The Bear Naked brand began in 2002 with a line of homemade, all-natural granola, all whipped up and sold directly by co-founders Kelly Flatley and Brendan Synnott. A decade and a corporate buyout later – Bear Naked was purchased by Kellogg’s Kashi subsidiary in 2007 – the company’s products can now be found in some 10,000 retailers across the country, and the line has grown to include everything from cereals, to trail mix, to snack bars.
Of course, that’s not to say that they have abandoned their roots. The company has remained dedicated to producing all-natural products, with a focus on powering outdoor athletes and backcountry adventures, with a particular focus on energy products for winter sports. Per Bear Naked PR: “Ever since our first batch of granola, we’ve been committed to selecting nature’s most powerful and flavorful ingredients to provide simple, honest nutrition without sacrificing taste.”
As far as snowshoers are concerned, the company’s soft baked cookies are of particular interest. Available in both Fruit and Nut and Double Chocolate varieties and easy to toss in a jacket pocket for a day in the backcountry, both cookies are based on Bear Naked’s signature granola and include whole grain oats and of the other all-natural, energy packed ingredients that come along with that.
The Fruit and Nut cookies include raisins, walnuts, cranberries and almonds, while the Double Chocolate are all about semi-sweet chocolate chips and cocoa with the added crunch of walnuts and almonds. Both are ideal for backcountry snacking, and pack that natural type of energy boost that only comes from granola.
Cookies too bulky for your pack, or too at risk for crumbling? The company also recently introduced a series of trail mixes. Available in three flavors — Pecan Apple Flax, Cranberry Protein and Chocolate Cherry – all of the Bear Naked rules apply: All-natural, whole ingredients, healthy nuts and dried fruits. It’s like granola that you can eat out of the palm of your hand.
Speaking of the granola, Bear Naked has expanded from its initial line and now offers four different varieties of traditional granola — Fruit and Nut, Maple Pecan, Heavenly Chocolate and Banana Nut – as well as two types in its low fat Bear Naked Fit line –Vanilla Almond Crunch and Triple Berry Crunch. They all include whole grain oats, honey, whole nuts – including various almonds, walnuts and pecans – and dried fruits, depending on the variety.
For more information on Bear Naked, visit http://www.bearnaked.com.
Kind of an odd review. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m left wondering – How did they taste? You never mentioned actually eating them.