I have been a vegetarian since I was 10 years old. As a life-long fitness lover, former varsity athlete, and now full-time working professional, I’ve always found it tricky to consume enough protein on vegetarian diet. For most of my life, I resorted to using protein or energy bars throughout the day, as morning fuel as I ran out the door to my 6am college workouts or as an afternoon snack in the office.

But, in college, I realized that the energy bars that I loved didn’t actually have that much protein – most that I had been eating for so long only provided 7 to 12 grams of protein. I tried other bars that offered higher protein content but didn't love the long list of unrecognizable ingredients (such as maltodextrin, polydextrose, vegetable glycerin, etc.) and strayed from my plant-based desires (such as bovine collagen hydrolysate, beef tallow, etc.).

I began commiserating with friends and family that, despite the overwhelming number of choices available on the market, I still couldn't find a bar that had 20 grams of protein with plant-based and minimally processed ingredients. To my surprise, friends and family agreed that they could not find a bar that met their needs either. So, I set out to make a bar myself.