EPIC Bars: Aptly Named From First Bite to Last
When two vegetarians start a beef jerky brand, it’s hard to ignore. Taylor Collins and Katie Forrest are true health nuts (mastering everything from triathletes to trail runs). But between races and workouts, they wanted to fuel up with as many healthy foods as possible. Both Taylor and Katie experimented with raw, vegan and vegetarian diets until finally settling on the Paleo lifestyle. There was just one problem―at their local stores, there was a gaping hole, a lack of quality on-the-go Paleo goodness.
So, they started their own company: EPIC Bars.
Whether you're a meat eater or not, you can’t help but admire the love and respect that EPIC puts into honoring mother nature and the human body, all while and helping livestock thrive. Epic bars have started a global large-scale grassland restoration effort. At the same time, they are revolutionizing animal welfare standards through allies like The Global Animal Partnership, The Certified Humane Project, and The Marine Stewardship Council.
When it comes to their own livestock, Epic is guided by the most ethical principles possible. From continuous open pasture grazing to their Whole Animal Project (in which almost every part of the animal is used).
What I love about EPIC: Having dolloped in vegetarianism (last year) I really appreciate the good stewardship vibes from EPIC. It’s nice to know that when I eat their bars, it’s the product of farmers and fishers that truly care about their animals and the world. My favorite bar is the Smoked Salmon Maple (Wild Caught Salmon, Maple Sugar, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Sea Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Dill). It’s truly delish. Hazel swears by the Wagyu Beef Steak bar (100% Grass-Fed Wagyu Beef, Wildflower Honey, Water, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder.)
Cons: For those of us who are a bit sugar-strict, it’s good to know that most of Epic’s bars range from 3-4 grams of unprocessed (maple or honey) sugars. If you want to stay in the “0” zone, then your best EPIC bar option would be the Venison Sea salt bar (but tends to be a bit saltier than the others).
Have you tried EPIC bars before? What are your favorite flavors?
XOXO,
Lemon
Good for You - Epic bars are made of meat (nitrate-free), nuts and dried fruit. It’s Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-free, Diary-free Low Glycemic, High in Protein, Soy Free and made from Grass-Fed meat with minimally-processed ingredients. Each bar has >11 grams of protein. If you're mindful of is the sugar (typically 8g) then choose your bar wisely.
Good for Others - Neutral.
C&C Overall - I’m no jerky connoisseur, but I really enjoy these bars. I think they have a pretty good balance of protein, fats and (lower) carbs and I enjoy the portion size and especially how chewy and moist it is compared to most dried meat products. PS I'm keeping my fingers that we might see a few more sugar-free options in the near future.
Good for Earth - We really love EPIC’s involvement in large-scale grassland restoration efforts and their partnerships that improve animal welfare standards (think The Savory Institute, The Global Animal Partnership, The Certified Humane Project, and The Marine Stewardship Council). I reached out to EPIC to chat about their packaging, which isn’t currently eco-friendly/recyclable. Turns out it's really, really difficult to reliably package meat products in compostable materials. The good news is that it's a big dream of theirs. Anyways, for right now, EPIC puts a lot of focus on office recycling programs, from team waste cleanup-days in neighborhood greenbelts, to recycling bins in every kitchen.
