Greens +: Omega-3 Chia Energy Bar Chocolate

Omega-3 Chia Energy Bar Chocolate has one of the longest ingredient lists of any bar we’ve ever tried. The chief components to it are dates, almond butter, chia seed, honey and the company’s Greens Plus powder (a mix of over 20 green ingredients such as a spirulina and wheat grass). The use of Chia seed is what really differentiates this bar. More than just the green sprouts on cute ceramic figures as seen on TV, Chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family that is native Mexico and Guatemala. Chia is grown commercially for its seed, which yields 25-30% oil when ground, mostly α-linolenic acid (ALA). As a result, this bar contains 1.5g of omega-3 and .5 g of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential to the human diet. The flavor of the bar is quite good considering all they cram into it. The date/chia mix gives a texture that is not unlike the inside of a Fig Newton, while the chocolate on the outside is quite good.  Our main issue with this bar is the label. The words are stacked on each other on the front panel in such a way that it is hard to figure out what flavor this bar is. Overall, great nutrition, good taste but horrible presentation.

3 out of 5 stars

Sun Valley: Chocolate Chocolate Chip

Sun Valley’s Chocolate Chocolate Chip bar is an oat in rice syrup bar which also contains peanut butter, semi-sweet chocolate, maple syrup, pumpkins seeds, almonds, walnuts, rice flour, apples, sesame seeds, flaxseed, and cocoa. It has a nice chocolate flavor, and then nuts really come though. The peanut butter, though high on the list of ingredients, is not very noticeable. The bar is not chocolate coated, but rather contains chocolate chips in a chocolate-flavored mix. The overall taste is great. The long list of nuts and seeds in the bar don’t really interrupt that chocolate experience, but they do add to the bar’s fat content (11g) and it’s overall calorie count (230). The protein in the bar is a respectable 7g, while contain 4g of fiber. The bar’s package does little to convey the flavor. Overall, this is a great-tasting, nutritious product, but it could use a little more flair on its lapel.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Zing: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Zing’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar is a really well executed product, starting with the bar’s smooth cashew butter base.  From there, the product has a light amount of crunch, a very pleasant oatmeal note, and a touch of salt and an almost fruity note to the finish.  Chocolate chips are visibly present, but don’t play a big role in the bar’s flavor.  That’s fine by us, since the bar complex flavor is very enjoyable even without chocolate chip flavor in every bite.  Nutritionally, the 1.76 ounce all natural bar has 210 calories, 10g of protein, 9g of fat, 4g of fiber, 6% RDA calcium, and 10% iron.  We’d classify this as a product that’s good for a light breakfast or for a pick me up.  Packaging is colorful and attractive to the eye.  We like the wholesome look of the Zing logo, but we’re distracted by the gold colored strip down the front of the wrapper that features the bar’s tagline (“Deliciously Different”).    Nit picking aside, this is a very enjoyable product that successfully blends great taste and packaging together.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pure Organic: Chocolate Brownie

Like the other varieties of Pure Organic bars, this one has undergone a branding makeover, with a more friendly and wholesome looking design to its wrapper.   The result is a bar that’s very inviting looking, with two sentences on the front of the wrapper speaking directly at you and giving the bar a not so serious vibe.   Inside, you’ve got a product that’s gluten free, vegan, and raw, starting with the dates, agave, nuts and cocoa.  It’s a pretty simple product, having only eight ingredients but still managing to deliver big flavor and solid nutrition.  In terms of taste, it lives up to being worthy of the chocolate brownie name, with a soft base that’s filled with big notes of cocoa.  You can’t taste too much of the date flavor, which is a good thing, while some pieces of nuts give the bar a bit of crunch to the finish.  Nutritionally, the bar has 180 calories, 7g of fat, 7g of protein, 4g of fiber, 220mg of potassium, and a fair mixture of vitamins.    All in all, this is an extremely enjoyable and satisfying product.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

PowerCrunch: Triple Chocolate

PowerCrunch’s Triple Chocolate “protein energy bar” is a very unique product bar that’s both enjoyable to eat and functional.  The bar is a “crème filled wafer bar”,  which is something that we’ve only seen in cookies and candy bars.  Compared to other protein bars that have a really tough chew to them or eat like cardboard, this bar is light and flaky with a crisp crunch to the finish.    The bar is sweetened with a blend of sugar, fructose, and stevia, which keeps the carbs low (4g of sugar) and the flavor still on point.  It also features 13g of protein from ProtoWhey, which the manufacturer claims is designed exactly to the specifications of human metabolism.   Otherwise, the bar has 210 calories, 13g of fat, 195mg of potassium, 80mg of sodium, 5% RDA of iron, and 1g of fiber.    The wrapper is clean, but feels slightly generic, which might result in this product not being overly memorable or standing out from the crowd.    However, if a consumer does try it, we’re pretty sure they’ll be hooked.  Overall, one of the best protein bars that we’ve ever sampled.
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Olympic Granola Trail Bar: Chocolate Peanut

