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%

The Simply Bar: Peanut Butter Chocolate

Designed to be a low glycemic index (GI) bar that has more protein per gram than any other bar on the market, The Simply Bar’s Peanut Butter Chocolate bar delivers solid nutrition and great flavor.  Using a base of soy crisps, the bar has a light and airy body with a light crackle to the finish.  There’s a decent amount of chocolate and peanut butter flavor to this gluten-free vegan bar, but it’s not too much that the bar eats like a piece of candy.  Plus, the massive dose of protein (16g) doesn’t appear to impact the flavor at all.  Finally, the bar is low GI thanks to the use of agave nectar and brown rice syrup as the bar’s sweeteners. On the outside, the bar has a minimalist design that relies on the appetizing appearance of the bar itself to sell the bar.  It’s clean, attractive, and simple, which firts well with something that’s named The Simply Bar. Overall, an extremely enjoyable bar that delivers the full package: taste, nutrition, and appearance.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars