Great Gear Review: The Possible Bar

While I am not a world-class endurance athlete or famous adventurer, I am still a dedicated, life-long athlete, adventurer, and competitor. Now in my “grandmother” days, I compete mainly against complacency and ever-adjusting personal goals. Still, my love of adventure fuels my soul, and endurance sports keep me young and in the game - personally and professionally. My typical summer season starts off Memorial Day Weekend with the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, a 50 mile, three-mountain-pass bicycle race, followed by a few other epic bicycle events like Ride the Rockies or the Triple Bypass. Then there are mountains to climb! I have checked off  25 of the 54 “14ers” in the state of Colorado. I try to chip away at four or five of these big hikes/climbs a season. Throw in a half marathon or two, lots of 10 hour fly-fishing days, and by fall, I am ready to slow it down for cyclocross season.

Like all competitive athletes, nutrition is paramount to performance- both during training and competing. As we age, that quest for excellent nutrition becomes even more important. A 25-year-old endurance athlete may fare just fine on beef jerky, Pringles, and trail mix, but a 55-year-old will definitely feel the effects of a subpar diet - especially the longer the poor nutrition continues. The mantra of “I can eat anything I want because I am burning it all off” can come with increased health risks from eating too much fat and sugar, and not enough protein, fiber, and micro-nutrient dense foods. Add to the stress of endurance sports training working full-time and keeping up with a family, and nutrition becomes even more important. How do you manage it, whether during the event or trying to get out the door for an eight-mile training run after eight hours of writing reviews and selling sponsorships? A nutrition “hack” might be in order.

The Possible™ Bar by Standard Process® - (49.80 USD per box of 10) Billed as “high-performance nutrition, the Possible Bar just might be the “hack” endurance athletes and adventurers are looking for. The Possible Bar was developed specifically for high-achieving athletes and adventurers to reach their goals by providing superior nutrition. My box arrived just at the beginning of my spring training season. After spending the first 75 days of the year on a hyper-focused nutrition program that eliminated all manner of inflammatory foods, trying a new nutrition bar that still checks the boxes of gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian was somewhat of a treat! No flavor expectations are given on the box, just the notice of 20 grams of plant-based protein and a plethora of macro and micronutrients including nine grams of fiber. Packing 550 calories per bar, these are not your typical “nutrition bar” which averages around 220 calories per bar. However, when reviewing the macronutrient profile of the Possible Bar, it is clear that these calories are not from added sugars, which are in the ballpark of an average 220 calorie bar. The fat and protein profiles are significantly higher adding staying power to the calorie count. There is also a host of micronutrients all derived from the impressive ingredients list of whole foods, amino acids, and nutritional herbs. There is an impressive amount of biotin in each bar which helps athletes regulate blood sugars and energy levels.

Ok, all this nutrition gets me pretty excited, but how does it taste? I was also worried about nausea which is sometimes an issue for me with nutrition bars and other sports supplements. I decided to start slow. I took one of the impressively sized, 128-gram bars and cut it into quarters, put it in a baggie, popped it into my running belt, and set out for my weekend eight-miler. About halfway in, I stopped and ate a quarter of the bar. It tasted pretty good! It looks like chocolate, but it has a unique nutty-fruity-cocoa taste–like good food. There are bits of pumpkin and chia seeds as well as dried fruit that give it a nice texture. It is oily thanks to coconut oil being one of the main ingredients, but it did not melt in the heat–like so many other nutrition bars. I finished my run with good energy and a happy stomach. I ate another quarter for recovery. So far so good! The next day was a five-mile run followed by a 45-mile bike ride. Armed with my quartered Possible Bar, I set off eating a quarter about every 45 minutes. Throughout the four-hour workout, I had great energy and no nausea. After I returned to home base, I still had the energy to do a 25-minute yoga cool down.

I have incorporated the Possible Bar into my big training days during the workweek too–having a quarter bar about 30 minutes before starting my workout. I am looking forward to putting the Possible Bar to bigger tests as the season progresses. I am also excited to share bars with other, more accomplished athletes and seeing how my new nutrition “hack” fuels their endeavors.

About Standard Process

Since 1929, Standard Process has been dedicated to the field of nutritional supplements and the whole food philosophy introduced by Dr. Royal Lee. His goal was to provide nutrients as they are found in nature – in a whole food state where he believed their natural potency and efficacy would be realized. Based on this philosophy, Standard Process starts with whole foods – like peas, radishes, and beets –then prepares these ingredients in a way that safeguards their nutritional value. Click here to learn more about Standard Process.

Please note:  This review is the honest opinion of the writer. Standard Process is a sponsor of Great Gear Reviews and Giveaways and has paid a sponsorship fee for program promotion and provided products for review and giveaway.