FRISCO, TEXAS — Americans tend to lead busy, on-the-go lifestyles, and many are moving away from eating three square meals a day. Food options can be limited, however, for those who follow a strict diet or are looking for something nutritious as well as filling.
Sola Bars are savory meal replacement products aimed at satisfying health-conscious, on-the-go consumers.
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| Sola Lamikanra, president of Sola Snacks |
“As the dismantling of the traditional three sit-down meals routine takes place in America, a new eating trend is emerging, one focused on mini-meals and healthy snacks,” said Sola Lamikanra, president of Sola Snacks. “We are also capitalizing on the healthier snacking trend in which traditional higher-sugar, higher-fat snacks are being replaced at the check-out with better-for-you, on-the-go offerings.”
Sola Bars are currently available in four flavors. The Roasted Garlic and Sea Salt bar features onion, thyme and sage in addition to garlic and sea salt, respectively. The Cinnamon bars contain nutmeg, ginger and clove, aiming to curb a sweet tooth while staying low in sugar. Jalapeño bars contain spicy peppers along with rosemary, oregano and anise seed. Chipotle bars contain smoky chipotle peppers with cilantro, thyme, mustard and onion.
“Sola Bars can be paired with a sandwich, fruit, soup, wine or just about anything,” Ms. Lamikanra said. “They are extremely low in sugar, good sources of fiber and protein, vegan, non-G.M.O., gluten-free, and soy-free. Sola Bars contain nothing that you can’t find in your pantry or can’t pronounce and are not fortified with fiber or protein isolates.”
Staying away from animal products and large quantities of sugar was incredibly important for Ms. Lamikanra and her team, who acknowledged difficulties facing consumers looking to maintain specific lifestyles.
“Underserved cohorts such as vegans, ovo-vegetarians and lacto-vegetarians currently have very limited options due to the dominating presence of dairy- and egg-based products in the meal replacement product market,” Ms. Lamikanra said. “(Gluten-sensitive or gluten-allergic individuals) and consumers such as diabetics, who are trying to limit their sugar intake, also have limited choices in the snack bar category.”
Sola Snacks’ early demographic testing showed strong support from young consumers, according to Ms. Lamikanra.
“A number of small focus group tests indicated the highest enthusiasm for the product is by health-and-fitness-conscious millennials and younger individuals,” she said. “Our interpretation is that this demographic is less ‘indoctrinated’ to the sweet snack bar concept.”
Sola Bars are currently available to purchase online at www.solasnacks.com as well as www.amazon.com.
“Our meal bar concept is increasingly being embraced by a variety of consumers,” she said. “Sola Bars aren’t just a new product, they’re a disruptive concept in the snack category.”
