Greenbelly Backpacking Meals | All Natural Hiking Meal Bars | 650 Calories & High Protein | Variety, 5 Count

Me and my friend took a 4 day backpacking trip in a canyon in Utah. These meals are what kept us going. Excellent replacement for lunch. I carried mine in a pant pocket throughout the day and snacked on it, which was more than enough to keep me satisfied. The flavors are all good, you really can't go wrong. If there is anything I would change, it would be to take them out of the packaging and put them into a smaller, less rigid bag so that it doesn't take up as much space in your pack. Still, Absolutely a must have snack in every way.

I did a 40 mile trek through the desert in Big Bend national park. There were a significant amount of elevation changes all throughout the hike, the sun was brutal, and the water was scarce.needless to say, pack weight was at a premium due to the high amount of water we had to carry at any given time.Due to all of that i wanted to get the most powerful and lightweight foods I could find for the trip.Greenbelly meals pack very nicely, and I used each bag to collect and hold my trash from the day as they are resealable.I ate peanut butter/apricot and banana/dark chocolate (2 of each).They didn't taste amazing, but let's face it when you need the most nutritious superfoods packed into a small item you can't expect something out of a restaurant.That being said, they did not taste bad, not at all. I enjoyed eating them. They are dry so definitely expect to gulp some water with them, and they are a bit tough to finish (because they give you so much food, which is a good thing)My lunches consisted of one greenbelly and one probar. After lunch I would be able to power through the next several miles with only intermittent pauses for water. Whether it be sharp or gradual uphill climbs I was glad I had brought greenbelly meals.Over the 40 miles, averaging about 13 miles per day. We climbed over 10,000 ft and descended nearly that much.These are a must have for any hiker who is looking for the absolute best meal for the size and weight, something to help you power through when you are past the point of exhaustion.However, if this was a less intense trip I might have packed say a freeze dried cookable meal for lunch. If you are looking for what I mentioned above definitely purchase this item. If you are going on a casual trip you will definitely get a powerful lunch with this, but depending on your preferences and needs, you may not have to purchase an item quite this minimalist.all in all, I will 100 percent be purchasing again.

Packaging: The bars are sealed in an aluminum foil package, which is difficult to open (impossible?) without a knife. Often, packages like this have a small tear built-in to help start the opening, but these do not.Weight / Size: The bars inside the package measure 4”x3” and weigh about 5.5 oz.The Bars: Two bars are included in each package. They have the look and texture of Rice Krispie Treats, but more dense and much heavier. One of the bars was significantly thicker than the other (Two different batches?).The bars provide ' of your daily intake of protein, carbs, fat and salt, so I used it as a meal replacement. After a light breakfast I hiked several miles before trying these bars at around 11:30am (I ate both in the package), and I wasn't hungry again until 7pm. And that was after hiking several more miles back to my car.Taste: I tried the Dark Chocolate Banana and while I never found it displeasing, I didn’t taste banana at all, and the chocolate flavor seemed muted. They are dry and a little flaky, and chock full of peanuts, which I didn’t expect (ingredients are listed on the package, but I hadn’t read that before tasting).I’m not an energy bar connoisseur, but of those I’ve tasted Greenbelly are average. If you are looking for a flavorful bar I don’t think this is it, at least not the Chocolate Banana that I had.My conclusion: As a meal replacement these are excellent, packing a lot of protein and fat to get you through a strenuous hike. I will try the other flavors soon and amend this post. As a first offering from the start-up Greenbelly, these are pretty good. I’d like to see the texture improved, however.March 3 Update: I’ve had an opportunity to try the other flavors in the sample box and, like the Chocolate Banana, I don’t quite get the advertised flavors. That’s fine, very few bars I’ve tried taste like what they claim to be, and the Greenbelly flavors aren’t bad, so don’t hold that against them. The texture is still a little off-putting to me, however. It's a weird combination of flaky (chunks of the bar will flake off when you bite), and a stale, chewiness which makes your jaw ache after a while.Where these bar shine is with the nutritional value. I love the fact that I don’t have to mess with having to pack a lunch, and I don’t even have to stop to eat. I just reach back and grab a package and keep hiking. I used to like ProBars for lunch, but I think I will stay with Greenbelly. I’m changing my rating from three stars to four, but Greenbelly has to fix the texture issue.

Great product! It stands out because it’s soft and chewy and not too dry.

When on the trail I like to be up before dawn and moving. Its cold. Maybe snowing. Maybe raining, and probably just light enough to see. Don't really care to get out the stove and boil water. Green Belly is my breakfast. Has been my go-to for several years.One package has 2 bars. Each bar has between 320 and 340 calories (depending on flavor). I typically eat about 400 to 500 calories in a meal, even on trail. One bar, some fruit or jerky and I'm on my way.Taste is decent enough for trail food. Not something I crave as a snack but its very palatable, easy to eat, easy on the stomach. Ingredients are decent enough. While not health food most flavors come close to a 30/30/30 balance. High in protein, high in fiber. You won't feel bloated and you won't bonk three hours later.Worth the price and worth having as part of your trail food kit.