by I try to eat well. After reading about the importance of incorporating spirulina into the vegan diet, I began looking for spirulina everywhere. I was pleased to see that I could get a whopping 500 milligrams of spirulina in the Odwalla Superfood bar. Being a huge fan of their juice blends, I thought I would give it a try.
I am not all about appearance by any measure, but when I took the bar out of the wrapper and was faced with the hunk of green and brown and yellow, I didn’t have any particularly pleasant thoughts. I still wanted to eat it because, well, good looks aren’t the reason I eat food. I only wish that the taste of the bar was significantly better than the appearance.
The first bite into the bar provided a cacophony of flavors, none of which were particularly pleasant. Between notes of too sweet and the sticky chewy texture, the bar seems more like a science experiment gone wrong than an attempt at creating something meant for human consumption.
Despite this, I soldiered on and went through to eat the entire bar. I wanted to get my 500 milligrams of spirulina! We do so love the benefits of spirulina:
Spirulina is the richest beta carotene food, with a full spectrum of ten mixed carotenoids. About half are orange carotenes: alpha, beta and gamma and half are yellow xanthophylls. They work synergistically at different sites in our body to enhance antioxidant protection. Twenty years of research proves eating beta carotene rich fruits and vegetables gives us real anti-cancer protection. Synthetic beta carotene has not always shown these benefits. Research in Israel showed natural beta carotene from algae was far more effective. Natural is better assimilated and contains the key 9-cis isomer, lacking in synthetic. As suspected, natural carotenoids in algae and vegetables have the most antioxidant and anti-cancer power.
You can’t argue with good science, but where to go from here? Do I continue eating the spirulina Superfood even though it doesn’t taste particularly good — a sort of bad tasting medicine? Would it be more prudent to go on a hunt for a better tasting spirulina source?
Great review, Gordon!
I drink my greens. I get 3300mg of spirulina a day. It’s a pretty nasty tasting drink — but I prefer 10 seconds of swallowing liquid to fighting my way through an Odwalla bar. SMILE!
I have a powder at home called SpiruTein but, oddly enough, it has no information about how much Spirulina is in there despite saying that there is spirulina!
Hmm. That’s strange, Gordon. I wonder why they would hide the number? Is there an FDA-approved “minimum daily requirement” for spirulina?
The FDA doesn’t currently regulate or have interest in spirulina, alas.
If it’s labeled ‘healthy’, ‘organic’, ‘Ayurvedic’, or some such useful thing, they keep their nose out. It’s a good thing.
Quite right!
just had the superfood bar this morning. my goodness was that awful. i couldn’t finish it. i actually like the superfood drink, so thought i’d give it a try. really couldn’t cram that down…
Indeed. It was quite vile.
I get bags of Spirulina and Chlorella off Nuts.com — best/cheapeast source I can budget so far. I mix it with honey, lemon and water — tastes like lemonade. Or into a fresh-squeezed juice (juicer, veggies and fruits for sugar). Yes, it tastes like an aquarium if you just experiment/smell it randomly, but those two methods, no taste, pure awesome green goodness.
P.S. check out the ingredients on that bar — soy, soy, flavour, etc. Bleh. Get a bag and mix up your own bar.
Thank you, annaloza! I will give it a try!
The stuff looks like Soylent Green.
I’m grateful that it is not in fact made of people.
i’d like to go on record by saying these Odwalla Superfood Bars taste quite good. and incidentally, my reaction upon opening the wrapper was one of delight, that, discovering its hue to be as green as it was, i knew it surely must, indeed, contain every one of those claimed 500 mgs of Spirulina.
Can’t argue with taste, I suppose. 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
I guess I must go to Whole Foods, and sample one myself. Frankly, after all this, I’m not sure I want to. 🙂
Aw, shucks, what’s a few dollars between friends? 🙂
I just opened the wrapper and saw a green bar sticking out. This was not good particularly after having watched PROMETHEUS over the weekend. I immediately looked at the “Enjoy By” date thinking my wife bought another Super Sale Clearance expired item. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out what OV191201 meant in human calendar terms. So I took a bite and it had an awful taste, but texture was ok. Now I’m worried I just poisoned myself, which would not be good since today is our wedding anniversary. Good ole Google brought me here and lo and behold it’s a bad but good bar to eat. Thank you for your comments. I’ve trained my senses to ignore the taste and finished the bar. Another one? Not sure yet. Unless of course, my wonderful wife bought many bars due to a Super Sale Clearance!
Victor! We need to know if you are still in good health, hours later. Thanks for the great comment.