Square Organics launched in 2012 when couple Andrew and Sarah couldn’t find an indulgent treat that satisfied their taste buds and provided a protein boost. Sarah had battled with asthma most of her life and it wasn’t until an elimination diet controlled the disease but took away the fun in eating. To manage the asthma, she’d have to avoid gluten, dairy, soy, animal protein, and processed sugars for the rest of her life. These limitations led to a lot of kitchen experimenting and 18 months later, the coated protein on-the-go squares were born.
Today, Square Organics has chocolate coated protein bars, nut butter crisp bars, and protein popcorns. The company’s philosophy remains simple and constant: use high quality, whole food ingredients and the taste will follow. The company is also dedicated to the anti-human trafficking nonprofit, Not For Sale. Square Organics donates a quarterly contribution based on net sales to help abolish human trafficking and support those who have been a victim of it. Not For Sale provides shelter, healthcare, education, and workforce training to thousands every year. Square Organics has contributed over $40,000 to this nonprofit at the time of this blog post.
Square Organics is a fairly new company with a bright future. The snacks are high quality and insanely delicious! Today, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite products, the chocolate coated bars. The chocolate coated organic protein bar is available in eight flavors including Chocolate Coated Nuts and Sea Salt, Chocolate Coated Peanut Butter, Chocolate Coated Cookie Dough, Chocolate Coated Almond Spice, Chocolate Coated Mint, Chocolate Coated Crunch, Chocolate Coated Cherry Coconut, and Chocolate Coated Coconut. Let’s take a closer look at Chocolate Coated Coconut flavor here but head on over to Amazon to stock up on the delicious flavors!
Taste Experience – 10 out of 10
I cannot express how excited I was to open the Square Organics Chocolate Coated Coconut Protein Bar and have it actually smell like decadent chocolate. Not like a fake chemical crap storm or a big blow of protein powder, but chocolate! This is maybe one of the most refreshing smells after trying my fair share of chocolate based vegan protein bars.
The chocolate coated protein bar had me at first bite ya’ll. The chocolate coating is real and doesn’t taste waxy. The bar is subtlety sweet but fixes the sweet tooth without any weird aftertaste. The outside creamy coating balances well with the smooth, bar texture. The coconut is easy to taste, but there are no coconut chunks (which even as a huge coconut lover, I didn’t miss).
If I hadn’t read the label, I would not be able to tell the bar is a great source or vegan, soy free protein; there is no chalky or dryness commonly found in other vegan protein bars. In general, the chocolate and coconut combination in Square Organics tastes more like a candy bar like concoction than a plant-based protein bar! Square Organics Chocolate Coated Coconut Protein Bar is probably one (if not the) best protein bar I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot). I enjoy the bar plain as it is, chopped up on top of smoothie bowls, chopped and pressed into a dessert crust, and crumbled on a vegan ice cream or pudding. That is how delicious these bars are. Check the bars out on Amazon and get inspired today.
Nutrition – 10 out of 10
Square Organics Chocolate Coated Coconut Organic Protein Bar has clear, wholesome ingredients that not only taste amazing but translate into equally great nutrition. Each 1.7oz bar contains 230 calories with 100 of those calories coming from fat since the bulk of the bar is coconut nectar. Coconut’s composition is mostly fat, so it’s not surprising there are 11 grams of total fat, 9 of those grams being saturated fat from the coconut. Fat takes a longer time to digest and even though this bar is small in size, you can expect it to keep you full longer with the fat (and protein) content.
Speaking of protein, Square Organics uses organic whole grain brown rice protein. The brown rice protein is the second highest ingredient by weight volume contributing to a whopping 11 grams of protein in a very small size. Most other vegan protein bars are twice the size with the same amount of protein. Also, a lot of vegan protein bars use a soy based protein or have soy based ingredients. The brown rice protein in Square Organics is one of the most highly digestible and most allergy/intolerance friendly protein sources out there.
The bar does not have any added sugars aside from the organic dried cane syrup used to make the coating. This creates a bar that is relatively low in carbohydrates (21 grams per bar) with natural fibers (2 grams of fiber per bar) to help control glycemic response.
The bar does not contain added vitamins or minerals but is a good source of iron (15 percent Daily Value), magnesium, and phosphorus (both with 10 percent Daily Value). The vegan protein bar has 2 percent Daily Value Vitamin C and 4 percent Daily Value Calcium. These micronutrients most likely stem from the organic whole brown rice protein.
Aside from no added vitamins and minerals, Square Organics doesn’t add salt to their chocolate coated protein bars. Most vegan and non-vegan protein bars have added salt to counter the taste of the protein powder or excessive sweetener added. The bar contains only 30mg of naturally occurring sodium and makes a great choice for healthy living and those of you watching your sodium intake.
Square Organics Chocolate Coated Protein Bar makes a great snack choice (particularly in the late afternoon when your sweet tooth kicks in!). The bar could also be consumed as a small breakfast with a piece of fruit. Square Organics Chocolate Coated Bars have 11 grams of protein and 11 grams of healthy fat to help keep you satisfied and keep hunger at bay while increasing you micronutrient intake in a convenient package. Pretty cool, right? Check the protein bars out for yourself on Amazon.
The Non-Vegan Review – 7 out 10
Whoa, this has a interesting after taste. I can’t figure out if it’s the chocolate or the coconut. Maybe you get used to it after a while. It’s not totally unfortunate. It’s definitely not as good as a “Kit Kat” bar, which is what this reminds me of. The chocolate flavor is really strong with a nice coconut flavor. I really like the blended in coconut bits. You don’t usually see actual coconut flakes in most bars. My plant-killing wife loves these, like really loves these, but I just don’t see it. The funny after taste is a bit of a turn-off. Come to think of it, she didn’t mention anything about an after taste and I did see her messing with the bar before she gave to me. Oh God, I knew it was coming one day…. do you think she’s trying to poison me? It was a subtle sort of after taste, like someone planning a long-term poisoning, like 60 minutes style, where the husband is sick for years before he kicks the can. Oh God, folks, this may be my last post…. please buy these bars on Amazon, so my wife can afford my final arrangements. Non-vegan husband out, hopefully not for good.
Parting Thoughts
Square Organics Chocolate Coated Coconut Protein Bar is the perfect solution to fulfill a sweet tooth craving while increasing your protein and nutrient intake. The bar tastes indulgent without any guilt and helps vegans and non-vegans alike meet their protein needs. The protein bar is a nutritional and scrumptious choice for anyone with gluten, peanut, soy, and animal protein sensitivities. I highly recommend Square Organics – check out the Chocolate Coated Coconut Bar on Amazon and try all the flavors! You will not be disappointed.