Odwalla: Berries GoMega

Berries GoMega has a base of ground golden flax and oats bound together with brown rice syrup and date and fig purees. A single bar delivers 1000 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids courtesy of the flax seed. The texture is enjoyable, if not a little grainy.  At 210 calories, it is a satisfying serving, though the fact that it has 50 fat calories might scare off some people. Those folks would do well to remember that Omega-3 fatty acids are vital to the diet and good health. So this is an indulgence that makes sense. On a less positive note, the bar could certainly do a better job delivering on the “Berries” part of its title . There is a subtle hint of blueberry and strawberry in the flavor, but like so many nutritional bars, it really tastes more like date and fig. Overall, very enjoyable and a great way to get a good dose of the ever-elusive Omega-3s.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Tiger’s Milk: Peanut Butter Crunch

Featuring a tagline of “America’s Original Nutrition Bar” and a call out of “Great Taste,” this smallish bar was actually quite enjoyable to eat. The chewy, chocolate coated bar is reminiscent of a Butterfinger candy bar, both in terms of flavor and mouth feel. There’s a pretty strong peanut butter flavor in this bar – and the chocolate coating adds a bit of indulgence to it. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, B vitamins, iron, and copper. The bar also has 6g of protein, which isn’t bad given the size of the bar. On the outside, the wrapper feels like something that’s for the athlete crowd, especially given the recent success of another product with “milk” in the name (Muscle Milik). It’s not a bad look, with a somewhat classic vibe to it. Overall, very enjoyable taste and modest appearance make this a good choice when you need a little pick me up.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honey Stinger: Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Pro

Another Honey Stinger product that has more in common with a candy bar than a nutrition bar, this product contains 20 g of whey protein and a whopping 390 calories. With tasty dark chocolate and a nice spike of chewy dried cherries, as well as the sweetness of honeyed nougat, it’s tough to stop eating. That said, its appearance – and feel – are a bit intimidating. The bar is thick and heavy, almost brick-like, in the wrapper, and while the 20 grams of protein are certainly enough to give it some gym-worthy credibility, bannering it so prominently across the bar’s wrapper doesn’t seem to jibe with the natural honey vibe that is the central focus of the Stinger brand. In other words, if it wasn’t your job to try all the bars on the market, you probably wouldn’t pick it up. Unless you’d heard there was a candy bar in there.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Calories: 390
Fat: 17 g
Carbs: 41 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 20 g

KIND Buzz Drives Explosive Growth for KIND

– Winner of “Best New Product” at Natural Products Expo East –
– Visit KIND Snacks at Booth #2846 –

March 2, 2009 (New York, NY) – When thousands of food products were showcased at the Natural Products Expo East at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in October 2008, only one came away with the title of “Best New Product”: KIND Plus.

The Mango Macadamia flavor of KIND Plus – the first new line of products since the launch of PeaceWorks’ original KIND Fruit + Nut Bars – was singled out at Expo East’s New Product Showcase as the best new food item. The contest was sponsored and officiated by the Natural Products Association and The Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine.

But awards and praise from industry leaders don’t tell the whole story about KIND’s growth and success. Recent market reports, word-of-mouth buzz, and glowing recommendations from prominent influencers have all contributed:

* Good Housekeeping (February 2009) – KIND is the only nutrition bar on “Top 100 Convenience Foods” list
* Yale School of Medicine (November 2008) – Study shows consumption of KIND Bars per day over eight weeks results in weight loss, lowered blood pressure and improved BMI
* Gossip Girl (January 2009) – Featured as a snack of a popular character on hit TV show
* SPINS Market Data (November 2008) – Highest ACV growth among Top 20 Bars in Grocery category.
* The Today Show (January 2009) – Featured on segment about energy-boosting foods, and specifically recommended by team nutritionist for the New York Giants.
* Rachel Ray on The Rachel Ray Show (October 2008) – “These are so good…delicious and nutritious.”
* San Antonio Express-News (September 2008) – “Last year, (KIND) was one of the best-sellers for H-E-B stores that had it. So at the beginning of 2008, we made a strategic decision to bring it to the vast majority…it’s a very sought after energy bar.” – Yvan Cournoyer, category manager for H-E-B
* SPINS Market Data (November 2008) – KIND Fruit + Nut Bars are the fourth best-selling nutrition bar brand in Natural stores.
* Businessweek (August 2008) – “(KIND’s founder Daniel) Lubetzky offers an enticing vision, one that combines traditional profit-making models with social bottom line…it sounds good in theory, but works even better in practice.”
* SPINS Market Data (November 2008) – Sales of KIND Fruit + Nut Bars increased over 100 percent in Grocery category during the past year.
* First for Women (January 2009) – “To enjoy tropical taste anywhere, unwrap a KIND Fruit + Nut Bar in Almond & Coconut flavor.”
* IRI Data (June 2008) – Unit sales growth over the past year for KIND’s four best-selling bars ranged from 91 to 127 percent and outpaced all other competitors among the top 100.
* Philadelphia Inquirer (August 2008) – “Our favorite bars…”

Recently, KIND was the subject of a study by Dr. David Katz of the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Katz and his team at Yale found that adding two KIND Bars to your diet every day over the course of eight weeks led to weight loss, lower body mass index, and decreased blood pressure. The smaller pilot study Dr. Katz conducted will now be expanded to a larger patient population to verify the results. According to Dr. Katz, “Snacking on wholesome foods can help control appetite and weight, while providing excellent nutrition and displacing less filling foods that contribute empty calories. KIND Bars are just that kind of snack food, made principally of nuts and fruits.”

