Kelp Crunch – Sesame Ginger

Despite the somewhat unappealing Kelp Crunch name and “seaweed energy bar” tag line, their Sesame Ginger bar is rather enjoyable.  Made with sesame seeds, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, kelp, ginger, cayenne, and vanilla, the bar has a distinct flavor that you won’t find in other bars.  The base, which is almost entirely sesame seeds, is crisp and crunchy, while the added ginger and cayenne give the product some heat to its finish.  In the middle of all of this, there’s a light amount of sweetness and the kelp, which give the product a slightly Asian inspired taste.  Nutritionally, the bar has 124 calories, 8g of fat, 3g of fiber, 3g of protein, calcium, iron, and small amounts of Vitamin A and C.   Based on the 1 oz size and the nutritional content, this bar is definitely the right portion for a snack.  Packaging is a simple foil wrapper that has been decorated with an illustrated image of a whale jumping out of the water.  While it certainly has a vibe of authenticity to it, it’s not an image that’s overly appetizing in our opinion.    However, we do like the placement of the “100% organic gluten-free vegan” badge, which will certainly help with their target consumer.  Lastly, they are donating a portion of the proceeds to Allied Whale – that’s something that might be worth more prominent billing.  Overall, a nice tasting product, but the current look of the label isn’t going to help sell bars.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

GNU Foods: Lemon Ginger Bar

We’ve been fans of Gnu Foods line of fiber enriched bars since we first tried them – and their most recent flavor additions have strengthened our love for the brand. The lemon flavor is strong but natural, while the ginger flavor tastes very fresh and even has a little kick to it. The base of the bar is an enjoyable blend of whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat, wheat bran, organic kamut, psyllium, flax and millet.  It’s sweet, but not too sweet, with a soft consistency that has just a little bit of chew to it. And yes, it is very fibrous (8g of soluble fiber and 4g of insoluble fiber), thanks to these ingredients containing naturally high levels of fiber.  Having high levels of fiber is definitely a very marketable “function” for the bar to have, but it also contains 3g of protein, calcium, and iron.  Packaging is colorful and appealing, with a healthy vibe coming from the soft and not too serious branding.   It’s clean and catches the eye, which certainly help make the product have visual appeal.   Overall, this is a very enjoyable bar that has function that you can feel.  Definitely worth a try.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honest Foods: Apple Ginger

This is a nice tasting bar, with notes of oats, apple, ginger, raisins, and seeds. It’s moderately sweet and somewhat sticky, with a fair amount of chew to the bar. The result is something that’s quite palatable and provides just the right amount of substance to supplement a meal or act as a snack. At 210 calories and 9g of fat, this vegan bar delivers 4g of fiber, 5g of protein, whole grains, and 190mg of omega-3. Honestly – and no pun intended –our biggest complaint about the bar is how quickly it disappeared. A hungry person could certain devour this in only a few bites (as we did). Packaging is simple and effective, with a name that lines up nicely with the whole foods that are inside this wrapper. Overall, a very enjoyable product.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honest Foods: Apple Ginger

Honest Foods bills its bars as “baked whole food bars”, which appears to refer to its soft oat and nut base. The bar has a soft but slightly chewy texture, with a heavy amount of oat flavor. There’s a hint of almond butter to it, but otherwise we do not taste any of the other nut ingredients that are in the bar. Then there’s the apple, which hits your palate in a big way. Really, we think there’s too much sweet apple flavor relative to the base grain flavors. Plus, it almost completely hides the ginger, which seems like a bit of an afterthought. Packaging wise, we like the look of the bar and the Honest name (hey, it worked for Honest Tea). Definitely worth a try.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars