Soy Joy: Berry

This is definitely one of the better tasting SoyJoy bars that we’ve reviewed. It has an almost home baked flavor to it, that’s probably best compared to cinnamon raisin bread or something similar. However, instead of raisins, it has dried wolfberries (aka goji) as well as what tastes like a slightly spiced mixture. The consistency of this bar is soft and slightly chewy, with a rather thin shape that’s best compare to a piece of a Twix candy bar. At 130 calories, it’s easy to chow this bar down in a flash, which left us reaching for a second one quickly. The bar has 4g of protein, 3g of fiber, and trace amounts of various vitamins. We’re left feeling like this is a good choice for a quick snack, but it’s not likely to provide sufficient sustenance to tide you over for too long. Packaging is polished and clean, with a shiny silver wrapper that has images of berries and of the bar itself. It’s definitely one of the more professional looking bars out there. Overall, extremely enjoyable, but a bit too light for our liking.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zing Nutrition Bar: Chocolate Peanut Butter

Zing’s Chocolate Peanut Butter bar is, according to the front of the wrapper, a “deliciously different” bar that’s high protein and gluten free. What’s inside the wrapper is a very chewy, chocolate coated bar that’s big on peanut butter flavor. It’s sweetened with agave (a low GI sweetner) and xylitol (a natural sugar substitute). It’s got some decent crunch to it, thanks to the addition of whey protein crisps, but otherwise, it’s a soft and chewy center. Flavor is quite good, although there is a slight note of something that tastes like coffee (which isn’t an ingredient in the bar) towards the finish. Still, for a 210 calorie bar that’s packed with 13g of protein, 3g of fiber, and what’s otherwise enjoyable flavor, it’s not that big of a deal. Packaging for this 1.76 ounce bar is fairly basic looking, with script fonts used for the logo and some of the other text that’s on the front of the wrapper. It’s not the most engaging design, but it’s effective for now. In the future, adding some personality to the look and making the “Deliciously Different” easier to read would be an improvement. Overall, we really enjoyed the flavor and nutritional side of this bar.
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Forze GPS: Chocolate Decadence

Forze GPS Chocolate Decadence promises to help the consumer curb his appetite through a scientifically-formulated combination of fats, protein, nutrients and fiber. While that efficacy may be difficult to pin down, the bar still satisfies on taste, appearance, texture and nutrition. The bar’s top layer of chocolate chips and chocolate drizzle give it the appearance of an indulgent treat. Its taste resembles that of a brownie, though muted, with undertones of protein powder. Its texture pleasantly mixes chewy and crunchy, though it is perhaps a little scratchy on the throat. Nutritionally, the bar offers 8 g of protein, 5g of fiber and 10 g of sugar in 150 calories – a notable mix considering it makes no high-protein, high-fiber or low-sugar claims. Its vitamin suite is a little scant – just 10 percent of your daily need for vitamins A, C, and E as well as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid- though it also packs 40 percent of one’s daily need for calcium and 6 percent of one’s daily need for iron. Overall, Forze GPS Chocolate Decadence achieves a lot within its 40 grams and 150 calories.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

NRG BAR: Chocolate Coconut

When we saw the name “Chocolate Coconut,” we were fully expecting a bar that’s sweet and indulgent. After all, using chocolate in a bar is something that’s rarely done with restraint. Fortunately for NRG BAR, their Chocolate Coconut bar is not that, with chocolate chips and cocoa delivered as an accent to the bar’s core oat flavor. And of course, there’s the coconut, which, through the use of unsweetened coconut flakes, adds a very subtle crunch and note of flavor to the bar’s finish. One of the other flavors that’s in the mix, but not marketed on the label, is cinnamon, which adds a natural note of spice to the finish. Otherwise, the bar is soft and chewy, but feels slightly dry in the mouth. At 270 calories, the bar has some substance to it, as well as 6g of protein and 5g of fiber. On the outside, they’ve created a visually appealing label, with a cool looking logo and good use of color. While you can’t see inside the wrapper, it certainly has a vibe of sportiness to it, which seems to be what they are going for. Adding USDA Organic certification would be a plus in the future, but otherwise, we wouldn’t really change a thing about the look. Overall, a very enjoyable product that’s well executed.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Clif Bar: Crunchy Peanut Butter

Great crunch and chew – no mouth-tiring work. A bit acidic, possibly from brown rice syrup, but with nice chunks of peanut butter. While the peanut bits provide some crunch, the bar could use a few more and the calorie cost would likely be offset by a potential reduction in sugar content. Nevertheless, the classic Clif wrapper and overall utility of this bar, which basically comes out like a protein-dense peanut butter cookie, mean that this product, one of the earliest of the Clif Bar offerings, is still one of its best ones.

