What's inside our ultralight meal replacement bars?

You can’t build a strong house on a poor foundation, and the same was true when we decided on what ingredients would be used in Range meal bars. We determined that the ingredients below are the best fit for meal replacement bars because they are calorically dense and highly nutritious. We source ingredients of the highest grade and don’t cut corners because we stand behind our meal bars, and still use them to fuel our own pursuits.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Coffee

Our chocolate, peanut butter, and coffee flavor was the bar that got things started for Range. This meal replacement bar is vegan with the exception of honey, and many people enjoy the modest caffeine content (43mg) for a quick breakfast on-the-go.

Molasses, Ginger, Sea Salt

When we set out to make our second meal replacement bar flavor, we knew we wanted it to be unique, and a bit more savory. Most people will say we hit the nail on the head with this ginger-bread man meets sea salt number. This high calorie meal bar is fully vegan, and uses many of the same high quality ingredients found in our first flavor.

Honey

One of the all natural sweeteners that we use is honey. We believe that honey is FAR superior to the brown rice syrup that you’ll find used in most other bars. Not only is this honey a high quality all-natural sweetener you can feel good about, it’s also sourced from a supplier that runs a non-profit called “save the bee.” We get to enjoy the honey, and they put money towards researching colony collapse disorder, and increasing awareness regarding the importance of an insect responsible for 80% of agricultural pollination.

Molasses

Another all natural sweetener that we use is medium molasses. We love the sweet but slightly bitter taste of this molasses, and it really accents the ginger in our molasses, ginger, sea salt flavor.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is also a great source of protein and healthy fats, which helps make Range an ultralight food. The natural protein content also allows Range bars to be relatively high in protein without adding highly processed supplements like soy protein isolate, which you’ll see in many other bars on the market.

Almond Butter

Almond butter is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids (which are thought to support heart health). Not to mention that healthy fat content is ideal for fueling endurance activities, and increasing caloric density for ultralight food. We source an almond butter that is free of palm oil, which is a common additive often associated with deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.

Gluten-free Quick Rolled Oats

Simple carbs like honey and molasses may get you going quick, but complex carbs from whole-grain oats keep you fueled for the long run. These oats are certified gluten free, and are easily digestible by most people even during endurance activities.

Dark Chocolate

In addition to being delicious, dark chocolate is high in antioxidants, and several minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. Although dairy is not an ingredient in the dark chocolate we source, it (like most chocolate) is produced in a facility that also handles dairy products.

Crystallized Ginger

This stuff is delicious. All the warm spicy goodness you’d expect from fresh ginger, but dried and diced for your enjoyment. It doesn’t hurt that ginger is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, quell indigestion, and increase blood flow.

Milled Chia Seeds

Chia seeds gained significant notoriety after the release of the ultra-running book, Born to Run. They’re now celebrated as a superfood owing to their high levels of omega 3’s, fiber, protein, and antioxidants. In fact, one serving of chia seeds has 30% higher antioxidant content than a serving of blueberries. We’ve selected a milled chia to minimize seeds stuck in your teeth, and to increase digestibility.

Coffee

We get our coffee from Jim’s Organic Coffee in West Wareham Massachusetts. Jim’s sources their crop from shade-grown operations, and then roasts it using renewable energy (wind and offsets). We love the chocolatey notes of the Santa-Marta blend used in Range bars, and actually brew it in our french press at home. It’s worth noting that because Range bars are made with REAL coffee, they have REAL caffeine content. Each bar contains about 43mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to drinking half a cup of black coffee.

Cocoa

Cocoa is thought to reduce inflammation, and protect cognitive function. We source an unsweetened, and high purity (95%+ cocoa content) cocoa powder for our meal bars.

Brown Rice Cereal

We wanted to add a bit more texture to our ultralight meal bars, which is where brown rice cereal comes in. This cereal is unsweetened, and serves as an excellent complex carb side-kick to whole grain oats.

Gum Acacia

Gum acacia is a naturally occurring sap from the acacia senegal tree, found in regions of Africa, India, and Pakistan. We use gum acacia as a natural way of binding in the oils from the nut butter content of our bars. As an added benefit, gum acacia is very high in fiber (upwards of 80%) and supports digestive health.

Jacobsen's Sea Salt

Any chef will tell you that high quality spices are key. We took note and pulled out all the stops on our selection of sea salt. Jacobsen’s harvests this flake salt from the pristine waters of Netarts Bay, Oregon. Not only can you taste the quality, but Jacobsen’s donates to the Elakha Alliance, which is helping to improve sea otter habitat along the Oregon Coast.

Cinnamon

You can’t beat the warm kick of some cinnamon. In addition to being a tasty spice, cinnamon is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, and is loaded with antioxidants.

Vegetable Glycerin

Vegetable glycerin is found in all sorts of daily products (baked goods, breakfast cereals, chocolate), and is produced from vegetable fats. The vegetable glycerin we use is made entirely from soybean crops and we use it to add a bit more moisture to the bars so they’re nice and fresh when you pull them from your pack.

Mixed tocopherols (aka vitamin E)

You may actually find mixed tocopherols in your pantry. Potentially right next to your fish oil supplement, in a bottle labeled vitamin E. Mixed tocopherols are comprised of several forms of vitamin E (alpha, gamma) and we use it as a natural way to offset rancidity in Range bars. The antioxidants in vitamin E (which are also great for skin health) bond to the natural fats in Range bars and help to stabilize them. This prolongs the length Range bars will last. In our testing, the peroxide value (which is an indication of rancidity) was stable throughout the 15 month test.