NuGo: Peanut Butter Chocolate

Made with “real milk chocolate” we expected this bar to be somewhat candy like in flavor. Really though, this product is more about crisped rice and soy than it is peanut butter or chocolate as the label might have you believe. It’s a pretty chewy bar at that, with countless ingredients in comparison to the many “organic” or “raw” bars that we’ve tried. However, they’ve done a pretty good job presenting a packed nutrition panel, complete with 11g of protein and loads of vitamins and antioxidants in a 180 calorie format. Really, it’s one of the better tasting bars that we’ve had relative to its level of nutrition. Packaging is decent, but feels like that of a candy bar more than a nutrition bar. On the other hand, we like the name “NuGo,” which is short for “Nutrition on the Go.” Overall, a very enjoyable bar.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sencha Green Tea Bar: Original

This chewy bar is our favorite of the Sencha bar lineup.  Touting the equivalent of three cups of green tea per bar, this variety has a tea laden flavor that provides a nice complement to the other ingredients used in the bar.  Otherwise, it’s very much an earthy flavored bar, with notes of nuts, seeds, and fruit (dates, plums, and goji).  It’s got a medium amount of chew to it, followed by some crunch from the nuts and seeds, making it very easy to eat.  With 3g of fiber and 9g of protein, as well as vitamins and antioxidants, this bar is definitely credible in the nutrition department.  Packaging is similar to the other brands in the line, but it’s more enticing (and easier to grasp) without the added sub-flavors found in the other two. Overall, a well executed bar with great taste and nutrition.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

SenCha Green Tea Bar: Delicate Pear

This bar’s primary selling point is its equivalency to three cups of green tea, but they don’t mention EGCG or antioxidants, leaving the consumer to figure out what this is all about.  From a flavor point of view, this bar is somewhat of a mess. There’s a lot that hits your palate –pear (from both fruit and flavoring), green tea, seeds, soy, and nuts — but nothings balanced or complementary in nature.  Dialing down the pear flavor and adding a little bit of spice might be a solution to this, but in its current form, the flavor just isn’t all that enjoyable.  Packaging has issues, too, with the brand name being easy to miss (white text on yellow) and the product’s purpose (green tea) in small hard to read font.  The color scheme is good, but otherwise, the bar could use some help in the personality department.  Overall, we like the concept, but th execution needs improvement.

Rating: 2 of 5 Stars