Olympic Granola’s Chocolate Peanut Trail Bar is a wholesome looking and tasting bar that’s loaded with flavor. The soft wheat and dairy free bar has lots of seeds (sunflower and flax), a slight crunch of nuts (peanuts), some chew from oats, and a middle layer of indulgent chocolate chips. There’s also a touch of salt to the finish, which gives the bar some balance by cutting the sweetness just a bit. All in all, this bar tastes very much like something that you’d make at home – and we meant that in a good way. Nutritionally, this bar has 380 calories, 7g of fat, 10g of protein, and 6g grams of fiber. However, they’ve listed this bar at 2 servings per bar, which we think is deceiving and certainly against their “honest ingredients” tag as this is a single serve product. There should be no shame in having a product that’s high in fat and calories due to its nut and seed content – that’s what you get from minimally processed ingredients. The label is clean and appealing, with a look that fits with the bar perfectly. Plus, they’ve left a little area visible for seeing through the wrapper, which helps whet the appetite by letting you see the wholesome looking bar. Overall, a very well done product.
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Honey Stinger: Chocolate Coated Peanut Butter Pro

This is one of those bars that really “tastes too good to be true” (Or, in bar terms, it tastes too good to be good for you). The flavor of this bar is just plain awesome, with a candy bar like flavor that is extremely palatable and has no protein flavor. The peanut butter flavored base and chocolate coating make it extremely pleasant to eat, with an almost indulgent feeling in your mouth. This bar, which has 10g of whey protein, is also offered in a 20g of protein format as well (which we’ve also reviewed). In addition to having less protein, this bar is 1.5 ounces versus the 2.85 ounces of its counterpart. It’s soft, but less chewy than its counterpart, which makes it easier to eat. Ingredients are pretty straightforward as well, with honey, milk chocolate, peanut butter, whey protein isolate, and vitamins & minerals giving the bar its flavor and nutrition. Packaging is wholesome, but has energy, with the aggressive looking Honey Stinger logo providing a nice splash of personality. Overall, a very well done product.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Zero Impact: Chocolate Peanut Butter

VPX Sports Zero Impact High Protein Meal Bar boasts a large dose of protein and interesting functional claims, but possesses such an unpleasant taste, texture and appearance as to make it inedible to any but the most dedicated gym rat. The product’s bright blue package and bold text attracts the eye with minimal up-front claims. Its side and back panels build expectations – promising to deliver a low-glycemic dose of nutrition with “fat burning fats” – but peeling away the foil reveals a monotonous brown brick. The bar delivers a dry and crumbly texture and a taste that is so paste-like as to turn the stomach. Compressing a chunk of the bar between the tongue and the roof of the mouth squeezed out a hint of peanut butter, but no chocolate notes. Nutritionally, this bar is something of a bomb. At 410 calories, it’s one of the heftiest bars we’ve ever reviewed, and its calorie to protein ratio is higher than that of more popular protein bars. It also doesn’t add much for vitamins and minerals, including only 4-6 percent of your daily recommended consumption of vitamin A, Vitamin C, and iron as well as 10 percent of your suggested daily intake of calcium. Overall, this bar is difficult to choke down, but, if you can handle the taste and buy into its fat burning nutraceutical claim, this bar may be for you.

Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars

The Penny Protein Plan: Chocolate Chip Oat Square

The Penny Protein Plan’s Chocolate Oat Square bar is a very well rounded bar that has something for everyone. Designed to be a high protein “treat” for the owner’s (Penny) “no-crave” diet program, this bar has a solid 18g of protein per package, which is derived from added whey protein concentrate).   But unlike many other protein laden bars on the market today, this bar also has loads of wholesome flavor, with oats, molasses, cinnamon, allspice, flax, and even the occasional chocolate chip.  All of these ingredients are easily distinguished from the soft and chewy bar, making for something that truly exceeded our expectations.  Packaging is clean and simple, with a clear plastic wrap that’s held in place by the bar’s wrapper, which is nothing more than a sticker that keeps the wrapper closed.  Unlike other bars that are shaped like candy bars, this one goes for a square approach, making it look more like a brownie than a bar.  That’s okay by us, especially since this helps give the bar an even more handcrafted vibe.  Overall, an extremely well executed bar that we’d love to have more of.

Rating: 4.5 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

Think Thin: White Chocolate Chip

Think Products’ Think Thin bar is a pretty standard protein bar that comes in a friendly – if boring – wrapper. On the taste front, the bar’s white chocolate coating fails to distract from the core flavor of whey and soy protein. It also suffers from a uniform, mushy texture. On the outside, the bar shoots for mainstream appeal with a pale-green label featuring a photo of white chocolate chunks. Unfortunately, the chunks are difficult to see due to the lack of contrast. The label lists the product’s name in a subdued font, along with a boast calling it a “high protein bar for an active lifestyle.” That’s a fair claim considering its 20 g of protein and total absence of sugar. The bar also boasts notable doses of a suite of vitamins and minerals, including copper, folate and calcium. Overall, Think Thin White Chocolate Chip is a solid nutritional choice, though its labeling, texture and flavor could be improved.

