ATHLEISURE MAG OCT 2019 | Keeping it Whole with Kara Merriken

KEEPING IT WHOLE with Lara Merriken

We sat down with Lara Merriken, found- er of LÄRABAR which is known for their bars that are comprised of fruits, nuts and spices as well as their plant-based protein bars. Lara's interest in whole foods that keep you satisfied with its decadent ingre- dients stems from being an athlete playing Women's Volleyball at USC. But it would be years later after working as a social work- er that she went hiking in the Rocky Moun- tains where the birth of LÄRABAR came to fuition. We hung out with Lara to talk about the bars, their original offerings and the brand's growth as they were acquired by General Mills.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Prior to creating LÄRABAR, what were you working on before this that led you to launching this company?

LM: Cashew Cookie is one, Apple Pie, Cherry Pie –

AM: Our favorite!

LM: It’s a great flavor! Banana Bread and Chocolate Coconut Chew were the origi- nal 5 flavors.

AM: Ok so going back to the Cherry Pie LÄRABAR, what makes it so tasty?

LM: We use a very rare tart unsweetened cherry that I found in the Midwest during my search for really good ingredients. It’s real! It has that real flavor just like all of our bars do. We actually use apples in the Apple Pie.

LARA MERRIKEN: Well, I was actually a social worker right outside of college. I worked with at risk kids for a long time. But I did play volleyball in college which is really the reason why I got into healthier eating for athletic performance which was the beginning of my journey. That evolved into being passionate about healthy eat- ing and feeling good. I found myself on a mountain one day for a hike and the idea of LÄRABAR came. It’s about simple in- gredients of fruits, nuts and spices but making something that tasted indulgent and delicious.

AM: So you were on the Rocky Moun- tains and you decided to do this, what was the first process in creating the initial LÄRABAR?

LM: Well, I actually would comb the gro- cery store aisles and get my inspirations from pies, cookies and cakes. Cashew Cookie is one of those that we have today which is just 2 ingredients – cashews and dates – that’s it, but it tastes indulgent! Apple Pie is another one that we have today and I would harken towards those junk foodie forbidden foods, but using healthy ingredients!

AM: So you went from the 5 original fla- vors to 30+. How do you go about that? Is it an inspiration board when you’re thinking of new flavors? You’ve also increased your assortment with your Protein Bars and there are just so many things!

LM: Well, we use the same process and there is a bigger team of people that work on the brand now, but still we want to bring flavors that people are wanting and enjoying. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip is another good one!

AM: Ooo another fave of ours!

LM: Same as well as for my son! We just love to bring good new flavors. Some like the fruity and some like the nut based – kind of richer flavors.

AM: How long is that process for you when you’re in that inspiration phase from con- cept to actually producing it?

LM: Well we always come out with new flavors and our protein plant-based line is new, but we come out with new things annually with new products. So, it’s con- stant.

LM: Yeah, on occasion, if a flavor isn’t work- ing or people aren’t loving it, we definitely rotate things out. But we’re growing and we have 30+ flavors now so we have quite a few products to offer people.

AM: Why did you decide to add plantbased protein bars to your assortment?

LM: Well people are always looking for more protein based food and certainly one that is portable. We obviously want- ed to do a plant-based one. We use pea protein and nuts. Nuts offer natural pro- tein and we have worked on it for 4 years to create 4 flavors in this new portion of the line with flavors that we wanted to of- fer.

to sit down and eat a meal, but you know you will get the amount of protein that you need to sustain yourself throughout the day.

AM: For those that are on the go, how can we make sure that we get those good whole foods?

LM: That’s where LÄRABAR comes in. We sell our bars nationwide to all different kinds of grocer stores, convenient stores – you name it! The idea is that it is porta- ble food and offers consumers the oppor- tunity to throw it in your bag and that you are offering them something that they know is going to sustain you, tastes good and will keep you healthy!

PHOTO COURTESY | LÄRABAR

AM: What are the 4 flavors?

LM: Well, there’s a Lemon Blueberry, an Apple Cobbler, Almond Butter Chocolate Brownie and then a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup. So a nice balance of fruity and nutty depending on what you lean to- wards.

AM: So what are your 3 favorite ingredi- ents that you love putting into your bars?

LM: Well LÄRABAR is really composed of fruits, nuts and spices so that would real- ly encapsulate whether we have our core product line or our protein plant-based one. We have those same components in there. Obviously with the protein, we added our pea protein in addition to that to give it 11 grams of protein a bar which is great. But those are really the main com- ponents of the balance of fruits, nuts and spices and/or protein.

AM: What are your 3 fave signature bars?

LM: Well, my all time favorite is Cashew Cookie like I had a half this morning with my coffee early today - it's a classic. I also love Cherry Pie and I love the new protein line. Just for something different if you want added protein, but you don't want

@Larabar

Hear Lara Merriken, founder of LÄRABAR, right now on our show, Athleisure Kitchen which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.