Zora and Josh Tabin and their two kids have always loved hiking and exploring in the outdoors. But when sugary energy bars weren’t doing the trick to keep the family fueled on their adventures, Zora decided to come up with her own bar recipe. That was the start of Wild Zora.
“I remember being out on hikes with the family, and we would give the kids bars we’d bought at the store. They would eat them, and then 30 minutes later they’d be starving,” Josh says. He and Zora would look at the label and think, “They just ate over 300 calories; how could they possibly be hungry?” After some research, the parents realized that the bars were made predominantly of grains, starches and sugars, all of which metabolize quickly. So, Zora focused on creating her own option: bars made with dehydrated meats, vegetables, and even fruit.
When the kids brought their homemade bars to school, their friends would ask, “What are those? Can we get some, too?” Zora went from making bars in her dehydrator at home to using an industrial facility.
Today, the Loveland-based natural meat and veggie bar company offers healthy bars made with grass-fed beef and free-range turkey, and natural and organic fruits and vegetables. “The ingredients are the same stuff we eat for dinner, just combined into a bar,” Josh says. They’ve also expanded into freeze-dried meals, soups, fruits and teas. “If people can have food that is healthy but also convenient, they’ll enjoy more freedom and have the health to enjoy a long life,” Josh says. That is the Wild Zora mission.
For more info, visit wildzora.com.