Total Calories: 250
Fat: 6 g
Protein: 11 g
Fiber: 5 g

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clif Bar: White Chocolate Macadamia

Given Clif’s facility with all things peanut-y, it would seem that the use of tempting additions like white chocolate and macadamia has the potential to create a totally indulgent, if calorie-rich bar. Unfortunately, it’s hard to make out either white chocolate or Macadamia flavors in this one, and instead the dominant taste note one gets is simply “sweeter than regular Clif Bar.” If you’re going to dangle these other ingredients for us, throw us enough chunks to make them discernible – otherwise, they go in as just so much extra sugar. While the Clif label isn’t known for providing the lightest of products, there’s usually some worth to the exchange of health for flavor and calories. But this has less flavor and fewer nutritive qualities than its line mates.

Total Calories: 240
Fat: 7g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 9g
Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

NRG BAR: Pumpkin Ginger

Pumpkin Ginger was the first flavor of NRG BAR’s lineup that we sampled. The consistency of this wheat free bar is dense, but somewhat dry, with a slightly floury finish. It’s sweetened with brown rice syrup, which, along with the other wet ingredients (fig paste and date paste) , helps bind the bar. The ginger flavor is the best part of the bar, with a flavor that’s almost like eating a ginger snap cookie. The pumpkin is definitely a secondary flavor, but it provides a nice earthy backdrop to the bar. At the same time, there’s a very mellow note of what tastes like the fig and date, but most consumers will likely miss these entirely. In our opinion, that’s not a bad thing as there are tons of other bars that are loaded with figs and dates. The addition of hulled flaxseed gives the bar a light crunch – and some added health benefits. And finally, there’s a slight aftertaste from the ginger, which, if you’re a ginger fan, won’t be a bad thing. All in all, it’s a very pleasant experience, although we’d certainly like it more if it were slightly less dense. Nutritionally, this 250 calorie bar has 4.5 grams of fat, 6g of protein, 5g of fiber, calcium, and iron. Packaging is appealing and attractive, with a very clean looking package that has minimal text on the front of the wrapper. The logo is unique and eye catching, which should help make the NRG BAR brand a memorable one with consumers. Overall, we think that NRG BAR has conceptually hit the nail on the head with their Pumpkin Ginger bar and, with a little refinement, could be on the path to making something great.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Winetime Bar: Winetime Bar

Rezvez’s “Winetime Bar” is an indulgent tasting bar that’s made dark chocolate, dates, and almonds and finished with a rich chocolate coating. It’s also fortified with more resveratrol, a popular functional ingredient that’s marketed as providing anti-aging and cancer prevention benefits, than 50 glasses of wine. From a taste point of view, this product is extremely enjoyable, eating very much like a candy bar, with the wholesome flavor of dates (and an occasional cranberry) providing a nice balance to the indulgence of the chocolate. It’s soft and chewy, with some slight crunch from added almonds and soy crisps. Aside from the BioVin and resVida resveratrol ingredients, they’ve also added some superfruit powders for antioxidants, including noni, goji, pomegranate, acai, mangosteen, and blueberry. Nutritionally, this 190 calore bar has 9g of fat, 4g of protein, 7g of fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Packaging was less than intuitive and could use help in terms of its visual appeal. Our main issue is the name, WineTime, which to us implies that the formula somehow incorporates grape as a flavor in the bar. In our opinion, pushing resveratrol as heavy as they do sends the message that what’s inside the wrapper is all about function and not about flavor. To that extent, we were definitely shocked to find that the bar tastes as good as it does. So, making the design have balance between flavor and function might help lure in buyers who are shopping for taste or are not yet familiar with resveratrol. Overall, a nice tasting bar with unique function, but we’d like to see the exterior made more appealing.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Fruition: Cran-Raspberry

