Abbott, Abbott Park, IL, has developed a new brand of snack bars, providing a culinary approach to snacking through unique and nutritious flavor combinations. The brand, Curate, utilizes wholesome, real food ingredients in six varieties.
 
“Even with countless nutritious snack options in store, people told us they still weren’t quite satisfied and were often looking to make their own snacks using ingredients from their kitchen,” said Dustin Finkel, general manager, Nutritious Snacks, Abbott. “We saw this as an opportunity to create a snack brand that tastes handcrafted, with rich textures and flavors you would expect from a chef and blends of ingredients you can find in nearly every grocery or natural food store.”
 
Every Curate snack starts with hand-selected, real food ingredients like Mission figs, Marcona almonds, balsamic vinegar, quinoa, chia seeds and elderberry. The snack bars are a good source of plant-based fiber, contain protein and are made without artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.
 
The non-GMO, gluten-free bars include flavors such as Dark & Tempting, featuring balsamic vinegar, fig hazelnut, and orange citrus zest; Harmonious Blend, with Marcona almond, apricot, lemon, vinegar, quinoa and honey; and Irresistible, combining chocolate, strawberries, pistachio, toasted oats, quinoa and almond butter. The Indulgent bar includes dark chocolate and hazelnuts blended with chia seeds, almonds, and sweet vanilla; Salted Decadence blends dark chocolate, almonds, hemp seeds, quinoa, and sea salt; while Sweet & Tart Berry Bliss features wild blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cranberries mixed with almonds, chia seeds, quinoa and flax seeds.
 
In addition to the six flavors in the current line-up, Curate will introduce Curate Kids bars this spring, with other new snacks coming later this year.
 
“I often hear from people that they would love to make their own snack bars, but they simply don’t have the time,” said culinary nutritionist Katie Cavuto, MS, RD. “Curate bars are a great alternative to a homemade snack and they contain plant-based fats and are a good source of fiber. Plus, each bar comes in under 200 calories and boasts around the same amount of protein as one medium-sized egg.  The unique sweet and savory flavor composition paired with the bar’s impressive nutrient profile creates a satisfying snack and helps to minimize less nutritious, impulse snack choices.”