Name: Nitro-Tech Hardcore Bar

Flavor: Double Chocolate

Sweeteners: Sucralose (Splenda), Maltitol Syrup, Glycerin, Acesulfame-potassium

Protein Sources: Whey Protein Concentrate, Acid Casein, Calcium Caseinate, Hydrolyzed Collagen

Taste (out of 5): 2

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 4.7

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5): 4

Overall (out of 5): 2.5

Review:

Despite a flavor billed as “double-chocolate” and a package declaring that this bar had “candy bar taste!” the Nitro-Tech Double chocolate bar earns a place on the bottom of the taste list. It’s great that the bar is so low in sugar (only 1 gram), but taking the place of the sugar is not 1, not 2, but 4 different artificial sweeteners, which gave the bar a bitter taste and an unpleasant aftertaste. It was a solid, dense, chalky bar and didn’t taste at all like chocolate. It made my stomach feel queasy, especially a couple hours later after an intense workout. And it didn’t keep me satiated as long as a similar, but slightly better tasting bar, the Myoplex Carb Control bar.

Pros: Low in sugar

Cons: Yucky, bitter taste, made with hydrolyzed collagen, a low quality protein made from boiling the tendons and ligaments of animals-yuck

Ingredients:

Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate [Featuring Nano-Diffuse(tm) Technology], Acid Casein, Calcium Caseinate) No Sugar Added High Protein Milk Chocolate Coating (Maltitol, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Cocoa [Alkalized], Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin [As Emulsifier], Sucralose), Maltitol Syrup, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, cocoa [alkalized], sugar-free chocolate chips (lactitol, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin [as emulsifier], vanilla, acesulfame-potassium), Water, cocoa creme (fructose, water, maltodextrin, cocoa [dutch process], salt, carageenan, natural flavors, tocopherol [as preservative], ascorbic acid), natural and artificial flavors, salt, maltodextrin, soy lecithin, wheat germ, peanut flour, natural almond meal, sucralose, xanthan gum.

Nutritional Facts

Name: Met Rx Big 100

Flavor: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Sweeteners: Corn Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup, Glycerin, Fructose, Crystalline Fructose

Protein Sources: Milk Protein Concentrate, Calcium Sodium Caseinate, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Dried Egg White

Taste (out of 5): 3.9

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 4.6

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5): 4.3

Overall (out of 5): 4.1

Review:

Unlike many bars, the Big 100 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bar isn’t coated with something. It’s just a log that resembles cookie dough. It’s a little sticky and some of it stuck to the package. The taste is decent-somewhat like cookie dough, but mostly like sugar. The chocolate chips aren’t very chocolatey and are few and far between. And the bar is studded with these weird “air crisp” pieces that seemed out of place and stuck to my teeth. Although the first ingredient is corn syrup, which is never a good sign, they’re still pretty satisfying and fill you up for a few hours. As an added bonus, they’re some of the few protein bars that don’t contain soy protein.

Pros: No soy, big and satisfying

Cons: High in sugar, lopsided carb to protein balance

Ingredients:

Corn Syrup, METAMYOSYN® V100 Protein Blend (Milk Protein Concentrate, Calcium Sodium Caseinate, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Dried Egg White, L-Glutamine), Brown Rice Syrup, Whey Crisps (Whey Protein Concentrate, Corn Starch), Milk Chocolate Drops (Sugar, Whole Milk Powder, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), Glycerin, Natural Flavor, Fructose, Crystalline Fructose, Canola Oil, Maltodextrin, Water, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin And Mineral Blend (Ascorbic Acid, Ferrous Fumarate, Tri-Calcium Phosphate, D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Soy Lecithin, Wheat Germ, Peanut Flour, Almond Meal.

Nutrition Facts

Note: Pure Protein bars come in 2 sizes, 78 gram and 50 grams. This is a review of a 78 gram bar.

Name: Pure Protein High Protein Bar

Flavor: Chocolate Peanut Butter

Sweeteners: Maltitol, sucralose (Splenda), Sugar, Glycerin

Protein Sources: Hydrolyzed Collagen, Peanut Flour, Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Whey Protein Isolate, Soy Isolate

Taste (out of 5): 1.5

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 4.8

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5): 4.5

Overall (out of 5): 2

Review:

Blech. This Pure Protein bar was pure disgusting. It was pretty hard to finish actually. The bar tried for that candy bar taste and totally failed. It really didn’t taste like peanut butter or chocolate or anything recognizable as food. It’s the kind of bar that your mouth asks you to stop eating and rejects as not being edible matter. The aftertaste is funky and burns on your tongue and it makes your stomach feel funky. It also has very little high quality protein and is packed with hydrolyzed collagen which is a crap protein made from boiling the tendons and ligaments of animals. Yuck.

Pros: Keeps you satisfied, low in sugar

Cons: Gross taste, low quality ingredients

Ingredients:

Chocolate Flavored Coating (Maltitol, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose), Protein Blend (Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Whey Protein Isolate), Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Glycerin, Peanut Flour, Maltitol Syrup, Soy Crisps (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Natural And Artificial Flavor (Contains Sesame Oil And Maltodextrin), Water, Peanuts, Peanut Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Vitamin And Mineral Blend (Ascorbic Acid, Tri-Calcium Phosphate, D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, Calcium D-Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Sucralose

Nutrition Facts

Calories 300

Calories from Fat 90

Total Fat 10g 16%

Saturated Fat 4.5g 23%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 20mg 6%

Sodium 330mg 14%

Potassium 190mg 5%

Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 3g

Sugar Alcohol 9g

Protein 31g 45%

Vitamin A 35% Vitamin C 35%

Calcium 35% Iron 15%

Vitamin E 35% Thiamin 35%

Riboflavin 35% Niacin 50%

Vitamin B-6 35% Folic Acid 40%

Vitamin B-12 35% Biotin 35%

Pantothenic Acid 35% Phosphorus 15%

Iodine 35% Magnesium 10%

Zinc 40% Copper 45%

Name: Detour Oatmeal

Flavor: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Sweeteners: Sucralose (Splenda), Neotame

Protein Sources: Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate, Hydrolyzed Whey Protein, Soy Protein Isolate

Taste (out of 5): 1

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 4.9

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5): 4.6

Overall (out of 5): 1.5

Review:

Well the day had to come: this was the very first protein bar I’ve ever had that I could not force myself to finish. I had high hopes for the Detour protein bar, since it looked like a delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookie on the package. But it was really disgusting. When you first bite into it, it has this weird overly sweet flavor and then it tastes bitter (perhaps caused by that unique artificial sweetener-neotame, which is 8,000-13,000 times sweeter than sugar and chemically similar to aspartame). I was grimacing the whole time I chewed. With 440 calories, it does fill you up and keep you full, but that’s only if you can keep it down.

Pros: Real oats, 8 grams of fiber

Cons: Horrible taste, high in calories, twice as many carbs as protein

Name: Supreme Protein Carb Conscious

Flavor: Caramel Nut Chocolate

Sweeteners: Maltitol, vegetable glycerine

Protein Sources: Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Protein Isolate, Isolated Soy Protein

Taste (out of 5): 4.7

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 3.9

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5): 3.4

Overall (out of 5): 4

Review:

Supreme Protein Carb Conscious bars are some of the few protein bars that go for the candy bar look and taste and actually succeed. Even though it contains no artificial sweeteners, and is sweetened with maltitol, it somehow avoids that bitter taste that sugar alcohol can give a bar. Little soy crisps gave it nice texture and crunch, and the chocolate and caramel actually tasted like chocolate and caramel. On the downside, it’s the kind of bar that after you eat it, you feel like you could go for a little more, and with only one gram of fiber, it burned off and left me hungry too quickly.

Pros: Lots of high quality whey protein, great taste, no artificial sweeteners, low in sugar

Cons: Minimal fiber, doesn’t fill you up

Ingredients:

Supreme Protein® Blend 30g: (Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Protein Isolate), Chocolate Coating [Maltitol, Palm Kernel Oil, Milk Protein Isolate, Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin (an Emulsifier), Natural Flavor], Maltitol Syrup, Peanuts, Vegetable Glycerine, Milk Protein Concentrate, Soybean Oil, Coconut Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Cream (Heavy Cream, Carrageenan, Mono and Diglycerides), Water, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soy Protein Crisps (Isolated Soy Protein, Rice Flour, Malt Extract and Salt), Soy Lecithin (an Emulsifier), Vitamin Mix, Salt, Potassium Sorbate.

Name: Zero Impact

Flavor: Chocolate Peanut Butter

Sweeteners: 99.7 USP Glycerin, Low DE (Dextrose Equivalent) Corn Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup

Protein Sources: Whey Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Micellean® Micellar Casein Protein

Taste (out of 5): 3.9

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 5

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5): 4.6

Overall (out of 5): 4.3

Review:

The ZERO impact bar touts itself as meal bar, but you should only be eating it as a meal if you’re eating three squares a day or trying to bulk up. With a whopping 484 calories, it’s probably not the right bar for those eating 6 smaller meals a day. That being said, it does make a great meal. It’s a large bar, with the density and texture of a fudgey brownie. It doesn’t taste like a brownie though; in a blind taste test, you probably wouldn’t be able to correctly identity the flavor as “peanut butter chocolate.” It really doesn’t taste like much, or more accurately, it tastes the way a bar made of natural ingredients like peanut and almond butter, oats, pumpkin, and sweet potato smooshed together should taste. It’s actually refreshing in this way; unlike other bars, it’s not some artificially sweetened and flavored candy bar wannabe. It tastes like food. The bar is designed to have minimal impact on your sugar and insulin levels, and it fills you up and keeps you full for hours (it should for 484 calories!)

Pros: No soy, no maltitol, no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors, natural ingredients, high quality protein, low glycemic and filling

Cons: High in calories

Ingredients:

ZERO IMPACT™ Proprietary Protein Matrix: Whey Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Micellean® Micellar Casein Protein;, Proprietary Fat Burning & Healthy Fats Matrix: Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Sunflower Butter, Sesalean™ (Sesamin [Sesame Oil Extract]);, Semisweet Chocolate, Honey, Oats Rolled, Whole Grain Oats, 99.7 USP Glycerin, Low DE (Dextrose Equivalent) Corn Syrup, Water, Brown Rice Syrup, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Dutch Process Cocoa, Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols, Xanthan Gum.

Name: Lean Body Hi-Protein Granola Bar

Flavor: Almonds N’ Yogurt

Sweeteners: Glucose Syrup, Evaporated Cane Juice, Molasses

Protein Sources: Soy Protein Crisps, Milk Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Almonds, Soy Nuts

Taste (out of 5): 4.7

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 4.9

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5):4.3

Overall (out of 5): 4.6

Review:

This is a great protein bar. All-natural, with a short and recognizable ingredient list, the Lean Body Hi-Protein Granola Bar, really did taste like a delicious granola bar. The “granola” is made of oats, soy crisps, soy nuts, and almonds and the bottom is coated with a yogurt layer. It wasn’t too sweet, and while it’s called “Sweet and Salty,” it fortunately didn’t taste very salty (although there is a high sodium content). It tasted and looked like real food. It was extremely filling and satisfying.

Pros: All natural, no artificial sweeteners, filling, tasty, relatively low in sugar

Cons: Lots of soy, high in sodium

Ingredients:

Natural Lean Body®Carb Blend ( Rolled Oats, Glucose Syrup, Evaporated Cane Juice, Molasses), Lean Pro®Granola Protein Blend ( Soy Protein Crisps, Milk Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Almonds, Soy Nuts), Yogurt Coating(Sugar, Palm Kernel Oil, Yogurt Powder[Cultured Whey Protein Concentrate, Cultured Skim Milk, And Yogurt Culture], Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Canola Oil, Vegetable Glycerine, Caparve (Natural Preservative), Salt, Natural Flavors.

Nutrional Information

Calories 350
Calories from Fat 115
Total Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 0
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 600 mg 25%
Potassium 300 mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 37 g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3 g 12%
Sugars 13 g
Protein 20 g 40%
Vitamin A 1%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 5%
Iron 3%

Name: Detour Runner Bar

Flavor: Chocolate Peanut Butter

Sweeteners: Fructose, Corn Syrup Solids, Sugar

Protein Sources: Whey Protein Concentrate, Whole Milk Powder, Nonfat Dry Milk, Milk Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate

Taste: 4.5

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 4.8

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5): 4.1

Overall (out of 5): 4.4

Review:

With a 2:1 carb to protein ratio, the Detour Runner Bar is more of an energy bar than a protein bar. Made with “whey crisps,” the bar feels quite light, but it does fill you up and keep you satisfied. The whey crisps and rice flour give it the crunchy, light texture of a cereal bar, with hints of caramel and butterscotch. Overall, it was quite tasty. It tasted pretty sweet, but there are only 8 grams of sugar per bar. The bars are marketed especially to runners because they contain Microlactin which improves joint health and function. But with fewer calories, less sugar, and a higher protein to carb ratio than Clif Bars, they’re good for anyone looking for some energy on the go.

Pros: No soy protein, natural ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, low in sugar, 4 grams of fiber

Cons:

Name: Big 100 Colossal High Protein Brownie Bar

Flavor: Super Chocolate Fudge

Sweeteners: Glycerin, sorbitol, maltitol, brown sugar, sugar

Protein Sources: Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Wheat Protein Isolate

Taste: 4.5

Initial Satiation: 4.8

Satiation after 3 hours: 4.3

Overall: 4.5

Review:

While you wouldn’t quite mistake this protein brownie for the real thing, it comes fairly close. It looks and generally tastes like a really dense, fudgy brownie. It lacks the kind of real chocolate flavor you find in a real brownie, but for it’s protein counterpart, it’s not bad. The package recommended microwaving it right in the package, which made me a little wary since it’s wrapped in plastic. But it came out nice and warm and made for a really filling treat that stuck with me for hours. You can eat it “cold” too.

Pros: 30 grams of protein, almost like a brownie, filling, no artificial sweeteners, good protein/carb balance

Cons: Soy is the first ingredient

Ingredients:

Protein Blend (Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Wheat Protein Isolate, Polyol Blend (Glycerin, Sorbitol, And Maltitol), Brown Sugar, Chocolate Chips (Semisweet Chocolate [Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose], Soy Lecithin [Emulsifier]), Margarine, Corn Syrup, Milk Chocolate Coating (Sugar, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Nonfat Milk Powder, Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Sorbitan Tristearate, Soy Lecithin [Emulsifier], And Vanilla), Cocoa Powder (Processed With Potassium Carbonate), Natural Flavors, Salt, Baking Soda, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Konjac Flour.

]]> http://proteinbarreview.net/2009/05/big-100-colossal-high-protein-brownie-bar/feed/ http://proteinbarreview.net/2009/05/myoplex-carb-control-bars-review/ http://proteinbarreview.net/2009/05/myoplex-carb-control-bars-review/#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 17:07:18 +0000 Kate http://proteinbarreview.net/?p=53

Name: Myoplex Carb Control

Flavor: Chocolate Chip Brownie

Sweeteners: sorbitol, maltitol, sucralose (splenda)

Protein Sources: whey protein isolate, casein, soy protein isolate, calcium caseinate, hydrolized whey protein

Taste (out of 5): 2.9

Initial Satiation (out of 5): 4.8

Satiation after 3 hours (out of 5): 4.4

Overall (out of 5): 3.9

Review:

Calling the flavor of this bar “Chocolate Chip Brownie” is definitely some wishful thinking on the part of EAS. The bar is chocolate with a layer of chocolate on top and covered by a chocolate coating, but none of these “chocolate” parts actually taste like chocolate. Instead, the bar has a chalky texture and artificial flavor. It “burns” slightly on the tongue due to its high sugar alcohol content. But for this trade off in taste, you do get a bar with only 1 gram of sugar that will keep you full for hours.

Pros: Good protein/carb balance, keeps you full, only 1 gram of sugar

Cons: Chalky, artificial taste, low quality sources of protein

Ingredients:

MyoPro® Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Casein, Soy Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Hydrolyzed Whey Protein), Glycerine, Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Maltitol, Water, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Fructooligosaccharides, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Soy Oil, Contains Less Than 2 Percent Of: Milk Protein Concentrate, Nonfat Milk, Sorbitol, Yogurt Solids, Vitamin And Mineral Blend (Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Potassium Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Ferric Orthophosphate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Oxide, Chromium Citrate, Copper Gluconate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Xylitol, Mono- And Diglycerides, Corn Maltodextrin, Cocoa Extract, Unsweetened Chocolate, Dextrose, High Oleic-Safflower Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Guar Gum, Sucralose, Tocopherols, Sodium Bicarbonate

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 260
Calories From Fat:70
Total Fat: 8g, 12%
Saturated Fat: 4.5g, 23%
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 10mg, 3%
Sodium: 210mg, 9%
Potassium: 200mg, 6%
Total Carbohydrate: 27g, 9%
Dietary Fiber: 5g, 20%
Sugars:1g
Sugar Alcohol: 19g
Protein: 25g, 50%
Vitamin A: 30%
Vitamin C: 30%
Calcium: 30%
Iron: 40%
Vitamin E: 35%
Thiamin: 30%
Riboflavin: 30%
Niacin: 30%
Vitamin B: 630%
Folate: 30%
Vitamin B: 1235%
Biotin: 30%
Pantothenic  Acid: 30%
Phosphorus: 15%
Iodine: 30%
Magnesium: 10%
Zinc: 30%
Selenium: 30%
Copper: 35%
Manganese: 35%
Chromium: 30%
Molybdenum: 35%