The Landish Story

Part 1: Confessions of a Frustrated Snacker

- By Daniel Novak

1. Convenient access to nutrient density outside of lunch or dinner hours

Whether I was running out the door during hectic mornings, trying to stay productive during intense afternoon work sessions, or looking to get the most out of my evening workouts, I always struggled to find nutrient density in snacking. My meals were quite healthy, but this wasn’t a meal problem - it was an in-between problem.

In breakfast or snacking, it was almost impossible to find the right mix of protein, good fats, fiber and micronutrients.

2. Intolerances and problems with digestibility

I can’t eat pea protein. I can’t do soy. I can’t do dairy. I can’t do wheat. I can’t do sugar alcohols. I can’t do high-fructose. I could go on! What a picky eater right?!… I know I know… but it’s just my reality. All those things wreak havoc on my gut, leading to bloating and reflux, or just make eating unpleasant.

Basically, this meant that I couldn’t eat commercial nutritional bars or powders. They were all made with at least one if not several of the above ingredients.

3. Way too much sugar in snacks

Food manufacturers are obsessed with adding a ton of sugar to their products. Why? Sugar is a very practical manufacturing ingredient (cheap, and great for shelf life and binding) and it’s a drug that most people are absolutely addicted to. I had a sugar problem, like most people, and knew the energy spikes and crashes all too well. So I was determined to conquer my sugar problem! 

Muffins, mainstream protein or energy bars, cereal, juices, or smoothies - all too much sugar, in the 15-40 g range. As I started to reduce my sugar consumption all these things even started to taste bad to me.

Searching for a Solution

Eventually, Landish bars and powders were created as a solution to the above problems, but that would require quitting my job and embarking on a roller coaster of an entrepreneurial journey!