Local Spotlight

We are so excited to share with you our first product local spotlight together! We want to highlight companies and products made in our area, Southern California. Meeting the people behind the products that we love and digging as deep as we can into their stories, products, ingredients, manufacturing and bringing you the results. Rise Bar was a great company to start with!

Rise Bar

Rise Bar makes protein, energy and breakfast bars. They do not use artificial sweeteners, soy, gluten, peanuts or GMO’s. They believe in high quality and simple ingredients. Rise Bar manufactures their bars right here in California and we had the opportunity to tour the facility and meet the CEO Peter Spenuzza and VP of Operations Ben Hosseinzadeh. What a great experience this was for us!

Pete’s Story

While traveling and adventuring Pete discovered he had a gluten sensitivity. Being a health, fitness enthusiast and an adventure seeker he was eating protein bars often. He realized these protein bars had gluten in them and his body was reacting negatively to them. He started having what eventually became the three ingredient protein bar the Almond Honey Protein Bar. This is Rise Bar’s biggest seller and it has only three ingredients! All of Rise Bar’s protein bars have five ingredients or less. That’s where our focus is today. Rise Bar Vegan Protein Bars.

The Sisters With Founder & CEO Peter Spenuzza

Facility

Rise Bar’s manufacturing facility is in Irvine, California. The facility is gluten free, peanut free, soy free and it’s kosher as well. They purchase the individual ingredients in small batches in order to ensure the freshness of the bars. Pete told us that from the time an ingredient gets to their facility to the time that it is a bar and shipped is usually within 2-3 weeks. They can make 3000 bars a day on their machines and it was pretty cool watching the entire process. We saw where they initially freeze the nuts, then roast them and mix them. The mixture is then brought to another room, poured into the machine that makes them into bars. Next, they are packaged, weighed and boxed, ready to be shipped right from this facility to your door if you order via Rise Bar. What I also found interesting is if the bar is a little under or overweight it gets bounced, they cannot sell them. They bring these bars to expo’s and keep them for samples at their office. No wasting those bars. Love it!

Ingredients And Their Sources

We are going to focus specifically on the two vegan protein bars. The Sunflower Cinnamon Bar and the Cashew Lemon Bar. The vegan bars have only five ingredients. A struggle Rise Bar has had is consistency. Reason being, each batch of nuts or nut butter may taste a little different. The bars can be a little less or more oily, a little sweeter or not as sweet. This is because they have no artificial preservatives or stabilizers added. Just simple, mostly organic ingredients.

Sunflower Cinnamon Bar

Organic Sunflower Butter– USA, Pea Protein-Processed in China using US and Canadian Yellow Peas, Organic Coconut Nectar-Philippines, Organic Cinnamon Powder-Indonesia, Organic Vanilla Extract-USA (Vanilla Beans are from Madagascar).

Cashew Lemon Bar

Organic Cashew Butter-USA, Pea Protein-Processed in China using US and Canadian Yellow Peas, Organic Coconut Nectar-Philippines, Organic Lemon Extract-Canada, Organic Cashews Split–Southeast Asia.

What Do We Think About Rise Bar?

Kara’s Review: The Sunflower Cinnamon Bar

I think this is a pretty tasty bar. After reintroducing seeds my nutritionist suggested I try this specific bar as an on the go snack. I think the bar is delicious, although a bit sweet for me. It’s sweetness is probably the reason my husband and kids find it yummy as well.  I also only have a half of a bar at a time. Otherwise, as I alluded to in my Sunflower Seed Butter post, it binds me up. I get constipated. I’m not sure why exactly. hmm. While in Yosemite I was eating an entire bar for a few days and it caused the pipes to back up. Same thing happened when flying to and from The Netherlands. So for me, personally, my body can react to too much Sunflower seed butter. My husband and kids have absolutely no problems with any digestive issues or constipation.

Cashew Lemon bar. I have only consumed one of these bars, I am not eating cashews at the moment. This bar is also tasty. It has a similar taste and texture to the Sunflower Cinnamon bar, with that extra freshness that lemon can bring to the table. I would say it has a more refreshing taste than the Sunflower Cinnamon Bar, the lemon is subtle, but a nice touch. I had absolutely no digestive issues with this bar, but again, I only consumed one bar.

They also recently came out with mini bars, this is right up my alley. It’s just the right amount of bar for me! They even have a sampler pack. They’ve only rolled out a few flavors of their bars as of now, I’m hoping the Sunflower Cinnamon flavor will be added soon!

I give these two Rise Bars the Sisters Certified Stamp.

Make sure you know how much your body can tolerate and I hope Rise Bar finds a different Pea Protein source since I’m not fond of the China processing.

Kacy’s Thoughts

Oh Rise Bar, how much does my family love thee? My husband loves the Snickerdoodle Rise Bar and normally eats one after a workout. The first time he had one, he came home and just raved about it. I’ve lived with him long enough to know, when he comes home and starts talking about what he ate and how good it was, it has certainly made an impression.

My daughter loves the Sunflower Cinnamon and Lemon Cashew. This is literally something she comes home from school asking ever so lovingly  nagging me to have as a snack. I appreciate that her body craves whole foods that are good for her. She would eat these multiple times a day if she had her way.

At this point for me, I am only able to eat the Sunflower Cinnamon. I really do enjoy these bars. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet has some draw backs regarding quick snacks on the go. I always have a Rise Bar in my purse and it has bailed me out on several occasions. Like my sister, I can’t eat a whole one because of the sweetness.  The “normal” people in my life who actually eat sugar and fruit (!) don’t think it’s too sweet.

Overall, I am very pleased with Rise Bar. There are other Paleo Bars out there but they are normally high in natural sugars and most contain dates which are too sweet for me. I love it as a healthy snack for my daughter who thinks she is eating a candy bar when I give it to her (Mom Score!), I love seeing my husband eat a gluten free, healthy protein bar and I love them as snacks on the go. I love that they manufacture them at their own facility, which is a major feat alone. I give them a Sisters Certified stamp as well.

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What are your favorite store bought Paleo or Vegan bars for on the go? Have you tried Rise Bar? If so, please list your favorites in the comments below!

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