“In the midst of a recession, we’re thrilled to see KIND continue to thrive and experience explosive sales growth,” said Daniel Lubetzky, Founder and CEO of PeaceWorks Holdings, the makers of KIND Snacks. “In tough economic times, consumers look for brands that provide value at an affordable price. Coupled with the incredibly positive buzz and word-of-mouth KIND is experiencing – from awards at trade shows to praise from influential media to appearances on hit TV shows – it’s a brand that every retailer should have on their shelves.”

Since 2008, KIND expanded its sales locations by over five thousand in the United States, bringing the total number of retail locations to over 25,000 stores nationwide. KIND is presently sold in nearly every major retail and grocery chain in the United States including 7-11, Albertson’s, A&P, Duane Reade, GNC, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, Safeway, Shaw’s, Trader Joe’s, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Vitamin Shoppe.

Media Contact:
Phil Walotsky
(212) 616-3006 x210
philip@peaceworks.net

Sales Contact:
Rami Leshem
(212) 616-3006 x108
rami@peaceworks.net

About KIND Fruit+Nut Bars

KIND is an award-winning brand of all-natural fruit and nut bars made by Peaceworks, a “not-only-for-profit” gourmet and healthy foods company based out of New York, NY. Since its launch in 2004, KIND’s handmade bars have quickly ascended the ranks of the nutrition bar category to become one of the Top 4 selling brands in natural food stores across the United States, according to SPINS Market Data. Available in over 25,000 locations in every state in the U.S., KIND offers a delicious, wholesome, and healthy alternative to the mash-up energy bars largely composed of emulsified fillers like high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. Among other high praise and awards, KIND won Health Magazine’s “Snack of the Year” in 2005, and KIND Plus won the “Best New Product” Award at Natural Products Expo East in October 2008. Learn more about KIND by visiting us online at www.kindsnacks.com.

NuGo: Peanut Butter Chocolate

Made with “real milk chocolate” we expected this bar to be somewhat candy like in flavor. Really though, this product is more about crisped rice and soy than it is peanut butter or chocolate as the label might have you believe. It’s a pretty chewy bar at that, with countless ingredients in comparison to the many “organic” or “raw” bars that we’ve tried. However, they’ve done a pretty good job presenting a packed nutrition panel, complete with 11g of protein and loads of vitamins and antioxidants in a 180 calorie format. Really, it’s one of the better tasting bars that we’ve had relative to its level of nutrition. Packaging is decent, but feels like that of a candy bar more than a nutrition bar. On the other hand, we like the name “NuGo,” which is short for “Nutrition on the Go.” Overall, a very enjoyable bar.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

KIND Plus Nutrition Bar Named ‘Best New Product’ at Natural Products Expo East

NEW YORK, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ — While thousands of food products were showcased at the Natural Products Expo East this past weekend at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, only one came away with the title of “Best New Product”: KIND Plus. The Mango Macadamia flavor of KIND Plus — the first new line of products since the launch of PeaceWorks’ original KIND Fruit + Nut Bars — was singled out at the massive tradeshow’s New Product Showcase as the best new food item. The contest was sponsored and officiated by the Natural Products Association and The Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine.

“Considering how many products were under consideration, we’re both thrilled and humbled,” said Daniel Lubetzky, Founder and CEO of PeaceWorks Holdings, the makers of KIND Fruit + Nut Bars. “It’s an incredible honor to have industry leaders single out a KIND Snack as the best new food product at a show as large as Expo East.”

In addition to trade show awards, KIND’s growth and appeal has been recognized by leaders in the grocery industry through the press. In August, the food writers at The Philadelphia Inquirer proclaimed KIND “our favorite bars,” and a September story profiling KIND in the San Antonio Express-News, cited high praise from Yvan Cournoyer, category manager for H-E-B:

“Last year, it was one of the best sellers for the H-E-B stores that had it. So at the beginning of 2008, we made a strategic decision to bring it to the vast majority.” KIND bars went into 125 H-E-B stores in July. Within the chain, that puts it in the same league as PowerBar and Clif Bar, among the highest profile energy bars in the industry. “So in a few short years, it went from being this obscure product to mainstream,” Cournoyer said. “It’s a very sought after energy bar that tastes great and is very healthy for you. At the same time, there’s a great story behind the KIND company.”

Introducing six new distinctive flavors like Cranberry & Almond, Almond & Cashew, and Passion Fruit Macadamia, KIND Plus brings enhanced nutrition to the delicious taste consumers have come to expect from KIND by adding targeted supplements like calcium, antioxidants, protein, and Omega-3. Loyal fans of KIND will quickly recognize the new bars since KIND Plus is made with all-natural ingredients you can see and pronounce, and bursting with flavor and freshness, just like the original line of KIND Fruit + Nut Bars.

Since the start of 2008, KIND has expanded its sales locations by over five thousand in the United States, bringing the total number of retail locations to over 20,000 stores nationwide. KIND is presently sold in nearly every major retail and grocery chain in the United States including 7-11, Albertson’s, A&P, Duane Reade, GNC, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, Safeway, Shaw’s, Trader Joe’s, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Vitamin Shoppe.