Core Foods Warrior Meals

Hungry from fighting that trail all day?  Famished from your battle with the elements?  Starving after wrestling with setting up your camp?  Well Core foods has a solution for feeding the warrior in all of us with it's line of Warrior Meals!

 







(All of the pictures look great at their present resolution but for some reason are not switching to high definition when you click on them to enlarge them.  Apparently this is some issue with blogger that I have yet to figure out how to solve.  They are taken in HD with a 12 megapixel digital camera and look great on the computer at any size, but are for some reason not translating well.  I apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.  They will be replaced when this issue is resolved.  If any reader has encountered this issue and knows how to fix it, please contact me.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you have heard me admit in the past, I am generally not a fan of organic or "health" food in general.  This is the second such food company that I have had the pleasure to review in the past months, and I must say, that my opinion about such foods is changing fast.  If all companies out there were as dedicated to quality, I suspect my opinion may have changed before this.  Please visit the company and decide for yourself.  On with the show...

Technical:

Each individually wrapped bar I received weighed in at 3oz (85grams).  Each run approximately 320 calories, and boast all organic ingredients, and are high in protein.  The Raw almond raisin bar I tested contained Whole Oats, Almonds, Raisins, Whey Protein (Milk), and Spices.  This is raw food, or food in it's unaltered, natural state.  They have the consistency of a soft, chewy granola type bar, but are much larger.  The flavor was quite bold and unexpected.  You could really taste the "freshness" of the ingredients.  The instructions are simple, and clearly printed and pictured on the rear of each package.  Simply eat the bar, drink a couple of glasses of water, and you have received the nutrition and feeling as if you had eaten a full bowl of oatmeal.  I will discuss this more in my impressions.  You are reminded that real food does go bad, so you must refrigerate or freeze the bars if you are going to store them more than a week.  In fact there is a helpful reminder on the package:  1 week on the go, 1 month chilled, 6 months frozen.  Very simple and easy to remember.  As most people don't camp or stay in the bush more than a week on average, this makes it a good trail and camp food that is light weight and very easy to prepare as it requires no prep or cooking.  They would also work well for a "bugout" or similar emergency situation.  The bars are USDA certified organic.  The company has a unique philosophy and is non profit.  I would urge that you visit their "ABOUT" page for a look at their philosophy.

 Impressions:

 As most know I am not fond of food without four feet and fur.  As this is my second go in as many months with organic foods, I am still a bit unsure about them as a whole.  My wife made the statement that if I keep this up it's drum circles and hemp shirts in my future.  She is now officially off my Christmas list.  (actually not but don't tell her that)  When I opened the bar I was greeted by a wonderful smell.  It reminded me for all the world of a warm bowl of oatmeal.  I didn't think at this point I could have two positive experiences with "hippy" food, but I was wrong.  (is that patchouli I smell?)  Ahem, anyhoo, since my guyot 38oz bottle was close and filled with freshly filtered and bitterly cold creek water, I decided to put these things to the test.  I noticed the bar is soft and easily bitten or broken, but it will not fall apart on you by any means.  It can be eaten one handed with ease, even wearing mittens without it falling apart on you.  What hit me the most was the taste.  I didn't expect it to taste exactly like a bowl of oatmeal with similar ingredients, but it did.  I could almost see myself with the bowl and spoon.  These things are good!  It definitely has that "raw" taste, and if that is off putting to you, you may not like these, but it didn't bother me in the least.  In fact it fit with what my brain was telling me I was eating.  I ate the whole bar over about 5 minutes or so, and drank about half of my water bottle.  One thing I noticed almost immediately is that I was full.  It had been the first thing I ate that day, around 11am, and I have a rather big appetite, so I was really surprised that I felt satisfied.  Not bacon and eggs by any stretch, but very good, without the mess, prep time, gear and cleanup.  Now I would assume you could eat the bar without drinking the water and still receive all the benefits, but perhaps not feel as full, you'll have to try that for yourself, and I encourage that you do so.

Overall excellent for backpackers, campers, hikers and the like.  Especially to the light or ultralight traveler where every ounce matters.  Great for people traveling or camping with kids.  If you are going on a scout and want to travel light and have something filling that will give you the pep in your step to get back to camp, these could be right for you.  On a side note, I found no problems with the food and would recommend it to anyone.  I really like the longevity factor.  However, if I could envision one improvement that would make it even more useful, I would perhaps consider a resealable package.  Not a big deal by any means, but something to consider over at Core Foods.  Also 100% Made In The USA!  The Natural Living Outdoors coveted (I wish) stamp of approval!  9 1/2 out of 10.  Great job Core!

Note: as always, please make sure that you are not allergic to any of the listed ingredients.