WildBar: Mountain Mint

Made with raw cacao and wild blue green algae, this gluten free, vegan, and USDA Organic bar is designed to be the “ultimate meal in a bar.” The bar, which is dark in color and has a dry but chewy consistency to it, has a lot of flavor to it, including cacao, mint, and macadamia nuts. Unfortunately, these flavors aren’t balanced well, resulting in a harsh, almost off putting, mint flavor that leaves a bad taste in your mouth (and a lingering aftertaste). Conceptually, we think it’s a good one, and some refinement to the recipe might make this a better tasting product. Otherwise, this bar is likely going to appeal to someone who’s really hell bent on adding blue algae (Crystal Manna and Blue Manna) to their diet. On the packaging front, this product’s wrapper design made us expect something very different than what was inside it. Specifically, the bright colors and emphasis on the mint leaf seemed to be somewhat of a head scratcher, while there are no visual aides to call out the other ingredients in the bar. That seems like a big mistake, especially since mint isn’t something that’s likely to whet the palate of too many bar shoppers. Overall, this bar needs work, both in packaging and flavor.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Calories: 185
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 14g
Protein: 5.5g
Vitamins: Vitamin B5: 9%, Vitamin D 3%, Vitamin E 8%, Magnesium: 2.5g, Copper 26%, Zinc 12%, Selenium 16%, Molybdenum 37%, Phosphorous 60%

Tiger’s Milk: Peanut Butter Crunch

Featuring a tagline of “America’s Original Nutrition Bar” and a call out of “Great Taste,” this smallish bar was actually quite enjoyable to eat. The chewy, chocolate coated bar is reminiscent of a Butterfinger candy bar, both in terms of flavor and mouth feel. There’s a pretty strong peanut butter flavor in this bar – and the chocolate coating adds a bit of indulgence to it. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, B vitamins, iron, and copper. The bar also has 6g of protein, which isn’t bad given the size of the bar. On the outside, the wrapper feels like something that’s for the athlete crowd, especially given the recent success of another product with “milk” in the name (Muscle Milik). It’s not a bad look, with a somewhat classic vibe to it. Overall, very enjoyable taste and modest appearance make this a good choice when you need a little pick me up.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars