Long, long ago (2010) in a place far, far away (Eugene, OR) three athletes came together to solve a question:
"Why are all the sports nutrition products full of crap, and why don't the natural options last through a whole workout??"
Lauren Fleshman (2x 5K US Champ), along with husband Jesse Thomas (2x Ironman Champ) and friend Steph Bruce (Half Marathon US Champ), combined their performance nutrition principals and athletic know-how to make a real food bar that had balanced macronutrients to power hard workouts and was easy on the gut.
In 2010 the first Picky Bar debuted, Lauren’s namesake flavor, “Lauren’s Mega Nuts”, and things started rolling at a real hot pace from there. Thanks to friends, family, and fans of the budding athlete-entrepreneurs, what started as a passion project caught fire, and the three knew they'd unlocked a hole in the market. Picky Bars grew from hand-packaged bars out of Lauren and Jesse’s kitchen to a growing catalog of real food products to fill all parts of an active person's day.
Co-founders Lauren and Steph sampling + selling some of the very first Picky Bars at the Eugene Marathon expo in 2011. The bars were made in small batches in Lauren + Jesse's kitchen (RIP to lots of kitchen mixers), hand packed into ziplock baggies, and sealed with a sticker.
The original three flavors - Lauren's Mega Nuts, Need for Seed (then the "Nutless Wonder"), and All-in Almond are still around today!
Today Picky Bars are joined by Performance Oatmeal, Granola, Pancakes, and a nut butter topping called Drizzle that makes any food feel like a party. All are crafted with intentional ingredients and macronutrient balances to provide sustained energy, whether it's a big workout or a long workday that's on tap.
We like to say we’re fueling the pursuit of life’s potential. And it is delicious!
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️⚖️ BALANCE ⚖️
Sound nutrition means utilizing all three macronutrients to their fullest potential; Carbs, Fat, and Protein all serve key purposes in keeping energy stores topped off and the body running right. Picky Bars products have carefully crafted, intentional nutrient balance to serve athletes and generally active people with the fuel they need. We’re not down with fads, unnecessary eliminations, or unsustainable, restrictive plans. That ish is whack.
🥞 CARBS 🥞
The easiest fuel source to convert to energy, we use a mix of sugar (fruits), starch (grains), and fiber (fruit + nuts) to give quick and lasting energy without dramatically spiking blood sugar. This keeps the body’s energy stores topped off with glucose - its preferred fuel source - and running happy. Let your body work smarter, not harder!
🥜 FATS 🥜
We utilize healthy fats such as nuts and seeds for satiation and fueling. While tougher to convert to fuel than carbs or protein, fat is the most energy efficient macronutrient - offering nine calories per gram versus four from carbs and protein. When immediate-energy glucose gets sparse the body turns to fat for energy, keeping the engine running mile after mile.
💪 PROTEIN 💪
Protein is key for building and repairing muscle tissue after big workouts, but too much can cause a real stress on your body. We use plant based proteins because we care about the environment and digestibility, and always balance them out with their complementary fellow macronutrients.
🚫 "THE FREES" 🚫
Gluten. Dairy. Soy. GMO. We left out these common digestive irritants and honestly, don’t think anyone’s missing them. With Steph’s Celiac Disease and Jesse’s fart’y parties (not as fun as they might sound) we hard-passed on it all. Even if you’re not allergic or sensitive, enjoy Picky Bars products knowing they’re free of all that noise.
The nuts, fruits, and grains that you see and taste are the workhorses behind Picky Bars real food products. Natural, carefully balanced, and packed up easy for the going’est of the on-the-go’ers.
Fruit and natural sugars deliver the carbs your body craves to get you moving.
Nuts, seeds, and plant-based protein bring sustained energy to keep you going.
Without fillers or artificial ingredients our products taste good + make you feel good!
Wow your tastebuds with unique (+ classic) flavors, courtesy of Mother Earth.
Soft + easily chewable for quick trail scarfing. Bars fit perfectly in pockets + packs!
We're Picky about our ingredients so you don't have to be!
GRAND PRIZE: A year of the Picky Club ($500 value)
10 RUNNER UPS: A Strava Challenge KOM or QOM bundle ($30 value)
Winners will be drawn and announced by December 9th. Watch your inbox!
You can grab an exclusive Strava Bundle now for just $15 with free shipping (50% off!) Your choice of "I KOM'ed/QOM'ed Thanksgiving" sticker included. Or you can check out our Black Friday Sale for 30% off everything + free S/H!
From the ratio of macronutrients in our products to enjoying a cookie or beer at the end of the day, we know the best way to stay on track is to have a healthy balance of it all.
photo: Picky Team athlete, 3x Olympic Gold MedalistTianna Bartoletta
Setting paces and setting standards, knocking down barriers and climbing up them, defying the odds and defying gravity. The Picky Team is our roster of sponsored athletes fueling their big dreams with Picky.
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CHECK OUT THE PICKY TEAMWhether it’s on the race course or in your backyard, solo on the trails or around a campfire with your crew, #lifepoints are the moments that leave you like, “Yeah, this is the good stuff…”
This is a North Star of sorts for us, in terms of how we (the HQ Crew) like to live our lives, and how we imagine people using our products are living! We craft every one of our real food products with the idea that it can (and will!) fuel all sorts of #lifepoints.
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