ProBar’s Cran-Raspberry Fruition Bar is a very enjoyable bar. The base of the bar is heavy on fruit flavor (hence the name), with notes of cranberries and raspberries and lots of date flavor. It has a soft and satisfying feeling in your mouth, especially with the added small chunks of dried fruit. There’s also a very slight crunch to the finish, thanks to some added nuts and seeds. This is a nice added dimension that complements the bars soft consistency quite nicely. All in all, the bar is extremely enjoyable to eat (or scarf if you’re like us). The bar’s wrapper is clean and appealing, with illustrations of fruit providing the border around the bar’s cleanly executed logo. The design has a healthy and natural vibe to it, which is definitely an accurate representation of what’s inside the wrapper. Nutritionally, this 1.7 ounce bar has 160 calories, 2g of fat, 4g of fiber, 3g of protein, calcium, and iron. From our perspective, this is a nice option for a healthy snack or for a light pick me up when you are on the go. Overall, an exceptionally well done bar.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Odwalla: Chocolate Chip Peanut

While the name “Chocolate Chip Peanut” did a good job of whetting our appetite, we were somewhat letdown by what’s inside this wrapper. There’s neither a lot of peanuts or chocolate chips, but instead you’ve got more of a “peanut butter crunch” thing going on, with a heavy note of peanut butter, followed by some oats and small bits of peanuts. Chocolate is in there, but not to the extent that it deserves to get full billing as part of the flavor name. Oddly enough, this product is also one that has extra protein compared to the other Odwalla bars, although it still comes in at only 7g per bar. In addition to protein, the bar has a fair amount of potassium, fiber, vitamins and minerals on 230 calories and 8g of fat. Like the rest of the Odwalla Bar line, this one’s biggest problem is its wrapper, which is littered text. There’s absolutely no way that any consumer is going to pick up and read more than a quarter of what’s on this wrapper. Our suggestion – get rid of it and stick with the important stuff. That would create room for graphic elements that actually make the bar look appetizing and help sell the bar. Overall, this bar needs work in both flavor and packaging.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Supreme Protein: Peanut Butter Crunch

Like the other products in the line, Supreme Protein: Peanut Butter Crunch looks and tastes like a candy bar, but delivers like a protein supplement. This bar bursts with creamy peanut butter flavor and offers a texture that blends chewy, crunchy and chewy. From a nutritional standpoint, it freights 15 grams of protein and small doses of 19 vitamins and minerals in 200 calories with just 5 grams of sugar. Its formulation uses artificial sweeteners to achieve its indulgent flavor.The label suffers from over-crowding, with boasts about the bar’s low-carb and trans fat-free credentials, it’s core ingredient and a tag calling it “new and improved” fighting for space with the brand name, flavor, and protein claim. Overall, Supreme Protein’s Peanut Butter Crunch is tasty bar with a significant protein dose for its calorie count, but the line could be bettered by packaging that moved some of its boasts off the front label.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Odwalla: Sweet & Salty Peanut Bar

Odwalla: Sweet & Salty Peanut Of all the Odwalla bars that we’ve sampled, this one is probably the best. That’s the result of heavy peanut and oat flavors, which give the bar a decidedly less processed feeling in your mouth. There’s also a heavy dose of sweetness (from brown rice syrup and sugar) and salt, which make the product have the “Sweet & Salty” flavor that’s promised in the bar’s name. Then again, this bar eats very much like the classic Payday candy bar, which very much makes us question just how nutritious this bar really is. On the nutrition panel, the product has 190 calories, 6g of fat, 2g of fiber, 5g of protein, and vitamins and minerals. It also claims, in the fine print, to be made with 24% organic ingredients. All of this adds up to something that might make for a good snack, but not something that’s offering a ton of nutrition relative to the competition. Packaging is just okay, with a cluttered front label that has text running all over it. There are images of nuts, but they’re off in the corner, while the Odwalla logo still doesn’t seem overly credible to us on things other than smoothie and juice drinks. Overall, it’s nice tasting, but we think they can still do better.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Promax Cookies ‘N Cream

Promax Cookies ‘N Cream doesn’t look, taste, or feel like most protein bars. When you open the package, you’re greeted by a frosted brown stick that resembles a miniature doughnut. It also yields surprisingly easily under the teeth, with a light chewiness reminiscent of cake batter. The taste – though not quite the chocolate cookie and frosting the name suggests –also resembles something stolen from Mom’s kitchen before it reached the oven. Nutritionally, this bar packs 20 grams of protein and meaningful doses of 18 vitamins and minerals. It weighs in a little high on sugar, packing 30 grams, but bills itself as an energy bar rather than a protein supplement – though protein plays prominently on the label. The package is clean and easy to read, but also bland, resembling a private label product. The only major drawback to this bar is it left us with a slight stomach ache – which may have more to do with eating too much of Mom’s cake batter as a kid than the bar itself.

Rating 2.5 of 5 stars

Clif Builder’s: Chocolate

Made with an “entirely natural” formulation, Clif Builder’s: Chocolate delivers a solid dose of protein with a reasonable sugar load and good taste. While the undertone of soy protein emerges in the bar’s finish, the overall flavor resembles a brownie – a feat considering the bar’s mere 20 grams of sugar, 270 calories and absence of artificial sweeteners. From a texture standpoint, this bar offers a mixture of chewy and crunchy achieved by sandwiching a crumbled core between two layers of chocolate. Nutritionally, the line’s 20 grams of protein puts it solidly on the lighter side of protein bar territory. It also freights significant doses of 23 vitamins and minerals – including 100 percent of the FDA’s suggested daily consumption of vitamins C and E – and four grams of fiber. The bar’s brightly-colored packaging catches the eye, with the brand taking top billing above the Clif logo. While the flavor hangs at the far right of the label, each bar in the line boasts a different color, making one flavor easily distinguishable from another. Overall, this is a solid entry, pleasing in both flavor and nutrition panel.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Clif Bar: Banana Nut Bread

While it certainly has a lot more chew to it than real banana bread, Clif has done a great job of creating a flavor that’s an accurate interpretation of the original. There’s a pretty good banana flavor to the mixture, thanks to the use of dried bananas, while the base is the same organic oat and soy crisp base that you’ll find in the rest of this line of Clif Bars. It’s got a fair amount of chew to it, with some light crunch to the finish, which is also aided by some walnut flavor. Nutritionally, this bar has 9g of protein, 240 calories, 250mg of potassium, 4g of fiber, and loads of vitamins and minerals. That being said, it functions as both a nice snack alternative or a light meal. Packaging follows the same template as the rest of the Clif line, with a caramel colored strip along the bottom for the flavor name. It’s honestly somewhat hard to get excited about Clif’s packaging at this point, but since it’s so ubiquitous with the energy bar category, it definitely gives us a certain feeling of comfort when we see it. Overall, it’s not an overly innovative flavor, but it’s a well executed one and, therefore, a bar that we’d have no problem picking up again.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Luna Protein: Cookie Dough

Luna Protein Cookie Dough proves to be a disappointment from a company that otherwise produces good bars. The flavor sounds intriguing and enjoyable – who doesn’t like cookie dough? – but the result falls short of its potential. The taste of the chocolate coating overpowers the hint of cookie dough – reminiscent of that found in ice cream – that emerges only in the finish. Textually, the bar is a mostly-uniform, chewy mush with an occasional crunch from chocolate chips in the filling. It also leaves a syrupy feeling and aftertaste in the mouth. Nutritionally, this is a lighter bar, weighing in at 180 calories. It boasts a smattering of vitamins and minerals at moderate levels, topping out at 30 percent of your daily suggested intake, but it comes up light on the protein front, especially for a product with “protein” in its name. While 12 grams might be significant for someone with an inactive lifestyle, that’s a small dose for most consumers who will reach for a protein product. Overall, Luna Protein Cookie Dough disappoints, missing the mark on flavor and coming up short on protein.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Luna Protein: Chocolate Cherry Almond

Luna Protein Chocolate Cherry Almond lives up to its name on taste. Light and subtle – if a bit bland – the three named flavors blend such that none overpowers the others while successfully masking the bar’s soy and whey protein. The bar feels mostly chewy, with a pervasive, mild crunch and occasional dried cherries that offer both a textural surprise and a burst of flavor. At 180 calories, this bar falls on the lighter end of the spectrum, but that’s intentional. The packaging calls the bar an “indulgent satisfaction – under 200 calories,” while also boasting its nutrient load. The bar delivers a smattering of vitamins and minerals at moderate levels, topping out at 30 percent of your daily suggested intake. However, for putting “protein” in the name, this bar is light on that particular nutrient. While 12 grams might be fine for the typical office worker, that’s a small dose for most consumers who will reach for a protein product. Overall, Luna Protein Chocolate Cherry Almond is a well-rounded bar that comes up a little short in the protein department.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Supreme Protein: Rocky Road Brownie

Supreme Protein Rocky Road Brownie looks, feels and tastes like a candy bar. With a layer of marshmallow over a layer of brownie, all wrapped in a mixture of chocolate and peanuts, you’d be forgiven for confusing this bar with a high-sugar, high calorie indulgence. Instead, it offers 15 grams of protein with just 210 calories and 3 grams of sugar, owing its sweetness to the use of sugar alcohols (which are not readily absorbed by the body). It also boasts an interesting, chewy/crunchy consistency. If it can be criticized for anything, it’s the vitamin panel. The Supreme Protein Rocky Road Brownie bar offers only small doses of your daily vitamins, topping out at 25 percent of vitamin E. But, if you’re just looking for a low-sugar protein bar that doesn’t taste like chalk, you’re not going to do much better than this.

Rating: 4.5

Love Candy: Milk Chocolate

Why are we reviewing a candy bar? Well, this one is actually what we’d call a “hybrid” as is implied with the bar’s tagline (“as healthy as candy can be”). And really, it’s not all that far off from some of the bars that we’ve sampled in our day, many of which include chocolate coatings and nougat centers. As for this bar, it’s a really well crafted product, with a caramel center that’s surrounded by roasted almonds and pecans before finally given a chocolate coating and a granola topping. It’s sweet, but savory, with a nice amount of chew and crunch to the bar. Factoring in the chocolate coating, there’s a lot of indulgence in this bar. “Healthy”? Well, it’s a little questionable. The bar has 1g of fiber, 2g of protein, 170 calories, 9g of fat, and low levels of Vitamin A, calcium, and iron. That being said, this certainly isn’t the most nutritious product out, but it’s certainly got more to it than mainstream candy bars. Packaging is a standard style candy wrapper, which they’ve used to create a premium look through the use of well executed branding and design. They’ve also had this bar USDA Organic certified, which should help with the target demographic. Overall, if it’s as healthy as candy can be, candy just can’t be all that healthy – but this bar sure does taste good.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Bear Naked: Chocolaty Cherry

Bear Naked, which is now owned by Kashi (a subsidiary of Kellogg’s), has been known for its granola products since its inception in 2002. Now, they’ve moved into the bar category in a big way, with this being the first of several granola based bars that they have launched. It’s an exceptionally well executed bar from start to finish, with a slightly chewy mix of granola that has been lightly flavored with cherries, coconut, chocolate, maple syrup, and a touch of vanilla. They’ve also fortified the bar with flax and sesame seeds, which aids the consistency of the bar. The resulting bar has 10g of fat, 230 calories, 4g of fiber, and 4g of protein, which certainly make it qualify for an on the go breakfast. On the packaging front, it’s easily identifiable as a Bear Naked product, with prime placement of the logo on the front of the wrapper. It’s also rather appealing to the appetite, with a wholesome theme that’s aided by the use of a clear area that allows viewing of the bar that’s inside. On the other hand, we’re confused about the “+energy” text that’s in bold on the front of the wrapper. This isn’t an energy bar, so, trying to catch buyers who are looking for energy seems like a distraction. Aside from this one minor grievance, this is an exceptional bar.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

ProBar Fruition: Strawberry

ProBar’s Strawberry “fruition” bar is a particularly enjoyable one, complete with large chunks of dried strawberries interspersed throughout the bar. That, paired with the soft date and rolled oat base, makes for something that’s extremely satisfying to the palate. The product also has brown rice syrup (sweetener), black and white chia seeds (for a touch of crunch), and cashews (in ground form). There’s a nice amount of sweet flavor to this bar, especially compared to ProBar’s flagship line which has savory flavors as well, while the soft and chewy consistency makes it extremely easy to eat the product at a fast pace. At 160 calories, this 1.7 ounce bar makes for a nice snack, which is made better by the fiber (4g), protein (3g), and vitamins and minerals. Packaging is simple and aesthetically appealing, with bright fruit images going around the border of the wrapper. It looks similar enough to the regular ProBar line while still feeling different. Plus, we love the new look to the logo and the new tag line. Overall, an awesome bar that makes for a nice complement to the core ProBar lineup.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Elevate Me!: Chocolate Acai Berry Brownie

