, you might want to sign up for their subscribe and save option, which means you will get your bars automatically delivered to you at an interval of your choosing and with a 5% discount. (Total yay for discounts!)
When shopping for CORE bars or meal bars, always glance at the end of the ingredient list to make sure it says “(VEGAN),” since some of their bars have whey.
If you purchase your bars on the CORE Foods website, you might want to sign up for their subscribe and save option, which means you will get your bars automatically delivered to you at an interval of your choosing and with a 5% discount. (Total yay for discounts!)
When shopping for CORE bars or meal bars, always glance at the end of the ingredient list to make sure it says “(VEGAN),” since some of their bars have whey.
CORE Foods provided me with product samples to test so that I could write this vegan product review. The opinions are my own and are not influenced by whether or not a company provides me with product samples.
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