Square Organics started with power couple Andrew and Sarah. Sarah turned to a plant-based diet to manage her lifelong severe asthma and when she had such great results, she was determined to find an indulgent treat that was still vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and without processed sugars. After much experimenting, the couple first created chocolate coated protein bars.
Today, Square Organics still has chocolate coated protein bars along with nut butter crisp bars, and protein popcorns. Square Organic’s philosophy remains simple – they use high quality, whole food ingredients and the taste will follow. The vegan plant-based snacks are indeed high quality with amazing taste.
I’ve tried all of the Square Organic products, but we’re going to review the nut butter and popped grain based plant-based protein bar. Square Organics vegan protein bar with the nut butter and popped grain base comes in three flavors including Vanilla Cashew Crisp, Chocolate Sea Salt Crisp, and Toasted Coconut Crisp. We’re going to review the Vanilla Cashew Crisp flavor today. You can find this flavor and all three highly rated/reviewed vegan nutrition bars in a variety pack on Amazon.
Taste Experience – 9 out of 10
The bar looks like the inside of a Fig Newton with tiny specks of brown rice crisps and amaranth. The smell is quite neutral, slightly sweet and slightly nutty.
At first bite, I’m surprised at how light, airy, and crispy the bar is! I thought it was going to be heavy and dense like most vegan nut based protein bars but it’s quite refreshing. There’s a nutty quality to the taste, likely from the popped grains and cashew butter. The coconut nectar provides a hit of sweetness but with a unique depth to the taste. Similar to how molasses adds a rich depth to baked goods, the coconut nectar adds complexity. This complexity is yet another tastefully pleasant surprise as I was expecting it to be more of a thick chewy Clif type plant-based nutrition bar but instead it’s nutty, wholesome, light, and airy quality. The best thing I can equate this Vanilla Cashew Crisp Protein bar to is an adult version of a Rice Krispy treat – it’s super tasty but has an earthy nutrition bite to it. The unique texture and nutty taste would make a create topping chopped up on a smoothie bowl or as is! Try them out today on Amazon and support a tasty product and progressive company.
Nutrition – 9 out of 10
Each Square Organics Vanilla Cashew Crisp Protein Bar has 230 calories with about half of those calories coming from healthy fat in the cashew butter. There are 12 grams of total fat and four grams of saturated fat. The fat sources are the cashew butter, cashews, and coconut oil. The saturated fat is plant-based (from the coconut oil) and is an appropriate amount in a healthy diet.
There are 110mg (5%) of sodium per Square Organics Vegan Protein Bar in the Vanilla Cashew Crisp flavor and 190mg (5%) of potassium per bar to support electrolyte balance and healthy nutrition.
The protein bar has 22grams of total carbohydrates with only one gram of fiber and nine grams of low glycemic sugar as Square Organics uses coconut nectar as the sweetener. This makes Square Organics Vanilla Cashew Crisp Vegan Protein Bar a great choice for anyone with glucose sensitivity. The bar is also gluten-free (like other Square Organics products) for any gluten-sensitive individual or those looking for plant-based protein on a Celiac gluten-free diet.
There is a whopping ten grams of plant-based protein (organic whole grain brown rice protein) in this relatively tiny square nutrition bar. The bar is soy-free and the brown rice protein tends to be a highly digestible plant-based protein source. Although there is only one gram of fiber per protein crisp bar, the high plant-based protein and total fat amount will help keep you satisfied and happily nourished.
Square Organics does not add vitamins and minerals to the plant-based protein bars but the wholesome ingredients provide 6% of your total iron needs for the day (consume the bar with a source of Vitamin C to increase this plant-based iron), 10% of your phosphorus needs for the day, and 10% of your magnesium needs for the day.
If you’re ready to satisfy your taste buds and elevate your nutrition, check out Square Organics Vanilla Cashew Crisp Protein Bar on Amazon.
The Non-Vegan Review – Totally love these out of 10
Yes, I totally love these little squares of crispy, crunchy, chewy cashew goodness. You vegans really know how to make a fantastic protein bar. The whey based bars on the market are just nasty compared to almost all of the vegan bars I’ve had. I think it comes down to creativity. Us carnivores just don’t have the creative juices. We know what we can eat and so we’re not trying as hard to come up with new products or flavor profiles. Vegans on the other hand, are always looking for new things they can eat, and y’all are a creative group when it comes to food. But, I digress. Back to this little square of joy. 10 huge grams of vegan protein, crazy good cashew butter/coconut flavor and the craziest texture ever. I love the little popped crispy things in the bar. My vegan ball-and-chain says it’s from amaranth. Wtf is amaranth? Well, she said it’s an ancient cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants. Oh okay, thanks honey bunny, that clears it all up. Anyway, these are fantastic protein bars. Get u some on Amazon, now. Non-vegan husband out.
Parting Thoughts
Square Organics makes some incredible vegan plant-based protein options wrapped up in convenient packages with unique tastes (the chocolate coated protein bars) and unique textures (the nut butter and popped grain protein bars). This Vanilla Cashew Crisp Vegan Protein Bar provides a unique light and airy texture with added protein to help elevate snacking. Again, this plant-based bar is like an adult version of a Rice Krispy treat – tasty and slightly sweet without compromising nutrition. You can find a box of these Square Organics gluten-free plant-based nutrition bars on Amazon. And until next time, Happy Eating!