Review - TwinLab Vegan Protein Powder

Brand:  TwinLab

Flavor:  Cleanseries Very Vanilla Vegan Protein

Where to get it: here @ VitaCost.com

                 When I have a protein power to review, I always mix the powder with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a couple of ice cubes. There are very, very few that taste good this way, but at least then I can tell from that baseline whether I need to add Splenda, a banana, PB2, or something else. Every once in a while, I get one that cannot be saved. No mango, nor banana, nor peanut butter, nor berry can save this protein powder. It’s SO sweet, like, that artificially sweet KAPOW! sweet. What would happen to it if you actually put something sweet-ish in it? I feel like my face would just cave in upon itself.

               

Tastes like:  Turbo sweet vanilla bad times

Taste rating:  2/10

Qualities:  Vegetarian, Vegan, non-GMO, Gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - Corazonas Heartbar

Brand:  Corazonas

Flavor:  Heartbar Oatmeal Square (Banana Walnut)

Where to get it: here @ HeartBrandFoods.com

                 Banananananana nanananna nanananna BANANA! Whoa there, pony. So much forceful banana is happening with this. I’m not sure if it’s a combination of the banana and the date syrup, or if the whey protein isolate is playing a part in this, but this bar tasted like a banana drenched in sweetener to me. I really did like the texture – it’s quite oat-y feeling, but I just couldn’t get through it with the taste. If the opportunity presented itself, I would definitely give another flavor a try, but this Banana Walnut madness is definitely not for me.

               

Tastes like:  Turbo sweet banana torpedos

Taste rating:  4/10

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

What’s in it:

Review - Chipz Happen

Brand:  Chipz Happen

Flavor:  Parmesan Garlic Tortilla Chips

Where to get it: here @ ChipzHappen.com

“Dude, these are GOOD.”

“What are they?” (my person asked)

“They are tortilla chips, but they’re like…FLAVORED.”

“Oh.”

“There needs to be like, a lot more of these. In different flavors.”

“There are, they’re called Doritos.”

                No. No. Nonono! These are SO MUCH BETTER than Doritos, on so many levels. As you can plainly see, these are so good that my grammar took a pretty solid hit for a minute there. The first thing that lets you know that this isn’t a radioactive orange Dorito-type situation is the declaration on the bag that they use no artificial ingredients. The rest is all in the product – the chips are thicker, they taste like actual corn that hasn’t been processed from here to Mumbai, and the coating is the color of food – delicious parmesan cheese, salt, and what I assume can only be magic dust. Naturally occurring magic dust, of course.

These chips are hands-down one of the best products I have ever had the privilege of reviewing. I am not overstating this. The small (1.5 oz.) bag has 220 calories and 12g of fat, so I would advise that you limit yourself to the small bags if you’re watching your calories, because I know I wouldn’t stop after 1.5 oz. if I had the larger bag in front of me.

                There are an absolute TON of “nut bars” on the market equaling the calories and exceeding the fat of these chips, and I’d pick these EVERY TIME. Don’t worry nut bars, you still have a place in my life. After all, you don’t squish in my purse, and these little darlings most definitely would. I would never mistreat them thus.

D E L I C I O U S.

fin.

               

Tastes like:  Salty, corny, magical magic

Taste rating:  10/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, vegetarian, gluten-free, No artificial ingredients, Made in the USA

What’s in it:

Review - To You Bar

Brand:  To You

Flavor:  Apricot Coconut

Where to get it: here @ ToYouSnacks.com

                This bar looks SUPER appetizing. If you like apricots, I think you would probably find the flavor right in line with the appearance. Unfortunately, I hate apricots, so I tried to eat this with a reasonably open mind. The texture is soft but not gooey, the coconut is major player, and the ingredients aren’t all Scary Larry. Good, simple, tasty bar. Now, if I can just find one with cherries in it…

                 

               

Tastes like:  Slightly astringent coconut

Taste rating:  6/10

Qualities:  All natural, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - Bumble Bar

Brand:  Bumble Bar

Flavor:  Amazing Almond

Where to get it: here @ BumbleBar.com

                 I looooooooooooooooove me some sesame seeds. If I make any kind of stir-fry-type food at home, it’s usually hard to actually identify what it’s comprised of due to the thick layer of sesame seeds that I shake on top of it. That being said, this bar seems to be 99% sesame seeds, and man, I hated it. It’s vaguely sweet, but even the tiniest bite is just impossible in my mouth…giant wads of sesame seeds everywhere, between every tooth, unswallowable. There are almonds in this bar? I literally could not tell there was anything in this bar except sesame seeds and sweetener. 210 calories of sesame seeds. Dang. This saddens me since these bars are made locally in my state, and every bar benefits construction of schools in Ethiopia. You mission is on point, Bumble Bar, but I just can’t eat you.

               

Tastes like:  Burnt sesame seeds & honey

Taste rating:  1/10

Qualities:  Organic, vegetarian, vegan, Kosher

What’s in it:

Review - WB Kitchen Bar

Brand:  WB Kitchen

Flavor:  Peanut Ginger Spice

Where to get it: here @ WBKitchen.com

                Ginger is such an underestimated powerhouse. It’s got to be cooked, and then it’s got to be used so, so, so sparingly, or it hits you like a truck. Not a beer truck, either, but like, a truck full of gravel and bark chips. You just can’t recover from that sort of thing. WB kitchen does a really good job of respecting the awesome hurricane of power that ginger can bring to a treat. You can definitely taste that it’s there, but the peanut-flavor is strong enough to make a good show at the cage fight. It’s still a little bit strong for my liking, but to anyone who really loves ginger as a spice, this bar is definitely for you.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Sweet peanuttyness, then HELLO, GINGERTOWN

Taste rating:  7/10

Qualities:  Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten free

What’s in it:

Review - 18 Rabbits Jr. Granola Bars

Brand:  18 Rabbits Jr.

Flavor:  Various

Where to get it: here @ 18rabbits.com

                 The wrapper says (in part) “Perfect for lunch boxes and purses”. Can I just take a second to let everyone know how much I appreciate this? Kids need healthy snacks, it’s true…but so do adults! And do you know WHY this little bar is perfect for purses? Aside from its portable size, which nearly all bars have, it’s basically uncrushable. It’s not very fun to be on-the-go, starving, and realize that your package of peanut butter crackers has become obliterated into literal dust at the bottom of your purse.

                Despite being totally sturdy, they have the consistency of a chew granola bar. The fruit flavors are fairly muted, which is fine with me, because we’re all here for the oatmeal cookie-type experience anyway, stop lying to yourself. They also donate at least 1 out of every 100 bars made, and at 130 calories, this is a snacker’s snack.

               

Tastes like:  Super yummy granola bars

Taste rating:  8/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, Organic, Kosher, vegetarian,

What’s in it: (Chocolate Banana Flavor)

Review - Eat Real Quinoa Chips

Brand:  Eat Real

Flavor:  Quinoa Chips

Where to get it: here @ Tesco.com

                Nutritionally-speaking, these aren’t really a standout – sometimes a bag of chips is just a bag of chips. They do taste good both alone and also with salsa or dip though, and finding flavored chips that are also vegan can be a real challenge, as many of them contain milk ingredients. If you’re looking for a change of pace with your savory snacks, this is a great bag to grab. If you’re looking for a savory snack that reduces your caloric snacking intake, you’re probably going to want to pass on these.

                 

               

Tastes like:  Great savory chippies

Taste rating:  7/10

Qualities:  Non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan, Gluten free,

What’s in it: