Freida’s is a range of 3 different bars which are aimed to support women before, during and after pregnancy. Packed with nutritionally-beneficial ingredients targeted at different stages, the bars aim to be a healthy and convenient snack for women on the go, who want to rest assured that when they get hungry, they’re eating well.
Especially when you’re pregnant for the first time, what to eat brings up a whole host of confusion and also paranoia. At least for me. I’d got halfway through an Egg’s Benedict before realising that runny eggs are on the ‘no go’ list (there’s actually been a decision made that if they’ve got the British Lion stamp then they’re safe to eat runny during pregnancy) and I’m still not sure about smoked salmon (so I’ve been eating it). I’ve had to stop myself from ordering pate and have looked on sadly when friends have ordered delicious-looking sushi. Of course, one could say that it’s health and safety gone mad and that if you eat certain foods in moderation and are sure of the quality then you should be fine.
So it is a relief to find a product which you don’t have to worry about; that you can eat without feeling guilty and one which easily fits into a bag. There are 3 bars in total, each containing 9 different superfoods, seeds, nuts or grains. The base for each bars appear very similar – oats, golden syrup and sunflower oil – with a different mix of superfood powders, dried fruit, nuts and seeds for each type of bar.
And here they are:
Super Charged – my favourite!
Freida’s Fertile Food
Aimed at pre-pregnancy, using traditional superfoods (maca and goji berries) to support the body’s fertility. This one to me, tastes the most ‘seedy’.
Freida’s Super Charged Food
Aimed at new and busy mums looking for an energy boost. These contain 9 different seeds, nuts and grains, including chia and quinoa. This one’s my favourite – it has a very faint fennel taste but is also quite sweet due to the raisins and goji berries.
Freida’s Feeding Food
Aimed to support breast-feeding mums. According to the website, it sounds like this bar was the one which triggered the range in the first-place; Sharon, the founder, experienced a traumatic and lost weight dramatically after it. The hospital predicted that as she wasn’t able to eat enough to nourish her body for breast-feeding, recover from the birth OR replenish energy levels that she would have to stay for an indefinite period in hospital to recuperate and her child would have to be formula fed. Not keen for this to happen, her mother visited her in hospital, carrying with her a family-recipe for post-birth nourishment. And astonishingly, within a few days, Sharon was well enough to walk out the hospital, both son and mother happy and healthy. This bar has a rather aniseedy taste, due to the fennel and is the least sweet.
The recipe has since been adapted for Western tastes, with nutritional expertise drawn from Sarah Wragg, a pregnancy nutritionist. And as you can imagine, you won’t any preservatives or additives to tarnish the nutritional content. Best of all, you don’t need much of a bar to fill you up – they’re incredibly dense – so you can save some for later!
Final Verdict
My favourite is the Super Charged food bar for two reasons – the first is that I’m at that stage of pregnancy where it feels most relevant to me and secondly, it satisfies my sweet-tooth cravings. I think the idea of the bars are great and they taste and are, more nutritionally dense than your standard cereal bars – these are absolutely a league above ( I wouldn’t touch cereal bars with a barge pole). I don’t think they’re at all a meal replacement but should be used to supplement a healthy diet and be on hand for when there’s a hungry moment. I’ve especially discovered that in my first and third trimester, I’ve been extremely hungry between meals so carrying a Super Charged bar in my bag has been a lifesaver against hanger.
More Information
Who are they for: Mums-to-be and mums who are constantly rushing around and want to know that they have got healthy between-meal snacks on hand which they can trust nutritionally.
Where to buy: Online from Freida’s Pantry, as well as Whole Foods and Ocado.
How much: 1 bar costs from £1.35 but buy in bulk from Freida’s Pantry for a discount
Website: www.freidapantry.com
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