THE STORY OF ZING BARS
It all started innocently enough. As practicing nutritionists, we simply wanted to find a good nutrition bar we could recommend to our patients. But despite our best efforts, there just weren’t any on the market we really liked. If a particular bar was nutritionally balanced, it left something to be desired in the taste department. If it tasted good, it was low in protein and fiber, or full of artificial ingredients, unhealthy fats and empty calories.
Then we came up with a deliciously different idea.
We could create our own all-natural nutrition bar. Our take on the perfect snack food. A bar with everything we wanted it to have, and nothing we didn’t. A healthy balance of carbs, protein and beneficial fats, but no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives. No trans fats, synthetic vitamins, or allergy-aggravating gluten, wheat or soy protein.
In short, a nutrition bar that everyone- including nutritionists and other healthcare professionals- could love. Zing! Now we hope that you love it too.
Zing Bars!
The best nutrition going.
Dr. Michael Kaplan is a Bastyr University trained, board certified naturopathic physician. He ran a successful private practice serving people with chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. Mike’s current passion is helping people improve their daily nutritional habits through his role as CEO of Northwest Nutritional Foods, LLC, the exclusive distributor of Zing bars.
Mike loves exercise, especially bike riding, and carries Zing bars in his bike pack all the time. Since he and his wife Sandi have a gluten-free home, they made sure that the majority of Zing bar flavors are gluten-free. "My two favorite foods are blueberries and almonds so it’s no surprise that my favorite Zing bar is the blueberry almond!"
Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD is a registered dietitian and educationalist with international experience. She has a graduate degree in education from the University of Sydney in Australia and a master’s degree in nutritional science from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. Sandi is also a certified Solution Method provider and certified wellness coach. She trains and supervises health professionals nationally as a certified Solution Method trainer.
In 2000, Sandi and Kathleen Putnam cofounded the thriving NutritionWorks Nutrition Consulting practice in Seattle. She enjoys working with clients both individually and in groups. "I am passionate about healthy foods that taste good. Life is too short to eat things you don’t like!"
Sandi’s toddler son loves Zing Bars, especially the blueberry almond flavor. He tells his baby sister that when she gets bigger, she can eat Zing Bars too.
David Ingalls, MS, RD is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutritional science from Bastyr University and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He is in private practice as a nutritional counselor at Seattle Healing Arts Center, a community of more than 50 medical doctors and health care providers. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Bastyr University and assistant coach of the Roosevelt High School wrestling team.
As a counselor, teacher, coach and father, David is always on the go. For years he searched for a high quality, meal replacement product to fit his busy, health-conscious lifestyle. "There wasn’t a bar on the market I could endorse for my range of clients and wrestlers, so I thought, 'We need to create one!'" From the enthusiasm and expertise of David and his colleagues, Zing Bars were born.
Kathleen Putnam, MS, RD has over fifteen years of clinical experience as a registered dietitian and expert in nutrition, lifestyle and wellness counseling. She addresses a variety of health conditions including eating disorders, pediatric nutrition, cardiovascular health, and weight management. Kathleen specializes in helping clients reach their health goals through practical, long-term lifestyle changes at NutritionWorks Consulting, which she co-owns with her colleague Sandi Kaplan.
Kathleen earned her master’s degree in nutritional science from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA and her bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Oregon State University in Corvalis, OR. She is a certified wellness coach through the Solution Method and a certified child obesity expert through the Shapedown program.
Creating Zing bars was consistent with Kathleen’s professional passion. "Zing is a great example of balanced, healthy nutrition which tastes great, feels good, and supports positive lifestyle and health goals."
Minh-Hai Tran, MS, RD is a registered dietitian who earned her master's degree in nutritional science from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA and her bachelor's degree in dietetics from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX.
Minh-Hai has a variety of professional experiences including being a nutritional consultant for the Dallas Mavericks basketball team and a frequent guest on The Ticket sports radio station in Dallas, TX. She has also worked as a consultant, writer and speaker in the nutritional supplement and energy bar industry making her a perfect partner in the Zing enterprise.
Minh-Hai currently enjoys working with Kathleen and Sandi at NutritionWorks Consulting where she takes a personalized non-diet approach to helping each client achieve positive health goals and develop a healthy relationship with food. She is featured on the National Intuitive Eating Referral List, developed by the originators of Intuitive Eating.
Minh-Hai’s favorite Zing bar flavor changes almost daily so she keeps a varied stash in her handbag, which also changes almost daily.
Please call: (206) 362-3989