Rating: 3 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

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

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

ProBar: Cocoa Pistachio

Cocoa Pistachio is another superb bar from Pro Bar. This variety has a lot of nut flavor to it, thanks to the use of pistachios, almonds, cashews and peanuts. There are also subtle notes of dates, oats, flax, agave nectar, brown rice syrup, and sunflower seeds, which add some substance to the bar and also help bind the bar together. And, of course, there’s dark chocolate chips, which add just a hint of indulgence to the bar. There are lots of other ingredients to this bar (too many to list, in fact), but everything works together in harmony, delivering exquisite flavor and plenty of substance. And this being a meal replacement bar, it has 450 calories, 25g of fat, 7g of fiber, 12g of protein, calcium, and iron. On the outside, they’ve done a killer job with the wrapper, using illustrations of nuts and chocolate to make something that whets the appetite quickly (it definitely lured us in!). Overall, we’re big fans of this product – definitely one of our favorite ProBars.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Myoplex Lite: Peanut Caramel Crisp

With a label boasting 15 grams of “high quality protein” and bearing the Myoplex brand name, the promise of this bar is clear. A protein blend (both soy and whey) stands at the top of the ingredient list and that’s reflected in the taste. While its layer of crushed peanuts and caramel over chocolate creates an interesting texture – a mixture of crunchy and chewy – the peanut and chocolate accents only create a distraction from the cardboard undertone common to the protein bar category. The real test, though, is the nutrition panel. The bar’s 15 grams of protein is less than others in the category, but it also weighs in at a scant 190 calories – making it more of a pre-workout snack than a meal replacement. Where the bar really shines is on its nutrient content. It boasts 50 percent the USDA’s daily suggested intake of a suite of vitamins, including A, C, and E. It’s also a significant source of calcium, magnesium and zinc. Overall, the Myoplex Lite bar offers a good source of quick nutrition, even if it’s not the tastiest option on the shelf.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Luna: Caramel Nut Brownie

Luna’s Caramel Nut Brownie bar is an especially good one, both in terms of the nutrition content and the bar’s flavor. It’s definitely one of the more indulgent bars that we’ve seen from Clif’s Luna Bar lineup, with a sweet chocolate flavored soy, rice, and oat base (70% organic). From there, they’ve drizzled chocolate and caramel on the top of the bar, while the bottom also has a decadent chocolate coating. As a result, the bar is chewy but has some slight crunch and it’s sticky to the touch — so you might want to eat it directly from the wrapper. Nutritionally, this 180 calorie bar has 8g of protein, 1g of fiber, and loads of vitamins and minerals. Also notable is their promotion of the bar’s “Low Glycemic” index, thanks to the use of brown rice syrup as the bar’s sweetener. So, if you’re looking for a snack that’s more than just empty calories, this is a great choice. On the outside, the new Luna bar look is great, with clean illustrations that give the bar a look that should fit well with the yoga crowd that this bar is meant for. Definitely one of the better Luna Bars that we’ve sampled.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honey Stinger: Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Pro

Part of Honey Stinger’s protein bar lineup, this bar’s most notable selling point is the fact that it contains 20g of protein. Advertised as a having dark chocolate, almond, and coconut flavors, this 3 ounce bar is loaded with enjoyable flavor as well as nutrition. The flavor of this bar can definitely hold its own, with the smooth chocolate center delivering a rich dose of flavor with light coconut and almond notes. If there’s anything we might change, it’s the sweetness of the bar, which is a bit strong, but it does help mask the underlying protein flavor. The bar weighs in at 380 calories, so there’s plenty of substance to it, plus there’s 20g of fiber, 3g of fiber, and loads of vitamins and nutrients. Packaging definitely looks and feels like a protein bar, with a dense 3 oz bar that has bold and colorful labeling. Plus, the Honey Stinger bee logo works quite nicely, emitting a wholesome but aggressive vibe that helps define this product’s niche. Overall, a really nice tasting bar that’s backed with 20g of protein. One of our favorite protein bars to date.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

NoNuttin’ Granola Bar: Chocolate Chip

Compared to their Double Chocolate Chunk flavored bar, NoNuttin’s Chocolate Chip bar has far less chocolate flavor. However, it’s still plenty to satisfy and it also leaves more oat flavor in the mix. Plus, there’s a note of what tastes like brown sugar and/or brown rice syrup (kind of earthy, hint of molasses). All of these flavors combine to give the bar just the right amount of each flavor, with a mild level of sweetness to complement the oats and chocolate. It has a definite high quality feeling to it, which is definitely a plus for this bar. From a portion point of view, this bar is definitely on the lighter side, having only 130 calories and 5g of fat per bar. However, being a gluten and nut free formulation is something that should definitely give this bar some added marketability. On the packaging front, this 1.06 ounce bar has a pastel green wrapper that’s pretty busy as far as text elements are concerned. While the name itself is clever, we’re not huge fans of the logo (they’ve got a yellow character blocking the “o”), plus something just feels disjointed about the way that things have been arranged. Our eye was circling around looking for the focal point and trying to absorb everything that’s on there. Still, the flavor is great and if they can tweak the label we think this bar would be perfect.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

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