Review: Detour Neapolitan Whey Protein Bar

Brand:  Detour

Flavor:  Neapolitan Whey Protein Bar

Where to get it: here @ BodyBuilding.com

                Another bro-bar with a delicious looking picture on the wrapper, I think I’m just a glutton for punishment for this blog sometimes. BUT WAIT! This one actually had a very similar look on the inside as the picture on the wrapper. Could it be?? Yes! There was a definite “Neapolitan” look to the cross-section of the bar. And the taste? Pretty good! Strong on the strawberry for sure, but in a good way… when they pack so much whey protein into these bars, they get “that taste”. I think the strong berry component helps to neutralize some of it, and that’s a very good thing. Just keep in mind that this IS a “bro-bar,” aka not a low-calorie casual snack. I advise us girls who aren’t looking to build competition-size muscles to either eat this in 2 servings, preferably after a workout, or as your entire meal if you’re strapped for time.

                 

               

Tastes like:  A chocolate strawberry protein shake

Taste rating:  6/10

What’s in it:

Review: Dick & Jane Bakery Smart Snacks

Brand:  Dick & Jane Baking Company

Flavor:  States & Capitals

Where to get it: here @ Amazon

                I’m a grown up, so I can only review these from a grown up’s point of view. My point of view is that I loved these, and I also thought that they were super fun. What a great, simple idea! And come on, let’s be honest – not many of us grown ups can name the capital of all 50 states. You know you can’t. I looked at every single one of these before they went in my mouth. I had a blast. I also really liked the taste, and the shape/thinness of these. Sweeter than a cracker, not sweet enough to be a cookie, they were a pleasant surprise. I did not expect to be so enamored with these educational biscuits, but here I sit. Enamored.  And only 100 calories in the pack. Loves!

                 

               

Tastes like:  An animal cracker & a Nilla wafer had a steamy affair

Taste rating:  10/10

What’s in it:

Review: Pistol Whipped Pastry Gluten-Free Almond Chocolate Granola Bar

Brand:  Pistol Whipped Pastry

Flavor:  Gluten-Free Almond Chocolate Granola Bar

Where to get it: here @ Pistol Whipped Pastry

                What a tiny, delicious miracle this turned out to be! It’s oat-y, it’s sweet, it’s stinkin’ DELICIOUS. Small but mighty, this is unlike any granola bar that I have ever had. It’s pretty sticky, so I ate it poking out of its tiny wrapper. I was very surprised at how filling this bar was for its size, but you will not be disappointed. It reminded me more of a cookie than a granola bar, which tend to be harder and drier. The chocolate is more of an undertone, which suits me just fine. This looks to me to be a small company offering various concoctions depending on ingredient availability; I definitely recommend checking their website regularly to see what they’ve cooked up!

                 

               

Tastes like:  Sweet oaty heaven

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Organic

What’s in it: (Unfortunately, I was unable to find any nutritional information on these. Please refer to header picture for ingredients on the packaging.)

Christmas Eve Review: Bananinha

Brand:  Nutryvitta

Flavor:  Bananinha

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                I’ve had a lot of snacks that have, in some way, involved dried, pureed, or dehydrated bananas. I really like bananas, but I haven’t found a lot of snacks that incorporate it in a palatable manner. Until now! These little bars come from Brazil, where this is (apparently?) a pretty common snack. The bar I tried was the cinnamon & sugar version (you can get them without), and I really feel like the cinnamon is what set this bar off. It almost tastes like chewy gingerbread, and it actually doesn’t taste as strongly of banana. This is a very unique snack and I really enjoyed it. I know I’m not doing a very good job of explaining why this is good. Just eat one and forgive me for failing you.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Chewy banana chai tea (in a good way)

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  All-natural, Gluten-free

I am also assuming this is vegetarian and vegan, although the label doesn't say so.

