December 30, 2010  Kardea Nutrition introduced a lower calorie nutrition bar designed to support heart health and weight management. “Snacking has become a major source of harmful calories,” says Kardea’s Founder, Robert Leighton. "Our newly formulated bars provide a delicious and balanced mix of healthy ingredients that satisfies hunger and delivers heart healthful nutrition."

As a long time confectioner, Leighton formulated these bars as part of his personal mission to create great tasting foods that help enable the nutritional recommendations of the American Heart Association (AHA). “When I was 47,” says Leighton, “I was confronted with a real need to lower my cholesterol levels.” Looking to avoid medication, Leighton followed the recommendations of the AHA and the National Institutes of Health National Cholesterol Education Program. “I was able to significantly lower both my cholesterol and my weight,” says Leighton, “but I frequently crossed into unhealthy eating when it came to snacking.”

Each of the four Kardea bar flavors was formulated with natural ingredients to satisfy cravings for popular sweet snacks, notably biscotti, banana bread, lemon squares and spice cake. Providing 7 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein in 140 calories, these bars support calorie reduction efforts. The combination of fiber and protein provide a lasting sense of fullness. Utilizing only natural sweeteners, the Kardea bars deliver 8 to 10 grams of sugar, substantially less than most nutrition bars.

The bars also deliver 1 full gram of plant sterols and soluble fibers from oats and psyllium. These nutrients are recommended by the National Institutes of Health as part of an integrated diet to support heart health and cholesterol reduction. The Kardea gourmet nutrition bars can be found at Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods and and other leading natural and healthy food retailers.