Like the other varieties of Elevate Me, this bar is also billed as “The world’s simplest protein & fruit energy bar.” There’s a pretty heavy date and raisin flavor to the base, while added almonds, cranberries, cocoa, whey protein isolate, and acai powder round out the rest of the bar’s flavor and also add nutrients. It’s balanced and easy to eat, although the dry and sticky consistency is something that takes some getting used to. Plus, we bet that some consumers will expect more chocolate flavor when they see the word “brownie” on the label. Nutritionally, this bar is quite good, with 16g of protein,4g of fat, 5g of fiber, iron and calcium being the highlights. On the outside, the label is really busy, making this the biggest area for improvement. Really, the name “Elevate Me!” isn’t all that great, while we love their tagline (“The world’s simplest protein & fruit energy bar”) and it would be great if that somehow tied into the name. Otherwise, it’s just an okay looking design — one that could easily be passed over when panning shelves full of bars in a retail store. Overall, enjoyable and satisfying, but the bar needs some marketing help.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Clif C: Blueberry

Made with 70% organic ingredients (USDA certified by QAI), “C” is essentially Clif’s answer to all of the bar companies that are making less-processed bars. Like these other companies, Clif C is made with ingredients that your average consumer can understand. That’s something that can’t be said about most of Clif’s other lines – not that we’re saying that’s bad in and of itself. In any event, Clif C Blueberry is a 9 ingredient bar consisting of dates, almonds, blueberries, macadamia nuts, blueberry juice, lemon juice, sea salt, and vitamin E (for additional antioxidants). What’s most interesting and unique about this bar is that Clif has separated these ingredients into layers, creating an almost cookie like base of ground nuts and a second layer of fruit (blueberry and date) on top of that before sprinkling a few more nut pieces on the top. The result is a bar that allows you to enjoy each flavor on its own, but also enjoy how everything works together. It’s a well balanced effort that has just the right amount of each of the 9 (well, 8 that you can taste) ingredients. Nutritionally, this 130 calorie bar has 4.5g of fat, 4g of fiber, 2g of protein, and up to 10% of several vitamins and minerals. This makes it a nice choice for a snack or supplement to a light meal. On the packaging front, Clif is again taking note of the competition in this segment of the bar space, going with a clear wrapper that lets you see what’s inside. And given the layered approach to the bar itself, they have created something that’s more appetizing and appealing than competing bars that blend everything together. However, we’re not sold on “C” as a name. It clearly has some meaning, but it’s not explained on the wrapper, which means that it isn’t helping sell the product. Still, this is an awesome bar that, aside from picking nits on the name, deserves a spot in our Hall of Fame.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clif Bar: Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Spiced Pumpkin Pie is part of Clif’s “Seasonal Flavor” bars, meaning that it’s only going to be available for a limited time. Hitting the market right at the start of Fall is a good move for a pumpkin flavored bar – especially with execution that’s as solid as this. In terms of flavor, there’s the same base of organic oats and soybeans that you’ll find in the entire Clif flagship line. In this case, they’ve given it a pretty hefty pumpkin flavor (from dried pumpkin), some extra spice (we’re tasting cinnamon and maybe nutmeg flavors), and some added raisins. The bottom has a coating of white soy chocolate, which adds an indulgence factor to the product. All of these flavors meld together quite nicely, delivering something that definitely tastes like pumpkin pie, but without the guild. Nutritionally, this bar has loads of vitamins and minerals, 10g of protein, 5g of fat, and 5g of fiber, which is a nice plus on top of the bar’s enjoyable flavor. However, this product feels a lot more processed than some of Clif’s other bars, which is definitely the rest of the sugary chocolate glaze on the bottom. Regardless, it’s a nice seasonal effort. Same goes for the packaging, which has a snow capped mountain theme to signify this bar’s winter release. It’s an attractive and well executed approach. Overall, an enjoyable product that should be a hit this Fall and Winter.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

ExtendBar: Peanut Butter Chocolate Delight

ExtendBar’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Delight is a bar that’s designed to help control blood sugar for up to 9 hours through the use of sugar alcohol (malitol) instead of regular sugar. The flavor of this bar is extremely enjoyable, with puffed rice, peanut butter, and chocolate delivering an almost candy bar like flavor. Despite having 0g of sugar (thanks to the use of Splenda and malitol), the product tastes almost exactly like a product that’s sweetened with sugar. There’s no sweetener aftertaste, which is certainly a plus, and the bar claims to be a low glycemic index product. It also has 11g of protein, 5g of fiber, calcium, iron, and phosphorous, which add some nutrition to the mix. Packaging feels like a cross between a diet product and a candy bar, with an orange and beige backdrop that features a simple logo and images of chocolate and peanuts. While it doesn’t really give you a sense of what’s inside the wrapper, the presentation is clean, making it easy for you to quickly read the benefits of the bar. Overall, enjoyable flavor and a unique value proposition make this bar worth a shot.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

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