food

Larabars offer real food in convenient packages: exclusive interview with Lara Merriken

Sunday, December 05, 2004
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...)

eTrust Pro Certified

Pin It
The following is part one of an exclusive interview with Lara Merriken, CEO of Larabar, makers of natural food bars.

Mike: To get started, can you give people an overview of what Larabars are all about?

Lara: Well, basically a Larabar is what we call a food bar, and a food bar meaning that it's made with 100% whole unprocessed foods. We don’t use sweeteners or fractioned foods, so in other words the 'Cherry Pie Larabar' is cherries, almonds and dates, three ingredients.

Mike: Wow.

Lara: And so that speaks for itself. You're eating food, but you're eating food in a very portable, convenient form, because most of us are pretty busy! Our lifestyles are pretty intense, and people are on the go a lot. And they want convenience food. So the reason I created it is I felt like even if you are on the go and want convenient food, people deserve to eat good stuff. And stuff that actually brings benefits to you. And so that's how I ended up creating it. That's what makes us different is that there's only food in this bar. And the taste! The taste is really incredible because it's just so simple. You know, the cherry pie, it really tastes like cherry pie because it's made with real cherries.

Mike: Right! It does! And it is tart, just the way cherry pies should be.

Lara: Exactly! Because we actually use a tart, unsweetened cherry.

Mike: I saw that. I got very excited about reading the ingredients. I'm kind of an ingredients label geek. And when I saw your ingredients, I knew, “Oh boy! This is gonna be some good food! Gotta talk about this!” But I'm not sure that everybody else really understands how amazing that is to be able to have a food bar where you can pronounce all the ingredients, you know?

Lara: Yeah! I understand, I mean, I think a lot of times when they look at our label, they say, “Where are your ingredients?“ And if you look at our bar on the side panel, it's just three words! They're used to seeing these long words, words you don't even understand. So people actually look at the ingredients and they just stand there and go, “That's it?” And we say, “That's it!“

You know exactly what you're eating. It's like your child could eat this and understand what they're eating. And that actually speaks very profoundly to a lot of people that pick up our bars and try them. They're so excited about that.

Mike: I would think so. And so many of the other bars out there are labeled as so-called 'Energy bars'. Of course, my observation is that energy, in that context, always means sugar. So if it’s an energy bar, it's really just a candy bar. But your bars actually give energy in the healthy way. It's complex carbohydrates that provide sustained energy, right?

Lara: Right. And the good oils from the nuts. That's why I combine fruit, dried, unsweetened fruit, and I say 'unsweetened' because fruit is naturally sweet in its own right, and you don’t need to add sweeteners to it. So we combine those dried fruits with the nuts and, nuts have all those really good beneficial pmega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, the oils, and those are slow digesting. So the combination of them actually is not only energizing, but it's also sustaining. And they’re full of fibers so they work long-term. You know, you don’t get hungry an hour later.

Mike: Indeed! It seems like this is such a back to nature, fundamental approach to nutrition. Does it surprise you that nobody else came up with this formula first?

Lara: Well, (laughs) that question was asked actually, you know, people said, “I can't believe nobody's thought about this!“ There are a lot of people that eat natural foods that have eaten these types of foods for years. But for me, I felt like I was just passionate about it. I felt like here I am as a consumer and I'm wishing that something like this was out there. And I guess I just had enough passion and insight to say, “You know what? I'm gonna go for it and try this, because it's something I really believe in.”

And I'm sure other people have had some similar ideas that it’s basically the difference between thinking about something, and taking that action step and doing it.

Mike: And kudos to you for taking those steps.

Lara: I'm glad I did it!

Mike: Well, hopefully it's been very rewarding. Can you address that? How much growth have you seen since launch date?

Lara: Well, we started out in Colorado, in just a few stores. We started out with a local company called the Vitamin Cottage. And then our Whole Foods Market, and then soon to follow, Wild Oats. In April of 2003, and then last year we did about $400,000 in business, which was really exciting for us, because we figured we might do a fraction of that. And then this year, we are now sold in about 47 states, and we're heading towards $2 million worth of business. So our growth has been about 500%. And we don’t do any advertising because I feel like it's more important for people to have the experience of our product than seeing an ad. And so what we do is we focus on doing in-store demonstrations at the stores that sell our products, and we do local events where we give samples out to people and let them try it and we talk about it and the importance of the good food that's in the bars. And that's how we've really grown our company. So we’re very excited about our growth!

Mike: I would say so! And have you read... there's a book by an online marketing guru called Seth Godin. And it's called “Purple Cow.”

Lara: Yes! As a matter of fact, I have read that book.

Mike: Because it just strikes me that you have the perfect purple cow product in the food bar market.

Lara: I started this company, and then I picked up that book, and I thought, “I think we're a purple cow!” And not because I read a book to learn how to be one. I just used my instincts and what felt right for our company and our brand in terms of how to grow it and what made sense for us. So, it does feel like we're a purple cow.

Mike: And Godin also espouses the philosophy of avoiding institutional advertising. And sticking with word of mouth.

Lara: Well, I just feel that you know, there are so many bars in the market and most are, like you said, 'Energy bars' and I call ours a 'nutrition bar.' But there are so many of these on the market that people think, “Another bar!” It's almost exasperating, like, “I can't... there's another bar!”

