I started making Picky Bars for my gluten and dairy intolerant husband Jesse, and next thing I knew, people in Eugene started vibing on them. The food business was never something I envisioned myself involved in, but some things just kind of happen, and everything with Picky Bars has happened in such a way that it seems meant to be.
The bars are made to the specifications of some of the pickiest eaters around: pro-athletes. Jesse and I consume so many calories in bar form that it was really important to me that my recipes actually tasted good. Now we (and all our fellow Picky Eaters) are totally spoiled because we get homemade bars, made of awesome, real food ingredients, that are fresher than any other bar you can get. Learn more about the Picky Story, check out the nutrition facts, and shop at PickyBars.com
Pretty soon we will be releasing our “Picky Club” where you can get monthly shipments to your door at a special club rate, along with cool extras. The club will add convenience for regular Picky Eaters, and will give us a testing group for new flavors, and a community to share some fun extras with. Until then, follow us on twitter and facebook, order your bars online and enjoy the benefits of Picky eating!
27 Responses to “Picky Bars!”
Leave a Reply
“Picky Club?1?” – be still my heart!!! I’m having palpitations just entertaining the idea. I would like to be unofficially (or officially) become president or, at the very least, customer #1.
I love your Picky Bars! Had two of them on my 5 hour ride last weekend. They aren’t too heavy, but filing enough to get me through the rides. Can’t wait to keep eating them! They taste great!
Five hours. Love it. You make me feel like a slacker with a 10-13 mile a day regimen! Glad to hear the bars worked well for you. They digest like a dream
You both make me feel like a slacker considering I nearly died on my long run today and had to be rescucitated with tortilla chips and a banana. My long run is like near your usual total mileage and if I ran for 5 hours, I would be in an ER immediately. But, you go girls!
Just reordered a mix pack of Picky Bars for my high school runner. Trying to stock up for cross country season but the entire family has been enjoying our picky bar discovery. Love the blog Lauren, thanks for sharing your experience and advice with fellow runners.
In many a Picky Eater’s home, there are sneaky people who steal from the PB stash!
I would be the leetle mouse sneakeating the nutless wonders while athlete housemates sleep off long run. I hope they heal broken leg soon, so I can have great workout with Big Balls from Texas on ElliptiGo anytime 2012. The bars are so yummy that they send messages to brain it is time for two-a-day workouts. You know, more bars, less meals. You have done well Stanford Lady and are inspiration for me to run again, and I will. Facing adversity and believing in myself to heal quickly.
Kenan R
Thanks Kenan.
They are delicious. Traveling at the moment, but ordering more when I get back in town.
Just got my package and tried the original picky goodness – tastes amazing and I feel full, hoping it will last and I won’t get that nasty blood sugar crash later this afternoon like with many other bars…
I was so happy to hear that the bars were working out for you. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi Lauren!
I am a college runner, and I discovered your blog when I read about you in Runner’s World. I am curious about your picky bars and I was wondering if you could tell me what you use the picky bars for. Recovery-meal, pre-workout meal, a snack?
Love your blog!
Hi Kristine!
My initial intention was to use them as a recovery bar. That is why I make every recipe with a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio: the ratio recommended for 15-45 minutes post-exercise to maximize recovery. There are liquid products that use these ratios, but I couldn’t find any bars that had this ratio, especially not ones made of real food (without extra crap and crushed up vitamin pills in them), much less in an appropriate size (most are too big and ruin my dinner or contribute to over-eating), and definitely not ones that were gluten and dairy free!
So that was the original inspiration.
But then I started experimenting with them, and had my athlete and non-athlete friends do the same. Through trial and error, there are now multiple ways I use them.
I use Picky Bars four ways:
1. The whole bar 60-90 minutes before I run with a small glass of water, tea, or coffee.
2. Half a bar 30 minutes before a run when I’m hungry but don’t have time to digest much (with a bit of water).
3. As a perfect recovery snack within 15-30 minutes of finishing a workout (this is my favorite way to use it).
Quite a few ultra-marathoners and triathletes have written in to tell us that they work really well during ultra-runs and bike rides. We have also had great positive feedback from rock climbers who use them on long climbs.
Some things we are told regularly from during-exercise users:
“they don’t dry your mouth out at all like other bars,”
“the energy lasts a long time and doesn’t upset my stomach”
“they are the perfect size to fit in the pocket of your shorts,” and
“they taste satisfying in a way that processed bars don’t”
We are also popular with professionals who work in jobs where they are on their feet a lot (i.e. nurses and teachers). Quite a few people like to eat one for breakfast with a latte! I do that too before morning runs
So there you have it. The best thing to do is experiment with em, and then let us know how they work for you!
Mike Blackmore is going to give me some bars to try.
Thanks
I would like to purchase bars for resale at my yoga studio. I teach a class for runners and for all athletes. I think runners will grab ‘em up woof em down. I will start with 64 for my studio and more for Eugene yoga when classes start there.
Kenan
Great. Thanks Kenan! I gave your information along to Jenn who will get you hooked up with an account this week. I appreciate the business very much!
Lauren
I got my picky bars today and am so excited to try them out! Thank you so much for the autographed pic! I am a big fan!
Online Article……
While I was browsing today I noticed a excellent article concerning workout supplements. Maybe you can drop down on my blog and say what you think….
Hey Lauren,
I noticed that you guys do not have any distributers in the Los Angeles area. With all of the Whole Foods stores out here it would seem like a good place to sell the bars. Any plans on picking up an LA distributer?
Thanks!
I get dry mouth easily so when running on my elliptiGo, I keep a bite of Picky bar in my mouth to suck on and then chew it down. One bar easily lasts an hour unless I am hungry. Also, I like to eat a bar with iced coffee an hour before workout. I love, love, love the mega-nuts. My wife asked “can’t we make some bars of our own”, and I said “These are freakin’ science dudess!”
[...] too. She started a company out of her kitchen in which she makes her own energy bars, called Picky Bars, inspired by her pro-triathlete husband’s dairy and gluten [...]
Lauren, I find the story behind Picky Bars so exciting and inspiring. I too am considering starting a business in the food industry, although my idea is to prepare and sell healthy dehydrated meals for backpackers. Right now I’m just playing around in the kitchen working on perfecting the recipes, like you and Stephanie did with the bars. I was wondering though how you guys made the next step from something only you and your friends were munching on to a product that consumers are able to purchase. And is it true that you make the bars in your own kitchen!? How do you guys produce enough of them? I’m also curious about the logistics and legality regarding food safety requirements. Did you just research all of that yourself? I find your story fascinating. I wish you the best of luck on the track as well as in the business world.
Lauren, my entire family loves the Picky Bars. I was in one of the world’s best running stores yesterday, Big Dog” in Columbus,Ga. I saw an autographed picture of you. How can I get one????
Hey, Lauren!
I just got my envelope of Picky Bars. I had been doing huge yardwork–lugging downed trees that had fallen during that freak NE snowstorm that hit when I was in DC running the Marine Corps Marathon. This on top of my morning strength training workout (massive squats and lunges) made me freakishly hungry. I tried one of your “Lauren’s Favorite” bars. YUMMERIFIC!!!!!
Ready to run the Old Wethersfield 10k tomorrow. And you know what I’m gonna scarf after crossing that finish line!
Thanks for the great bars.
Shira
a.k.a. Marathon Mom from CT
Hi Lauren and crew,
I am an aspiring pro-cyclist, I currently race on a So-Cal elite women’s team. I also work at ElliptiGO and I tried your bars at the World Championship a few weeks ago. PS Was hoping to race you, hope to see you next year! I am gluten free and mostly dairy free (stomach is so much happier) and I am in love with your bars! Just wanted to let you know and encourage you guys to keep producing! I will have to stock up on this product and hopefully turn my teammates onto them! Thanks so much!
-Tammy
hey, Lauren,
fyi, spotted a runner wearing a yellow picky bars t-shirt at the South Pasadena Tiger run this past weekend.
Sweetness!