EPIC Bar Review

Yes, these are pretty EPIC. If you’ve heard of the Whole30 or have participated in the Whole30 you’ve probably heard of this brand. This is one of the only Whole30 approved “jerky”/meat bar available. What is so epic about EPIC bars is that the meat that they use is from a humanely treated animal, so that they’re living the good life prior to our consumption. Not only are they treated humanely, they have to be on a grass fed diet. Grass fed is not only beneficial to the environment, it also attributes to a healthier and leaner meat.

I hopped on the wagon and purchased the Whole30 starter kit along with the Uncured Bacon Bites (because who doesn’t like bacon?).

These bars are NOT cheap… they’re actually pretty pricey. But with all natural food, comes a hefty price.

I will admit right now that these are NOT for everyone. These are meant for meat lovers, not jerky lovers because the texture and taste is not that of your typical jerky. If you eat these with that mind set, you WILL BE DISAPPOINTED.

I’ve gotten about halfway through my starter kit and have loved most of the flavors I’ve tried. My favorite by far however is the Uncured Bacon Bites, they’re delicious and smoky. 10/10

• Bison Bacon Chia Bites: 7/10 Good but a little sweet
• Turkey Almond Cranberry Bar: 9/10 Tastes like Thanksgiving
• Lamb Currant Mint Bar: 2/10 I just can’t get over the weird minty sweet flavor
• Pulled Pork Bar: 8/10 Salty and super savory, the pineapple is a nice addition

Pros:

• High in protein
• Satisfies cravings
• Great Whole30 snack
• Natural

Cons:

• Expensive
• Flavors can be a hit or miss
• Texture can be tough to swallow, some are super spongey and chewy
• HARD TO OPEN, the bars are SO difficult to open, if anyone has pointers as how to get these suckers open please let me know!

I’ll let you know if I would consider re-ordering. If any of you have tried these- let me know thoughts and what your favorite flavor is!

“Creamy” Coconut Lime Chicken

I had meant to post this to my “Tasty Tuesday”, but since I’m new to this- take pity on me.

This was a meal that I tried over the weekend and it was a HIT with my family. My brother even asked for me to put this meal on rotation! Biggest plus, they didn’t even realize it was Whole30 approved!

In case for some of you who don’t know what the Whole30 is, it’s the cleanest form of eating similar to Paleo but with a few more rules and regulations. I’ll go further into the Whole30 in a later post.

Back to this chicken recipe- it’s “creamy” and so full of flavor, even your pickiest eater will be happy and they won’t even realize that it’s healthy!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
• 1 cup chicken broth (I like Trader Joe’s low sodium option)
• ½ fresh lime- juice squeezed
• ½ cup finely chopped white onion or Spanish onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ½ cup full fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons Ghee or unsalted butter, depending on your diet
• salt
• pepper
• red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. When you butterfly the chicken breasts, make sure that they’re even in size. Use a meat pounder if necessary. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the breasts.
3. If you have a large ovenproof skillet use it here, if not get a bake pan ready. Heat your cooking oil of choice (olive, coconut, avocado) on medium heat. Add the chicken and cook both sides until they’re brown (approx. 4-5 mins). You want a nice crust, but don’t worry about it being cooked all the way through since we’ll be baking it later. Once the chickens been browned place them on a plate and cover tightly.
4. Lower the stove as you add in your onion, cilantro- use half of the amount you chopped, broth, coconut milk, lime juice and red pepper flakes (add as much as you like, depending on your preference).
5. Stir and simmer picking up any drippings in the pan. Let the sauce thicken on low letting it slowly boil, be careful not to let it burn. Once it’s thicken add the ghee and extra coconut milk depending on what consistency you would like.
6. Once the sauce is ready, place your chicken back in the pan or transfer the whole mixture to a baking ban, making sure to cover the chicken with the sauce. Bake until the chicken is fully done 7-10 minutes.
7. Serve immediately with a lot of sauce. Garnish with more lime juice and the rest of the chopped cilantro. Great on top of Zoo-noodles, butternut squash noodles, or real noodles! Even better if you have additional veggies for a side.

I’ll try to get more pictures of the step by step process as I continue. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did!

Bon appetite!