OHi Wholesome Bars

Energy bars.  Not something high on my list of "exciting" items, but, as someone who is often on the go, I do sometimes need a quick easy snack to throw in my bag, something that I can eat in a few bites, and provide me with the power to get through a few hours.  Even better if it can work equally well as a breakfast supplement, post-workout fix, or get me through a long afternoon.  And thus, even though I don't really love them, bars are a part of my lifestyle.

"Inspired by how important food is to our holistic wellness, the OHi Wholesome Bar was created to help nourish communities by harnessing the power of superfoods. Our mission is to deliver the most delicious and nutritious whole food bar to help elevate your health and well-being. 

Every bar combines high quality whole food ingredients, coconut nectar and cocao butter, cold-pressed to perfection. 100% plant based with no artificial preservatives and free from gluten, grain, refined sugars, and soy, our bars are clean with complex flavor profiles that perfectly balance nutrition, taste and freshness." 

Like many other players in the space, all of the offerings from OHi are vegan, gluten-free, have no refined sugar, non-GMO, etc, etc.  OHi makes only one product line, Wholesome Bars.  They are currently available in only 5 flavors: coconut macadamia, almond crunch, almond dark chocolate, super green, and peanut butter.  Unlike many other brands of bars, they don't try to sound like desserts, or tempt you with indulgent names.  They don't have protein added via strange isolates.  But like Perfect Bars, they are a bit high maintenance, requiring refrigeration for storage (although you can pull them out a few days if you need).

I honestly don't remember why I picked one up to try, but I did.  My experience was a very mixed bag.

Coconut Macadamia.

"Born in Hawaii! Take a bite of aloha with our Coconut Macadamia Bar! A tasty combination of macadamia nuts, coconut shreds, mulberries, a variety of nuts and seeds sweetened with a touch of coconut nectar. "

Ok, a few things to note.  First, this bar is tiny.  The package is smaller than many other bars in general, but then, it only filled about half the wrapper.  It is small.  Second, because it is so loaded with nuts and seeds, that tiny form is very dense, clocking in 280 calories, 22g fat, and 8g protein in something you can easily eat in 2-3 bites.  So, beware, if any of that matters to you.

I really loved the sound of this bar, as I really like macadamia nuts and coconut, hence, why I picked it.  The first bite I took though ... I nearly spit out?  I wondered if it had gone bad.  It was bitter!  Bitter, bitter, bitter.  A quick look at the ingredients let me understand a bit better though - in addition to the almond and macadamia nuts base, there was a seed blend of pumpkin, hemp, chia, and flax seeds.  Aha!  Chia and flax can both be pretty bitter.

With my expectations re-aligned, I tried again a tiny nibble, to decide if I toss it, or try to break it up and use it as a topping on a yogurt parfait perhaps.  I liked it more once I was ready for the bitter, and decided to just eat it as it was.  I really did like the crunch from all the seeds, and the bits of nuts, although the nuts were chopped so finely I didn't get to really taste the macadamia I was after.  Although coconut was in it, I didn't really taste that either.  The cocoa nibs were a nice surprise, again, more crunch, and a bitter component, but, a slight chocolately flavor.  There was some sweetness if you really paid attention, but, it was minimal.

Overall, I certainly wouldn't purchase another, but I was able to enjoy it.  A really clean bar, made up of nuts, seeds, vanilla + salt  + coconut nectar, and little else.

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