A Day At The Bakery

To my fellow sports dietitians, I have a question for you... What is your "nut free" bar of choice?  

Full disclosure, I have no financial ties to this brand, I am just genuinely just amazed by 88 Acres. You may have noticed this brand at Whole Foods or on your last Delta flight without even realizing how unique an offering it is. 

I stumbled upon this incredibly inclusive brand a while back when looking for a nut-free option for some of our athletes, and over the years I have grown to truly admire 88 Acres’ mission. Last month, I had the honor of touring their bakery, located just outside of Boston and would love to share the highlights.  

For those who may be new to the brand, it starts with a love story. Founders Nicole and Rob were on their fourth date when Rob had an allergic reaction. To avoid any such reaction in the future, Nicole began making these delicious and nutritious bars in her kitchen for him, free of potential allergens… peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and sesame (also free of chemicals, isolates and artificial sweeteners) and at the same time chock full of ALL the wonderful things... flavor, fiber, healthy fat, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Already sold on taste and flavor from personal experience, our tour truly won us over as we learned from the Co-Founder, Rob, and their amazing Registered Dietitian, Caitlin about the inner workings of 88 Acres (named after the 88 Acre farm that Nicole was raised on). Here are some of my favorite fun facts... 

· Every single ingredient is thoughtfully sourced, and nothing even makes it into the facility until it goes through a meticulous evaluation process.

· The "leftover" crumbs from the production process are made into their scrumptious "Seed-nola," and then anything after that is composted and shared with local farms to promote sustainability.

· The employee turnover rate is 10% that of the industry standard for factory positions and the company provides a shuttle for those employees who live near their previous location, but still want to work for them as they have grown into a large production facility.

Back to my question... I am super curious what others provide as a bar to their athletes with nut allergies or any of the major allergens? If you decide to check this bar out, it doesn't just have to be the "nut free" or the dairy free or gluten free option. I am willing to bet (dietary restrictions of not) many will find a Seed & Oat or Protein bar flavor they will enjoy!