Did you know that serendipity is one of the hardest words to translate into any other language? Well, a near-perfect example of such a happy coincidence happened to me recently. As I mentioned here I’ve been trying to get back into some healthier habits lately, but one of the hardest things has to be those moments when you need to pick up a quick snack on the go. My local supermarket has recently started colour-coding the nutritional information on the front of their packaging and trust me, the amount of glowing red labels is enough to make you run for cover (or leave empty-handed!)
It seemed therefore like a little ray of light when I spotted they had started selling Nākd Bars. Made up of less than a handful of natural, raw ingredients, they are wheat, dairy and gluten-free, with real nutritional value. I picked up a ‘Cashew Cookie’ bar to have at my desk as a mid-morning snack (OK, so it may not have made it past 9am) and spent a good five minutes raving to my colleague about how good it was.
So where is the coincidence? As luck would have it, a few hours later an email dropped into my inbox inviting me to try out and review a range of… Nākd Bars! You can probably tell from the above that I jumped for joy at the prospect of testing their other flavours.
Natural Balance Foods, who make Nākd Bars and other equally yummy-looking wholefood snacks, are a British company that got started a decade ago exactly to provide unprocessed snacks that can be eaten on the go. The classic Nākd Bars come in nine different flavours, all with only a few ingredients and occasionally some natural flavourings. Upon trying them all, the thing that amazed me was how each of them is so true to their name despite so little having gone into it – it definitely shows how unnecessary a lot of sugars and flavourings are in most products like this!
The nutty flavour of the ‘Cashew Cookie’ that I’d first tried was sweet but not sugary, with a rich lightly chewy texture. Of the other flavours, I was most curious to try the ‘Rhubarb & Custard’ as it was so hard to imagine quite how that would or could work. I tucked into one of these first and honestly, it tasted just like rhubarb and custard sweets! The real treat however, had to be the bars with cocoa in – ‘Caffé Mocha,’ ‘Cocoa Delight’ and ‘Cocoa Mint’ were all as good as any chocolate bar with an even richer texture and dark heavenly taste.
I was already convinced after my first try that these were going to become my ‘go-to’ snack but I’m even more certain after trying the rest of their flavours. Their website offers free UK shipping and international shipping options so be sure to check out their full natural foods range.
What is your go-to snack when you’re out and about? Share your recommendations below!
Yes, I like these too of I’m out & I don’t have anything on me. I make my own nut & date style bars so I don’t eat them often, but they are good :)
Exactly, it’s so good to have an option like this for those occasions. I’m keen to try out making my own too :)
Hi Nat,
I’ve been reading your blog since you mentioned it :)
The nakd bars sound delicious. I’ll try to make my own, got a recipe the other day.
Btw, serendipity is my new favourite word. I sometimes find myself repeating it in my head because it sounds so cool pronouncing it :)
Aww thanks for checking it out :) You’ll have to let me know how it goes if you make some.
Serendipity is definitely one of those pleasing words to say! Is there a Swedish equivalent?
I’ve been searching for a good on-the-go vegan bar, and this sounds perfect! Was it grainy at all? Sometimes I have a hard time with bar texture, if it tastes chalky/grainy at all. I hope that makes sense!
It makes perfect sense and I can safely say that the texture of these was perfect. Some flavours were especially moist compared to others but none were at all dry or chalky. Would definitely recommend giving them a try :)
I’ve so often been curious to try these, but put off by a vague memory of trying something similar at least a year ago and being disappointed. Having read this review a day or two ago, when I saw some yesterday I had to finally give in and see if I agreed. I picked up the Berry Cheeky and Cocoa Delight, intending not to scoff them both in the one day, and failed miserably. The first was very nice – I’d happily have it as a snack any day – but the latter was INSANELY delicious! I couldn’t believe how choclatey they’d managed to get it to taste. o.O They’re too expensive for me to have regularly, but I think I’m definitely taking one of these to keep my company on next week’s 6-hour train journey to Edinburgh. Thanks for the push! :p
I’m so happy to hear this inspired you to give them a try! The Cocoa Delight really is so chocolatey! I’d recommend trying the Cocoa Mint one too :) The price is a bit off-putting as an everyday snack but it’s worth having a nose around their website – you can get some good deals if you buy a box. Having said that, it would take some serious rationing not to end up eating them all in a few days!
Hope it made a good train companion; I’ve just been on holiday and took one along for the flight… it certainly beat anything that Ryanair had to offer on-board ;) Thanks again for letting me know you tried them and what you thought, always great to hear!
These bars sounds really tasty & there is a large range of them! I haven’t found them yet in Belgium,…maybe on-line?
Yes you can buy them online via their website and they do international delivery. In fact, their delivery costs to Belgium are subsidised so it should be reasonable for you :)
Thanks! x
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