YouBar no longer customizes small orders for retail customers. They are still around, but now they do private label bar manufacturing. You can get more information at www.youbars.com. Another brand called The Bar Shack does do small retail orders.
Customization seems to be the wave of the customer service-oriented future, at least in the natural food industry. YouBar is ahead of the game with made-to-order energy bars, shakes, and trail mixes.
Since so many Go Dairy Free viewers have special diet needs beyond simply dairy-free, I jumped at the opportunity to see exactly how this company works.
YouBar offers a wonderfully easy website to navigate. You can purchase any of the items they readily make, or customize your own with their simple checklist format. When customized, you also get to name your products, making these products a great option for gift-giving.
Starting with the bar, I made mine milk-free (of course), gluten-free, and soy-free. Since I am not a fan of rice protein, I made a special request for using egg protein powder.
From there, I was able to pick every ingredient I wanted, right down to the sweetener (several vegan options available). In fact, they even let you choose how sweet you want them. My mix touted the following ingredient list: Almond Butter, Organic Dates, Organic Clover Honey, Egg Protein Powder, Sweetened Blueberries, Cherries, Organic Cashews, Almonds, Nutty Rice Cereal, All-One Vitamin Infusion.
The box the bars arrive in looks just like the store-bought bar boxes, housing thirteen professionally-wrapped bars. I must admit, it is very cool to bring your very own product to life this way.
Tasting Notes for YouBar
Inside, I discovered a bar that was a bit littler and chubbier than I had expected, but fulfilling nonetheless. I really enjoyed the flavors. It was a bit sweeter than the bars I make at home, but there wasn’t even a tinge of bitterness.
In terms of value, I found the bars a bit on the expensive side for everyday snacking. Though I definitely think the customization and personal touches warrant a higher price tag. At $2.89 per bar, I would expect a bar that is a bit larger. These weighed in at just 150 calories and were somewhat petite. However, I think the medium-sized bar (just $.10 more per bar) and large-sized bar (just $.30 more per bar) might be a much better deal.
However, for gift-giving, I really like this idea and consider the price tag to be quite good.
Note: All YouBar products come with nutrition label including ingredients and full nutrition facts. Since the products are made on shared equipment, those individuals with severe food allergies should speak with the company first, since the products may not be “safe” for them.
