Crumble

What is in it

All 30 ingredients, and what each one is doing here

In the order they appear on the label, which is the order of weight. The first few make up most of the bar; the last few are measured in fractions of a gram.

1. 01Oat flakes

   Complex carbohydrates, plus beta-glucan, a soluble fibre.

   The bulk of the bar, and the reason it eats like food rather than like a sweet.

2. 02Grass-fed whey protein

   A complete protein: all nine essential amino acids.

   Most of the 35 g of protein. From milk, so it is declared as an allergen.

3. 03Beef protein (collagen)

   A protein rich in glycine and proline.

   Works next to the whey and keeps the bite chewy instead of powdery.

4. 04Agave syrup

   Sugars, largely fructose.

   Sweetens and binds. Kept in check: the whole bar has 11 g of sugars.

5. 05Coconut oil

   Fat, mostly saturated, including medium-chain fatty acids.

   Carries the fat-soluble aromatics and keeps the bar firm at room temperature.

6. 06Date paste

   Sugars with fibre and potassium.

   The second sweetener, and what makes the crumb hold together.

7. 07Apple

   Contains pectin, a soluble fibre.

   Half of the apple-cinnamon the bar is named after.

8. 08Acacia gum

   Almost entirely soluble fibre.

   Thickens without starch, so it adds fibre where a starch would add carbohydrate.

9. 09Arrowroot

   Starch from the arrowroot rhizome.

   Binds the mix, and is neutral enough not to fight the spices.

10. 10Psyllium husk

    One of the densest sources of soluble fibre there is.

    Holds water, which is what stops a 100 g bar from eating dry.

11. 11Grated coconut

    Fat and insoluble fibre.

    The creamy note between the apple and the cinnamon.

12. 12Spinach

    A leaf vegetable containing folate, vitamin K and iron.

    Vegetable content that is actually in the bar, not just on the wrapper.

13. 13Cinnamon

    Bark spice, high in polyphenols.

    The other half of the name, and the warmth you taste first.

14. 14Gingerbread mix

    Fennel, coriander, ginger, clove, allspice, mace and cardamom.

    What turns apple and cinnamon into gingerbread rather than apple pie.

15. 15Chia seed

    Alpha-linolenic acid, fibre and protein.

    Gels alongside the psyllium, so the texture stays moist for months.

16. 16Broccoli

    A brassica containing vitamin C and vitamin K.

    Dried into the mix, so the vegetables keep without a fridge.

17. 17Kale

    A leaf brassica containing vitamin K, vitamin C and calcium.

    Gives the green side of the flavour its depth.

18. 18Chlorella

    A freshwater algae: protein, chlorophyll and B vitamins.

    A very concentrated green, which is why the dose is very small.

19. 19Moringa

    Leaf powder containing carotenoids and calcium.

    Green and faintly peppery. Rounds off the vegetable notes.

20. 20Stinging nettle

    A wild leaf containing iron and calcium.

    An old European green, dried and folded into the mix.

21. 21Inulin

    Soluble fibre extracted from chicory root.

    Adds fibre and a mild sweetness, so less syrup is needed.

22. 22Salt

    Sodium chloride. The bar contains 0.49 g of salt per 100 g.

    Without it the sweetness flattens and the spices go quiet.

23. 23Citric acid

    The acid that occurs naturally in citrus fruit.

    Lifts the apple and keeps the colour from dulling on the shelf.

24. 24Lemongrass

    An aromatic grass, used for its essential oils.

    A citrus note without adding juice, and therefore without adding water.

25. 25Turmeric

    A rhizome containing curcuminoids, which give it its colour.

    Warmth, and a golden tone underneath the green.

26. 26Ginger

    A rhizome containing gingerols.

    The heat in gingerbread, in its own right rather than only in the mix.

27. 27Vanilla

    A cured orchid pod, vanillin among its aromatics.

    Takes the edge off the spice and lets the bar read as dessert.

28. 28Vitamin E

    A fat-soluble vitamin, here in its tocopherol form.

    Keeps the fats from turning rancid. Part of how the bar stays shelf-stable.

29. 29Stevia leaf extract

    Steviol glycosides from the stevia leaf. Sweet, no energy.

    Tops up the sweetness so the syrup and dates can stay where they are.

30. 30Rosemary extract

    Contains carnosic and rosmarinic acid.

    The second guard on the fats. It is here to preserve, not to flavour.

These descriptions explain what each ingredient is and what it contributes to the recipe. They are not nutrition or health claims about the bar. Nutrients named here describe the ingredient itself; the declared values for the bar are in the nutrition table above.