Edible Picks: GoMacro

Sometimes we need an easy snack for a nibble on the run, and nothing fits the bill quite like a bar. Unfortunately, most options out there are either so loaded with sugar and unpronounceable ingredients that you might as well be eating a candy bar, or they’re sufficiently nutritious but miss the mark on taste and texture. Enter GoMacro, a purveyor of outstanding nutrition bars based in Viola, Wisconsin, who aims to set the market straight.

Launched in 2004, GoMacro grew from a struggle and a sweet tooth. After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2003, Amelia Kirchoff, with support from her daughter, Jola Sonkin, turned to a strict, plant-based macrobiotic diet. Kirchoff’s health improved, but she missed dessert.

Kirchoff started experimenting with cookie and bar recipes in her home kitchen, using rice syrup in place of sugar and swapping out wheat for gluten-free oats. It didn’t take long for the pair to realize they had something special, and Sonkin began handselling the treats to local shops. The mother-daughter pair founded GoMacro in order to share Kirchoff’s nutritious, sustainably-sourced treats with more people, and they’ve certainly succeeded: GoMacro bars are now sold in more than 20,000 locations across the country.

Not only are these bars tasty, they are vegan, gluten free, soy free, organic, minimally processed and free of refined sugars. That might not sound like a treat to some, but tempting flavor combinations such as Mocha-Chocolate Chip, Blueberry Lavender and Caramel Coconut prove that clean eating doesn’t need to be dull.

Chocolate shows up in a lot of the offerings, like the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Macrobar which is predictably delicious, but don’t overlook the comforting Apple Cinnamon or spicy Lemon Ginger. The high-protein Macrobars are chewy treats that manage to feel both decadent and healthful, while the Thrive snack bars offer a satisfying crunch. Both types of bars are just sweet enough to keep sugar cravings at bay.

After one bite, you might think that creating delicious, wholesome treats was GoMacro’s sole mission, but the company’s goals extend well beyond that. For Kirchoff and Sonkin, food isn’t just something we eat, and our eating choices affect more than ourselves. As a result, the company donates a portion of the proceeds from certain bars to help support community organizations, all ingredients are ethically sourced and they’ve taken great care at every step of the production and distribution schedule to reduce the company’s impact on the environment.

GoMacro bars are sold at Outpost, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and other retail outlets locally and nationally, as well as online at gomacro.com.