What’s in it: I could only find it in Portuguese (Calories, Fat, Carbohydrates, Protein)

Review: Beanitos White Cheddar Puffs

Brand:  Beanitos

Flavor:  White Cheddar Puffs

Where to get it: here @ Beanitos

                I like beans. I also like almost all alternative material (i.e. not made from corn or potatoes) chips/crackers/puffs. I had been saving these for a few weeks because I thought they would be a sure bet for a time when the old me would have hit the Cheetos. I was pretty surprised by the taste, they definitely HAVE a very different taste, and I couldn’t taste the white cheddar at all. It didn’t really taste like any beans I have eaten, in any form, either. I’m a bit stumped on how to describe these. They aren’t very salty or savory, they are just kind of…earthy. I think that’s the best word for it.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Weird fiber…?

Taste rating:  2/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Kosher, Vegetarian, Made in the USA, Non-GMO

What’s in it:

Review: Charmed Bar

Brand:  Charmed Bar

Flavor:  Cashew Butter Apple-rageous

Where to get it: here @ Charmed Bar

                No matter how hard I try not to be, I am majorly seduced by presentation when it comes to food packaging. When I saw these Charmed Bars, my eyes glazed over a little, and I looked upon the brightly-colored, somewhat bewitching packaging with a fever that almost made me drool a little until I remembered to close my mouth. The major problem is that…we don’t EAT the packaging. So there’s that. Fortunately for me, these bars are really tasty. I haven’t eaten the Peanut Butter Cherry-licious one yet, but the Cashew Butter Apple-rageous one was really, really good.

                The bar almost looks…wet (for lack of a better word) through the packaging, but don’t be afraid, it’s just some of the moist apple goodness shining through, and it wasn’t texturally strange at all. The flavor was great, the size was great, this is a perfect 3pm-rooting-through-my-desk-drawers kind of snack. They have some calories and fat in them that shouldn’t be taken lightly, but I work out after work so this is the kind of afternoon snack I need between lunch and hitting the gym, and then eating dinner. Plus all those calories and all that fat come from things that actually grown on this planet, and none of those things are grains. Win!

                 

Tastes like:  A moist & fruity cookie-bar

Taste rating:  9/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Non-GMO, Vegetarian, Made in the USA, Kosher

What’s in it:

Review: Goldbaum's Kale Chips

Brand:  Goldbaums

Flavor:  Kale Chips

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                I’m not entirely sure what angle I want to take with this review, because on one hand, these are a little nutritionally misleading, but on the other hand, they taste delicious. Maybe we’ll just stick with the facts. They are called “kale chips,” but there are A LOT of ingredients in here before kale makes an appearance – including sugar. So…calling them kale chips is kind of a marketing ploy, I feel. That being said, for a chip-esque snack, these aren’t all bad. 100 calories in the single-serving bag, and you get a good amount of chips. Not a lot to speak of nutritionally except for the things listed below in the “qualities”. That being said, they are really tasty. They have a fair amount of salt, which I am a fan of. And they don’t have that straight-up, air puffed potato flavor, which I am not a fan of. Long story short, if you want a salty chip snack, these taste great. If you’re thinking of buying them because of the kale, you might be disappointed.

               

Tastes like:  Salty chips without the blerch

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Non-GMO

What’s in it:

Review: Pro Bar Peanut Butter Meal Bar

Brand:  Pro Bar

Flavor:  Peanut Butter

Where to get it: here @ Pro Bar

                This is a big, heavy, dense bar. This is not a snack bar, and this is not a bar to be taken lightly. It’s heavy. It has a lot of calories in it. But it’s also full of good, natural things, like nuts and seeds, which are heavily studded throughout the bar and visible to the naked eye. Yes, the NAKED EYE. I know it sounds dramatic, but there are so many bars out there that are just a mass of weird-looking pellets and puree. I give credit where credit is due. This bar wasn’t as peanut-buttery as I would have liked though, it did have a strong seed and nut taste with a peanut-type undertone, minus the butter. All in all this is a decent bar if you’re hiking for a day or away from a kitchen or restaurant – just don’t use it as a snack or you’ll beef up quickly.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Nuts and seeds and the forest

Taste rating:  6/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, Organic, Kosher

What’s in it:

Review: Snapz Zucchini Crunch

Brand:  Snapz

Flavor:  Zucchini

Where to get it: here @ Snapz

                Zucchini is not typically eaten raw where I come from. I’ve never actually TRIED raw zucchini…until now. There’s a reason that people don’t eat it raw. No bueno. Nutritionally, this is a snack you really can’t beat. The ingredients are: zucchini. The end. No salt, no oil, no lemon pepper – nada. I feel like maybe some sea salt or black pepper would have made this more palatable, I really couldn’t handle it. If you’re someone who loves zucchini and eats it raw, then by all means, buy this by the truckload because it was made for you. Unfortunately, it wasn’t made for me.

                 

Tastes like:  Raw, wilted zucchini

Taste rating:  2/10

Qualities:  Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, non-GMO, no artificial ingredients

What’s in it:

Review: Crum Creek Certified Organic Soy Nut Mix

Brand:  Crum Creek

Flavor:  Certified Organic Soy Nut Mix

Where to get it: here @ Abe's Market

                I have loved roasted soy nuts for my entire life. It wasn’t until literally about 2 years ago that I even knew what they were. They were just this little, salty, delicious nugget that I never questioned. It’s weird, I know. Now that I know the actual name of these little dudes, I am more than happy to seek them out in new products. These Crum Creek packets are small, but mighty. The dark chocolate is sparse, but it’s a heavy hitter. If you get more than one chocolate chip in a bite, it takes over. The rest of the mix is made up of small parts (no peanuts here!), so it’s easy to take too big of a mouthful and end up chewing for days. It also seemed a little bit drying to me, so have a beverage handy. Personally, I’d probably rather go for straight-up roasted soy nuts rather than this mix, but it’s still a very  respectable trail mix.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Bitter chocolate and seeds

Taste rating:  6/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, Organic, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Vegan

What’s in it:

Review: Pure Organics Fruit Strips

Brand:  Pure Organics

Flavor:  Strawberry Apple Fruit Strip

Where to get it: here @ Pure

                There are quite a few fruit stips/roll ups/leathers/chews on the market right now. It seems that once the technology was figured out, a lot of companies realized that you don’t have to do a lot to dried fruit to make it palatable. However, not all of these products are created equal. While I admit it’s hard to find a bad one, I would argue that it’s equally as hard to find a remarkable one. I think Pure Organics makes a remarkable one. They taste great, but it’s really the texture that zipped up my eyebrows when I bit into it. These are a bit more gummy, a bit more moist, a bit less tooth-sticky. They nearly melt in your mouth, and the fruit flavors are crazy potent.

               

Tastes like:  A gummy bear and a Fruit Roll-Up played 7 minutes in heaven

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Kosher, Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Vegan

What’s in it:

Review: Ips Egg White Chips Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Brand:  iPS

Flavor:  Egg White Ch(iPS), Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Where to get it: here @ Ips All Natural

                Anytime a company can pack a decent amount of protein into a snack that’s usually empty carbs, I’m in. I appreciate it. Because trying not to eat any kind of chips ever for the rest of your life is a superhuman request, and I would never make it of any of you. Flavor-wise, these are off the charts, an easy 10. Such genuine black pepper flavor, but it doesn’t overpower, it just works. My only complaint was that I found the chips a little squish. Not soft or soggy, but kind of styrofoamy? Kind of like meringue maybe, which makes perfect sense, since meringue is made from egg whites. At any rate, I’d rather eat hard-boiled egg whites (which I do every day anyway) and some quinoa chips from Simply 7 than these. (I'm not trying to be harsh, just honest.) But they’re definitely worth trying, if you like the texture, or at least don’t mind it, you will love ‘em, because the flavor is on point.

               

Tastes like:  Super flavorful squish

Taste rating:  6.5/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, all natural, Non-GMO, Made in the USA

What’s in it:

Review: Enjoy Life Cinnamon Bun Bar

Brand:  Enjoy Life

Flavor:  Cinnamon Bun Bar

Where to get it: here @ Abe's Market

                Cinnamon? Yes! Cinnamon bun? Not so much. Enjoy Life does such a good job marketing their products that I was pretty much convinced that I would think eating one of these soft-baked bars would be 90% as good as eating an actual cinnamon roll. I think I set my expectations a little too high, so let’s just disregard all that madness and talk like rational snackers. The bars are soft, chewy, and very cinnamon-y. If you have Celiac disease I would think that these bars are probably pretty exceptional given some of the other snack choices out there for you. I found myself wanting them to be oat-y, which of course they are not, and I can eat all the gluten I want. If you like cinnamon and you like that quinoa/rice texture common to these bars, these are certainly for you.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Cinnamon quinoa

Taste rating:  6/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Non-GMO, Kosher, 

What’s in it:

The Best of November,2014!

     November has come and gone, and I did my best to eat my way through it, in a healthy way. I promise you this, December will play evil host to holiday transgressions for me, but I'm ready to take it on. One piece of mom's peanut butter fudge never hurt anybody, did it? STOP IT MOM, I'M DIABETIC. Oy, this could be a rough one. Anyway, without further ado, here are my top 3 favorite new snacks that I tried in November (in no particular order):

1.  OSTrim Turkey Snack Sticks - Until I tried one of these turkey sticks, I thought healthy pepperoni was not a real thing. You know what the #1 ingredient in that Oberto Cocktail Pep you ate as a kid is? PORK HEARTS. (Look it up.) Pepperoni is code for "organs and by-products" and "by-products" is code for GARBAGE. None of that here - this is a fantastic product. The original review/where to buy can be found here. 

2. Dang Coconut Chips - These taste so good right out of the bag that when I first tried them, they were gone before I could do anything creative with them. Ice cream, pancakes, hell...I feel like I really want to try them on a piece of toast with peanut butter. Shrimp salads, stir fries (stir...frys?), and anything where curry makes an appearance. But if you're just looking for a snack, and aren't feeling like getting weird with a bag of Dang, just dump them in your face. They're delicious. The original review/where to buy can be found here. 

3. Calbee Snapea Crisps Harvest Snacks - Better than a potato chip. I'm not lying. You get the salt & grease that you're after, without blowing all your calories or eating a ton of fat. I don't know how they do it, but they are ABSOLUTELY the closest healthy snack to those thin, greasy potato chips that come in the big yellow bag like a thief in the night to mess up your diet. But they won't mess up your diet. Mmmmm, peas!  The original review/where to buy can be found here. 

Review: Justin's Nut Butters

Brand:  Justin’s

Flavor:  Peanut Butter, Almond Butter

Where to get it: here @ Justin's

                Tiny pack, tiny pack, what are they feeding you? Nut. Butter. Delicious, portable, all natural, nut butters that you can do whatever the heck you want with. The smaller peanut butter packs have just 80 calories in them. Toss one of these and a banana in your bag, and BOOM! Snack off, dance off. The bigger packs have roughly twice as many calories in them, but they are still a perfectly acceptable way to treat yourself. The honey almond butter is my favorite…I like to spread it on toast. Not just any toast, the kind of toast made with bread that’s studded with seeds and grains and tastes kind of nutty in and of itself. Justin’s has done what everyone tries to do, no matter what they make – they have made a product that is impossible to improve upon. Perfection.

               

Tastes like:  Pure peanutty (or almondy) goodness

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Organic, Gluten-free, Kosher, Non-GMO

What’s in it:

Peanut butter ingredients:  Dry roasted peanuts, Palm fruit Oil

Review: Happy Yogis Yogurt & Fruit Snacks

Brand:  Happy Yogi’s Yogurt & Fruit Snacks

Flavor:  Mixed Berry

Where to get it: here @ Happy Family Brands

                I really like iced tea, but I refuse to buy it in a can. You know, a can like soda comes in? It just never feels right to me. When I crack the can and take a big drink, I need carbonation, otherwise it just messes with my mind. These little yogurt dots had a similar effect on me. They taste EXACTLY like yogurt, but they’re crunchy. It’s pretty far out. They taste good though, and especially if you’re feeding them to your children – way less mess for road trips. My final thought is that if you’re a yogurt-eater, you should definitely give these a try, if for no other reason than the sake of science. Delicious science.

               

Tastes like:  Dried yogurt

Taste rating:  6/10

Qualities:  Organic, Gluten-free

What’s in it:

Review: Carb Conscious Supreme Protein Bar

Brand:  Carb Conscious Supreme Protein

Flavor:  Cookies ‘n Cream

Where to get it: here @ Bodybuilding.com

                “Cookies ‘n cream” should NOT be synonymous to “chocolate”. It’s a different flavor, y’all. This bar is straight up chocolate-chocolate, no cream about it. That luscious-looking layer on the wrapper? It’s nowhere to be found in this bar. Additionally, there are THREEHUNDREDANDSEVENTY (370, sorry) calories and 14 g of fat in this. Additionally, it has just as many grams of CARBS as it does protein! And it tastes terrible. I can think of A LOT of things I’d rather eat for that many calories and that much fat…and I bet you I could still get 30 g of protein too, (big ol’ steak, anyone? Pot roast, perhaps?) Yeesh. For food to validate its existence in my world it has to do one of the following:  taste good, or be good for me. This bar does neither of those things. Avoid it, eaters.

                 

Tastes like:  A chocolate-flavored sugar alcohol brick

Taste rating:  0/10

Qualities:  I got nothin’.

What’s in it:

Review: Calbee Snapea Crisps

Brand:  Calbee

Flavor:  Snapea Crisps

Where to get it: here @ Amazon.com

                You’ve probably seen these Snapea Crisps at your local market, they seem to be all over the place right now. Strangely enough, it took me this long to try them. I think it’s because while I like peas, I’m not a person that eats the pods – cooked or not. I assumed there would be a pea-and-pod-type separation to these, but there really isn’t. No stringiness, no resistance to being bitten – they are so much better than I thought they were going to be. They have a slight “pea taste,” but not one nearly as strong as other dried pea snacks that I have tried. They also have the perfect amount of salt (I could taste it!) and are strangely very much like potato chips in texture and flavor, but I liked them much better. They also come in a 100-calorie pack, which seals the deal for me! (The only place I have found the mini-packs is here, someone holler at me if you see them somewhere else please!)

               

Tastes like:  Salty happy time

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities: Non-GMO, Gluten-free

What’s in it:

Review: The Love Bean Superfood Fudge Spread

Brand:  Love Bean Superfudge Spread

Flavor:  Essentially Raw & Original Coconut

Where to get it: here @ Love Bean

                I didn’t know what to do with these little packets when I first got them. There are all kinds of suggestions on the back, and one of them is basically “Squirt it into your mouth and commence swooning” (I may be paraphrasing a tad). So, that’s what I did. At first I was like, “This is weird.” And then I was like, “Unnnngghhhh.” The texture is basically that of butter (at room temperature, you can also refrigerate these). I expected it to taste like coconut oil, which I’m not a huge fan of to begin with. It really didn’t though - it tasted more like chocolate, but a very smooth, comforting chocolate. (I’m also not a big fan of chocolate, if you haven’t gathered that yet.)            

                It’s really different. It tastes good. You need to try it for yourself. I feel like it would be absolutely KILLER on some sweet strawberries. Or toast. Man, I love toast. And the Love Bean offers them in little 1oz. packages, which I want to shuffle like playing cards with my grabby little hands.

Tastes like:  You’ll never buy another bottle of that chocolate syrup

Taste rating:  9/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Organic

What’s in it:

Review: Quest Peanut Butter Extreme Bar

Brand:  Quest Nutrition

Flavor:  Peanut Butter Supreme

Where to get it:  here @ Bodybuilding.com

                Oh Quest, how I love thee for having eleventy million inventive flavors! I don’t love them all, but I love that they exist. This is my 3^rd flavor review, and so far it’s my favorite! Straight up peanut butter, no chocolate, no messing around. Loads of protein and an absolutely anemic amount of carbs, but I am still wishing they would put less delicious-looking pictures on their wrapper, because there’s no bar in the world that’s going to taste as good as that pie looks. It does catch your attention though, so I guess they have that going for them. Stay tuned as I continue to eat my way through more Quest flavors, these are really an awesome snack if you’re diabetic, the blood sugar impact is so dang minimal, I can’t NOT support what these guys are producing.

               

Tastes like:  A sugar-free Zagnut

Taste rating:  7/10

Qualities:  Gluten-free

What’s in it: