Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Image of Lizanne Falsetto, courtesy of Think PR
Product image, from www.think™products.com
WHILE in LA last month, we dropped into THINK PR’s stylish and unique new LA digs, 2 floors of space on a quiet street in Beverly Hills, complete with
exposed brick wall and a patio to give press previews and hold launch parties.
THINK PR [no, they don’t actually make the bars, but they do the publicity] introduced us to THINK THIN™ bars as “ a healthy and delicious alternative for the woman on the go”. The timing was perfect, and as we were already contemplating what to eat on the plane that wasn’t either:
1. Messy or
2. Unhealthy
ABOUT THINK™ PRODUCTS
THINK™ Products are an operating unit of Prime Health Dietary Supplements, Inc. and was founded by LIZANNE FALSETTO, a former international fashion model. There’s money to be made in bars, lots of it. So far, Ms. Falsetto has grown think THIN™ into a $20 million-dollar-a-year independent natural foods company, starting with her 1st protein bar, which really hit big. The company is on a fast growth track, as new products such as THINK THIN™ FRUIT, the 1st all fruit bar to come out debuts in August.
LIZETTE’S MISSION STATEMENT, “to make food for those who “think about what they eat”.
WHO IS LIZANNE FALSETTO?
Before starting her THINK™ Empire, Lizanne strutted the catwalks for Donna Karen, Giorgio Armani and a host of other internationally known fashionistas, and graced the pages of W, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle as well as a number of international publications. These days, we like to think of her as the Mrs. Fields of this decade. After all, she’s the founder, entrepreneur and CEO of this brand.
OUR TASTE TEST:
We’re not newcomers to the nutrition bar scene. Years ago, in the late nineties, we got on board with Met-R-X when a fabulous friend from Harper’s & Queen generously shared her personal trainer with us for a few sessions while we were in London.
Simon, the trainer, recommended Met-R-X bars as a good alternative to our coffee swilling/no time for breakfast and lunch habit. Since then, we’ve gone through: Pure Protein – delicious but sat in our stomach like a lead golf ball, Atkins – suspiciously like MARS and SNICKERS bars and finally, most recently, THINK™ Product bars.
There were quite a few bars to try:
-The think THIN™bar: high protein
-The think ORGANIC ™ bar: raw fruit and nut
-The thinkTHIN PINK™ bar: high protein & benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure
-The think5™bar: 5 cups of fruits and vegetables.
We tried a variety pack of the bars, that THINK PR generously provided, starting with the THINK THIN™ blueberry bar that got us through the 6 hour LA - NYC flight.
WHY WE LOVE THINK THIN BARS:
1. PERFORMANCE: Out of a possible 10, the bars score get a combined score of 9 or 10.
Normally, our day jump-starts with a cup of café au lait chased by a DIET ROCK STAR [super size] or nearly a quart of diet green tea before we finally eat a lunch salad, [if there’s time].
THE RESULTS of subbing in any of the THINK bars for breakfast and lunch results in a much-needed energy surge.
The definitive proof was at the gym -rather than pooping-out on the treadmill after 30 minutes, we powered-on to 49 minutes, because we weren’t flattened from hunger and the inevitable caffeine crash.
Think THIN™ got us over our prejudice against nutrition bars being nothing more than a glamorized SNICKERS bar more suitable for competition body builders than slight, frazzled fashion journalists.
2. The bars are more nutritionally sound
ie: the think GREEN ™ BAR is a super food if there ever was one.
3. The bars are cheaper than many of the bars out there. Pure Protein bars are too large and retail for over $3 per bar. While these super large bars are probably just right for body building types, they’re just way too much for the rest of us who are not in training for the Tour de France.
- TIP: Eat 1/2 of the think THIN™ bar at a time. As with most bars that don’t taste like sawdust, they’re higher in fat than eating a plate of steamed veggies. Our fave, the Peanut Butter Caramel comes in at 8.0 grams of fat.
4. THERE’s a CHARITY ANGLE – 10cents from the sale of every think Thin™ Pink protein bar on store shelves goes to the Susan B. Komen Foundation. As of May 2008, these bars have single-handedly raised $87,000 for the Susan B. Komen Foundation.
Happily for us, these bars are available year-round online at www.thinkproducts.com. So, if you get hooked, no worries!
For more information about the Susan G. Komen Foundation, please visit their official website, www.komen.org
OUR TASTE TEST:
OUR FAVORITE BAR – a 2-way tie
1. think THIN™ PINK Peanut Butter caramel
They’re delicious AND good for you, [20g protein, og sugar, and gluten free]
2. think THIN™ cherry nut raw fruit and nut snack bar. At 5 g. of fat and 150 calories per 40 g. bar, you can eat the whole thing, This nutty bar is satisfying.
AWARD FOR BEST FOR YOU BAR: THINK 5 ™– made with 5 cups of fruits and vegetables
This bar scored in at 250 calories, and a low 3.5 g. of fat.
If the thought of downing a cup of alfalfa sprout juice at the Farmer’s Market doesn’t thrill you, this is a great alternative.
This bar contains alfalfa juice powder, spinach leaf powder carrot powder and parsley leaf powder to name just a few of the ingredients.
HOW IT TASTES: While it’s chocolate-y, there’s a definite “green” taste to it, which is fine, as it assured us that this bar REALLY DID contain all of these nutritive ingredients it claims to.
Thanks to Lizanne and think™ Products, we will never again be drained on our days on the run. In fact, we replenished our supply at our local WHOLE FOODS in Westport, CT. We’re hooked.