Everything you need to know about Gut Bar

Founder Helen Snook talks us through the snack bar packed with some of best health-boosting foods known to science— that still tastes delicious.

Written by

Helen Snook - Co-Founder

1. CAN YOU DESCRIBE GUT BAR IN A SENTENCE?

It’s a delicious and nutrient-dense raw superfood snack to fuel your body between meals.

2. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO CREATE A SNACK BAR?

My passion for snack bars goes way back! Over 15 years ago, I wrote my university dissertation on how misleading so much of the messaging is—especially for cereal bars—by making us believe we’re choosing something “healthy” when we’re not.

Most of us snack at least once a day, but crisps, cookies and chocolate bars are the snacks eaten the most regularly in the UK. These choices give us a quick dopamine hit yet are nutritionally poor and ignore what our bodies are asking us to do—which is to give us fuel until our next meal. Snacking isn’t inherently bad, but our options and/or choices often are. Replacing one daily unhealthy snack with a healthy option could help to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

So many of our customers also love the convenience of using our single-serve sachets of Body in our Shaker Bottle that we wanted to create another easy way to boost your nutrition on the go.

3. IN A MARKET SATURATED WITH HIGH-PROTEIN BARS, WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH WITH THE GUT BAR?

If you want a high-protein snack, foods like Greek yoghurt, eggs or edamame beans (or our Recover blend!) are so much better for you than highly processed protein bars full of additives and artificial sweeteners.

However, there is another nutrient that will bring about a LOT more benefits than ultra-processed protein bars—and that is fibre. Fibre can be found in dried fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, which are naturally easy to transport, store and combine, making them perfect for a snack bar. Although the perception is that fibre isn’t as sexy as protein, it’s so important for our heart health, blood sugar levels and gut health—and what’s sexier than feeling great?!

4. WERE THERE ANY GAPS OR CHALLENGES IN THE SNACK BAR INDUSTRY THAT YOU WANTED TO ADDRESS?

We wanted to make a snack bar that’s affordable, delicious and nutritious. I like to think of Gut Bar as a “mini meal” where every bite has a positive impact on your health, fueling your day while keeping you fuller for longer.

5. DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GUT BAR, WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU PARTICULARLY PRIORITISED OR REFUSED TO COMPROMISE ON?

Taste and texture! There was no point in us creating another health food bar that you feel like you should eat rather than want to eat. It took us a really long time to find the right partner to make this with as we didn’t have an easy brief and it was a unique product to create: we wanted to include our Body powder plus other quality ingredients but not in a bar that was hard to chew. We did a lot of product development and kept refining the recipe.

We also wouldn’t compromise on additives which meant choosing the more expensive option sometimes, like freeze-dried blueberries instead of blueberry flavouring. Every ingredient in Gut Bar, like the rest of our products, has a nutritional benefit.

6. WHAT MAKES THE GUT BAR NUTRITIONALLY SUPERIOR TO THE COUNTLESS OTHER SNACK BAR OUT THERE?

Some bars claim to have “no added sugar” to distract from their high levels of natural sugars. Gut Bar has just 4.1 grams of natural sugars—which is 65% less than market-leading cereal and raw fruit bars—and this comes from our plant ingredients so is accompanied by 7.8 grams of fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. Since 95% of us are deficient in fibre, Gut Bar helps you get closer to the recommended 30 grams of fibre per day.

7. DOES THE GUT BAR CONTAIN ANY INGREDIENTS THAT YOU WOULDN'T USUALLY FIND IN A SNACK BAR?

Gut Bar contains 20 superfoods, 15 of which come from the inclusion of our bestselling Body blend. These include weird and wonderful ingredients from around the world that have proven benefits for immunity, digestion and energy like reishi mushroom, moringa and purple carrot. But don’t worry, the prominent flavour is berries and nuts!

8. CAN YOU HAVE BODY AND GUT BAR ON THE SAME DAY?

Yes, having both on the same day is even better for getting closer to the daily recommended fibre intake! I avoid both at the same time as that would be quite a lot of fibre in one sitting which could make you constipated if you weren’t hydrated enough. I tend to have Body at home before I start work and then a Gut Bar mid-morning or in the afternoon which satiates me until my next meal.

In addition to the Body blend ingredients, there’s also Brazil nuts, almond butter, flax seeds, whole grains, dates and freeze-dried blueberries which diversify your plant intake even further.