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Greenbelly Food Bar Review – An Edible Protein Bar!| Average Hiker

No More Protein Bars!

This Greenbelly Meal2Go Food Bar Review results from my continuous quest to find a food or protein bar I can stomach.  Most protein bars are easy to carry, pack a nutritious punch, and seem to be shelf-stable for DECADES, but unfortunately, after years of backpacking, I can no longer stomach many of these “Protein bars.”

I am excited to announce that the Greenbelly Meal2Go Food Bar has finally ended my search for an edible “protein bar” and will be traveling with me on upcoming backpacking trips. This replacement meal bar is nutritionally balanced, keeps me whole, and I enjoy many flavors.

Greenbelly Food Bar Review – Quick Summary

CompanyAn owner-operated company producing food replacement meals
ProductsFive Food Replacement Bar Flavors
IngredientsBalanced, natural ingredients
Calories650
Weight5.5 oz
My Rank4/5

Greenbelly Food Bar Review – Initial Impressions.

The first thing I noticed when unpacking the meal bars was the packaging.  The pouches containing the bars had a resealable top, so if you did not want to repackage them, you could throw them in your pack and go. Aesthetically, they were sharp with a black background and brightly colored lettering and pictures.

Turning the small black pouches over in my hands, I noted the packaging was too heavy and bulky for multi-day backpacking trips, and I would repack the bars if carrying them with me. A day hike, ride, run, or paddle was different, though, and the packaging would be convenient on these trips.

There were two bars per pouch, and I appreciated the freshness of the product.  The bars were moist, and it was easy to break off only the piece I wanted to eat on a break and return the rest to the pouch for later.

Greenbelly Food Bar Review – Website & Order Process

Greenbelly has a nice-looking professional website that offers more than just food products. They have a blog with good content and now offer “Packfire,” a gear-building tool. Greenbelly definitely caters to lightweight and ultralight hikers, which is obvious in their content and message.

The product page above is simple since they have two product types. Mud Meals is being reintroduced in the Spring, but I have a review of the original Mud Meals. I’ll check out the new and improved line of Mud Meals when it is released.

The meals have to be ordered in quantities of 5, 15, and 30, and you save over a dollar per meal if you order the largest amount, but if you want to try one, you will have to purchase the 5-meal option. If you order five meals, I suggest the Variety Pack.

The FAQ page answers all questions about shipping and anything else you need to know about the meals. I appreciate how clean and straightforward the website and order process is in general.

Peanut/Apricot Flavor

The first Greenbelly Meal I tried was the Peanut/Apricot flavor.   I was pleasantly surprised.  I’m not a big fan of Apricot but I enjoyed the combined Apricot and Peanut Butter flavors.  The meal bar was not too sweet, which is often an issue with Peanut Butter bars.  The meal bar was also not overly gooey, and the Peanut Butter had less sugar than other bars I have tried. 

Like the other Green Belly meal bars I tried, this meal bar held together well and had a good texture with some nice crunch. The meal bar was also not evenly cut in a square, which gave the perception of a more “natural” product, almost handmade. It did not appear to have just rolled off a conveyor belt with one million other bars.

Cranberry/Almond Flavor

The next bar I tried was the Cranberry/Almond bar.  Fruit bars are never my favorites, but these were better than other fruit bar brands I have eaten. Again, I appreciated these meal bars’ more natural look and taste.

These meal bars are not too sweet and don’t have that shiny glaze that makes some bars appear they have been “shellacked” for eternal preservation. The bars have a much more appetizing appearance.

These are not a flavor I prefer, but you will probably enjoy them if you like fruit-flavored bars.

Dark Chocolate/Banana Flavor

I know many people who like this combination of dark chocolate and banana, but I am not one of them. I do not enjoy dark chocolate, and bananas are right up there with prunes. In the case of this meal bar, even the appearance was unappealing. There were many things I was reminded of when looking at this bar, and anything edible was not one of them.

My assessment is harsh, so I offered this particular meal bar to others who appreciated this combination of flavors and received a positive reaction. Again though, most people, like me, were less than impressed with the appearance of this meal bar.

Greenbelly Food Bar Review – Additional Flavors

Greenbelly has come out with two additional flavors since I reviewed the three flavors above. Mango/Cashew/Coconut is a flavor that appears popular in other reviews, such as the Spiced Apple flavor.

The Spiced Apple is my favorite! I enjoyed it so much that it has its review, and I ordered them for my last hike. I don’t typically like fruit very much, but the Apple, combined with a bit of heat, made this a winner for me! The heat is a mild slow burn that has a delayed kick. This meal bar is not what I would consider an immediately spicy bar. The heat is a little more subtle, which I enjoy.

Greenbelly Food Bar Review – Final Thoughts

In Summary, the packaging is sharp, and I like that the meals can be resealed to eat them over several snacks or multiple meals. The packaging is a little heavy, though, and I would repackage them on a multi-day hike.

The meal bars themselves are better than other bars I have eaten. They are not my favorite Big Sur Bar, but they have the Big Sur Bar beaten on balance and nutrition.   Honestly, the Greenbelly Meal2Go bars are a better option for long-distance hiking from a nutrition perspective.

The appearance of the Greenbelly Meal Bars is a positive for me. They don’t have an often-seen unnatural shininess and almost appear to be handmade. The exception is the Chocolate/Banana meal bar. It may look a little too “natural.”

On a rating scale – I had given the Greenbelly Meal Replacement bars a 3.5, but with the Spiced Apple’s addition, they are now getting a solid 4/5 for me. This is significant since most of their competitors get a 2/5. 

If you go on a more extended backpacking trip, hike, run, or bike regularly, I think you will enjoy Greenbelly Meal2Go Meal Replacement Bars. They taste better than many other protein or nutrition bars and are well-balanced and filling from a nutrition perspective.

This page has affiliate links for products and gear I purchase and use. If you click on one of these links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. There may also be Amazon links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read more about my thoughts on affiliate marketing.

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