WHEN Jennifer Bajus needs a boost of energy, she likes to keep it simple.
That means no power bars made with five-syllable-long ingredients, syrups and processed sugars. Instead, Bajus relies on her homemade Bajong Bars to do the trick.
"I didn't like what I was consuming outside. I thought I would be able to make something where I knew I could understand all the ingredients, things that I had in my pantry," she says.
Bajus' bars come in three varieties - chocolate matcha green tea; apricot, blueberry and date; and peanut butter chew. They're sweetened with honey and use a special ingredient that's not often found in energy bars - locally sourced ginseng.
"It's a root that's grown here in Vernon that helps promote overall health and longevity, helps increase energy levels naturally, boosts your metabolism and helps improve your memory," she says.
"There's just a host of great things added with ginseng." For a while, Bajus was simply making her bars for personal consumption and because of her full-time job, she couldn't really consider pursuing a new business venture.
"I was working in Surrey so it was really far," she explains. "I was a single mom with two kids and I thought I need to be around and try to find something closer."
Then, in November of last year, she finally got the chance she was looking for.
"I guess the perfect time came when the job I was working at downsized and they axed half a dozen jobs across the country and mine was one of them," she says.
Bajus began researching and took her products to the Whole Foods head office to see if there was any interest.
Bajong Bars officially launched in April 2011 at the Canadian Health Food Association's trade show at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Since then, Bajus has been working on getting them into stores around the Lower Mainland, and hopefully across the country sometime soon.
The bars, which are manufactured in Montreal, are produced in small batches to retain a homemade feel.
So far, feedback from customers has been good, says Bajus.
"We wanted to keep it moist and not dry and chalky like a lot of other bars are," she says.
"The most consistent comment that people who've been sampling were telling me was that . . . it tasted very fresh, like it was from their own kitchen."
Bajong Bars have zero trans-fats, are low in sodium and are low on the glycemic index. They are available in North Vancouver at Grab Go, Super Valu in Edgemont Village and Deep Cove, Food Warehouse, Columbus Market and New Apple Farm Market and in West Vancouver at Whole Foods at The Village at Park Royal.
For more information go to www.bajongbar.com.