And so I decided to just say, instead of, “Hey, there's another bar.” It's like, “Try it.” You're standing there and people haven’t experienced it. Then they can try it and make a decision like, 'Oh! I like this!' Or, 'This is enjoyable!' That's why I felt it was important not to even look at advertising at this point, because we felt that the experience is much more valuable in the long run.

Mike: Aren't you concerned that most people, if they aren't really educated about nutrition, are going to judge the bar only by the taste experience and not by the ingredients?

Lara: Well, that's part of why we're there is that we point out first of all, it's delicious! And look at what it's made of. And that sticks in people's minds, just exactly what it's made of. And they don’t forget that that's what we do. We say, 'Try this. And guess what? It's only made of cherries, almonds and dates!' And they just go, 'Wow!' And that's something memorable.

Continue with part two.

Get breaking news alerts on GMOs, fluoride, superfoods, natural cures and more...
Join over four million monthly readers. Email privacy 100% protected. Unsubscribe at any time.

Articles Related to This Article:

The Honest Food Guide empowers consumers with independent information about foods and health

Interview with "Kevala" Karen Parker, master raw foods chef

Whole Foods caught in GMO marketing deception, false advertising - here's the proof

Cigarettes, Lies, and Pet Food Advertising

The true horrors of pet food revealed: Prepare to be shocked by what goes into dog food and cat food

Interview: Raw food guru David Wolfe explores the healing energy of living foods

Related video from NaturalNews.TV


Your NaturalNews.TV video could be here.
Upload your own videos at NaturalNews.TV (FREE)



About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the CEO of a highly successful email newsletter software company that develops software used to send permission email campaigns to subscribers. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org

Have comments on this article? Post them here:

 people have commented on this article.

Related Articles:

The Honest Food Guide empowers consumers with independent information about foods and health

Interview with "Kevala" Karen Parker, master raw foods chef

Whole Foods caught in GMO marketing deception, false advertising - here's the proof

Cigarettes, Lies, and Pet Food Advertising

The true horrors of pet food revealed: Prepare to be shocked by what goes into dog food and cat food

Interview: Raw food guru David Wolfe explores the healing energy of living foods

Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com

Email this article to a friend

Permalink to this article:

Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.

Embed article link: (copy HTML code below):
Most Popular
Today | Week | Month | Year

See all Top Headlines...



Now Available at ShopNaturalNews.com

O3 Essentials OraJuvenate™
A powerful, cleansing dental cream for maximum oral/dental health.
New Cancer Solutions
Over 3 hours of content covering today’s best cancer tests, how to kill cancer cells and the best diets and exercise routines.
Freeze-Dried 100% Organic Whole Corn
Our freeze-drying method preserves taste, texture and nutrients better than any other food preservation method ever invented.
Fenix TK35 Flashlight
Tough, waterproof, extremely bright and it’s touted to throw an 800+ lumen beam more than 1,000 feet into the night.
Inca Treasure Smoothie Pack
This pack of our four most popular superfoods from South America is the perfect combo pack for smoothie lovers.
Pink Himalayan Salt
This salt delivers significant levels of magnesium, zinc and selenium, with trace levels of dozens of other elements.
Pinhole Glasses - Aviator Style
Pinhole glasses are becoming famous for helping people improve their vision without the risks of laser surgery.
Oxy-Rich Facial Serum
O3 Essentials Jojoba Oxy-Rich Facial Serum is cellular nourishment for your skin. Helps smooth fine lines while enhancing tissue elasticity.
Freeze-Dried 100% Blackberry Halves
Our freeze-dried blackberry halves are grown in Serbia under strict organic standards.

Also on NaturalNews:

Health Ranger Videos
Activist music
CounterThink Cartoons
Food documentaries
FREE Special Reports
Podcasts

Advertise with NaturalNews...

Support NaturalNews Sponsors:

Advertise with NaturalNews...

Most Popular Stories

Dear Donald Trump: Blockade the lying mainstream media and recognize the independent media as America's real free press
Kellogg's found to have financial ties to the money man for cop-killing left-wing HATE groups: George Soros

25 Amazing Facts About Food

This FREE downloadable report unveils a collection of astonishing and little-known facts about the food we eat very day. Click here to read it now...

 

Resveratrol and its Effects on Human Health and Longevity - Myth or Miracle.

Unlock the secrets of cellular health with the "miracle" nutrient Resveratrol Click here to read it now...

 

Nutrition Can Save America

FREE online report shows how we can save America through a nutrition health care revolution. "Eating healthy is patriotic!" Click here to read it now...

The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D

In this exclusive interview, Dr. Michael Holick reveals fascinating facts on how vitamin D is created and used in the human body to ward off chronic diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, mental disorders and more. Click here to read it now...

Vaccines: Get the Full Story

The International Medical Council on Vaccination has released, exclusively through NaturalNews.com, a groundbreaking document containing the signatures of physicians, brain surgeons and professors, all of which have signed on to a document stating that vaccines pose a significant risk of harm to the health of children. Click here to read it now...

Health Ranger Storable Organics

GMO-free, chemical-free foods and superfoods for long-term storage and preparedness. See selection at www.StorableOrganics.com



Recommended Resources On:

Natural News trends
Health Ranger news
Natural News GMOs
Mike Adams tracker
Natural News photos
Natural News Global
Natural News in focus
Natural News connect
Natural News shocking stories
Natural News radar
GMOs
Quackwatch
Vaccines
Health freedom
Dr. Paul Offit

This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2014 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

eTrust Pro Certified Android app on Google Play