An Energy Bar Made From… Bison Meat?

Photo credit: Courtesy of Epic

Just when you think you’ve seen (and tasted) everything, along comes an energy bar made not from the typical nuts, grains, or soy, but from bison meat and bacon.

Billed as the “100% Grass Fed Bison-Bacon-Cranberry Bar,” it’s made by a small company with a bold name: Epic. Based in Austin, Texas, Epic was founded two years ago by Taylor Collins and Katie Forrest, competitive athletes who bonded over their love of the outdoors. They were looking for a different kind of energy bar and became inspired by a Native American foodstuff called pemmican, a mix of dried and pounded meat, fat, and dried fruit. “Our bars are not for everyone, and we tell people that all the time,” Collins told blogger Catch Carri earlier this year. (The couple also founded a second company, Thunderbird Energetica, which makes a series of raw, soy-free, and gluten-free energy bars.)

In addition to the bison flavor, Epic produces three other meat-based bars—Beef-Habanero-Cherry, Turkey-Almond-Cranberry, and Lamb-Currant-Mint—all of which are paleo diet-friendly and gluten-free.

Here’s a quick rundown on the bison bars:

Texture: The appearance is off-putting—like some kind of moist pink dog treat—but the texture isn’t too bad. It’s more like sausage than beef jerky.

Flavor: Slightly smoky, with a hint of barbecue sauce and a little sweetness. It immediately made me think of the Hickory Farms Summer Sausage my family would buy at the mall when I was younger.

Main ingredients: Organic bison, uncured bacon (made of pork, brown sugar, and vinegar), and dried cranberries (made of cranberries and apple juice concentrate).

Photo credit: Courtesy of Epic

Calories: 200 per bar.

Price: $30 for a box of 12 on the Epic website; individual bars are $2.89 on Amazon.

The competition: Omnibar makes beef bars; Tanka Bars, made by Native American Natural Foods based on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, produces buffalo bars.

The online reviews: 3.8 stars out of 5 on Amazon, based on more than 100 reviews. A reviewer for the Military Times said she loved the taste.

Interesting fact: The first company to file a trademark for an “energy snack in rod form” was Pillsbury in 1970. The resulting product was called Space Food Sticks. The astronauts who were part of the Skylab 3 mission counted these among their outer space snacks.

More health-related stories:
3 Paleo Breakfasts, Tons of Energy All Day
Does Carrot Juice Make You Tan?
Green Juice On a Stick