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

Kashi Golean Roll: Oatmeal Walnut

Kashi’s “GoLean Roll” line is an interesting one and their Oatmeal Walnut flavor is definitely one of the better flavors. This bar is very chewy, almost to the point of being difficult to eat (it will give your jaw a workout), and there’s a slight amount of crunch to it from the puffed rice coating. The center of the bar has a pretty decent “oatmeal” flavor, although it was hard to distinguish anything that really tasted like walnut. Ultimately, our biggest issue with this bar is how processed it tastes (and looks). The same can be said for the long ingredients list, which, despite being “all natural,” will require a food science degree to decipher. Nutritionally, the bar has 12g of protein, 6g of fiber, and 190 calories. It claims to be developed for an “optimized glycemic response” (slow release carbs to balance blood sugar and protein/fiber to help you keep satisfied). On that front, the bar seems to work as advertised – it definitely satisfied our hunger. Packaging is good and takes advantage of the popular Kashi brand, but we can’t help but feel like the concept of a “roll” is somewhat unappetizing. Overall, a decent bar, but we’d like it more if it were easier to chew.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Jammy Sammy: Apple Cinnamon & Oatmeal

Like its counterpart, “Strawberry Jam & Peanut Butter”, this sandwich bar delivers excellent flavor in a nicely portioned size. Flavor wise, it tastes exactly like we would have expected based on the name of the product. There’s a lot of apple flavor that has a hint of cinnamon to the finish. The exterior has a nice oat flavor, with a consistency that’s like that of smooshed bread. Ultimately, it tastes very similar to the apple flavor that you’d expect to find in other mainstream products, such as cereal or oatmeal. That’s fine by us – and we think it will be a hit with kids as well. Packaging is colorful and clean, with an excellent design that gives of a credible vibe of nutrition and quality. The product is USDA Organic certified – and the logo is a key part of the front part of the wrapper. Overall, this is a very enjoyable and convenient product that’s sure to be something that will go over well with kids.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calories: 100
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 1g
Sugars: 10g