Katie Scott investigates the latest product in the protein bar market
Protein bars certainly have their uses, and I’ve gobbled quite a few over recent years. Although protein shakes are a quick way to slurp in extra protein before or after your workout, sometimes these liquid based snacks don’t always hit the spot to satisfy hunger pangs. With the absence of any chewing, our body’s can be tricked into thinking we haven’t had enough sustenance.
One way to combat this is to switch to using protein bars instead, and with the currently available, you can pick any flavour to suit your tastes. Granted some get a bad rep for being a rather strange, dense texture however one trend that is gaining momentum in the market at the moment is undoubtedly the replacement chocolate bar. For a sweet tooth fiend such as myself, this embellished style of protein bar has me licking my lips, especially when the guys from Kinetica got in touch about their brand new range of deluxe bars, available in a chocolate brownie flavour and a cookies and cream flavour.
Since I enjoy a protein bar to kick start my day, Kinetica kindly sent me some of the new bars, to see what I think of the collection.
Chocolate Brownie:
When you peel away the wrapper of this 65g bar, you can’t help but glare at it suspiciously – it looks just like a chocolate bar yet this 245 calorie treat will keep you fuelled and bringing your best until lunch time, as it packs a great 20g of protein. Not only does this ward off hunger pangs but it will also help with your muscle recovery.
The milk chocolate covered bar has a protein brownie base layer, using the dense and squadgy texture that is the norm for protein based foods. This layer had a cakey vibe that is firmer than your traditional brownie yet still has that chocolately richness that we all know and love. On top of this is a layer of caramel muddled with small, crispy nuggets to add a texture contrast, the whole thing encased in milk chocolate. These different components all gel together really well so it tastes like a popular chocolate bar, yet you know you are only having 11g of fat, with 6.5g of this being saturated fats. The carb content sits at 25g per bar, with only 2.3g of this being sugar.
Cookies and Cream:
This 65g bar is structured in the same layered fashioned as the chocolate brownie flavour, although there are some key differences. The base for this one is instead vanilla, and I also found it more dense. Mixed with the caramel layer this time were chocolate cookie crumbs, which I thought was a nice little twist on the theme, although I wouldn’t say there was a real ‘cookies and cream’ flavour to the taste of the bar. The variety of textures and flavours are there, with the sticky caramel, thick protein base and crunchy cookie pieces, again all covered in milk chocolate, and you can’t help but feel you are cheating the system!
With 247 calories per bar, this option has 11g of fat (6.4g of which is saturated fat), 23g of carbohydrates (2.3g of which is simple sugar rather than you complex starch based carbs) and again, the 21g of protein works well to keep your energy up.
What did I think?
I really enjoyed these two bars. As someone who loves chocolate but always feels the need to avoid it due to attempting to stick to a healthy diet, this mid ground compromise ticks a lot of my boxes. Suitable as an on the go breakfast option or as a post workout dessert in particular, you feel indulgent with the chocolate coating, stringy caramel and sweet tones without going overboard or wrecking your diet. The high protein and carb content kept me nice and full until lunch time swung around, so a thumbs up for that point too.
Just don’t expect me to share…
