Nakd bars, UK

A few months ago, I took a trip to London.  During my time there, I of course ate my share of snack foods, including assorted bars.  Some were pretty mediocre (Eat Natural, Alpen Light), some were ok (Braw), and others were actually really delicious (Seed Stacked).  And then there were these bars, by nākd, that fell into another category altogether: awful!

So what are nakd bars?  They are "yummy natural ingredients such as fruits and nuts 'smooshed' together for you into a handy bar."  Basically, healthy bars, with no added sugars, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan.

They make two varieties of bars, basic bars and protein crunch bars.  I tried one of each type, but didn't care for either.

Eat Nakd Bars

The basic bars are known simply as "Eat Nakd Bars", available in 10 flavors, including some tempting sounding varieties like pecan pie, rhubarb & custard, and cocoa mint.

Caffe Mocha.

"Do you love the taste of smooth rich coffee mixed with a delicious chocolaty flavour? This gorgeous coffee flavoured snack is different to other cereal bars out there – it’s made from all natural ingredients and tastes like nothing you’ve tried before. Imagine the wonderfully rich aroma of freshly made cappuccino infused with chocolatey mocha, and you’ll get some idea of what Nakd Caffé Mocha is like. Why not try one yourself?"

I knew this bar was mostly made from dates, cashews, and raisins, and I knew that I don't actually tend to like bars made from these sorts of ingredients, but they drew me in with the promise of a mocha.

I should have known better.  A bar made from only dates (55% of the bar), cashews (26%), raisins (12%) and some cocoa, can't possibly taste like anything else.  I didn't like the texture, firm but crumbly.  I didn't like the taste, even though I do like dates and cashews.  I didn't taste any mocha at all.

I definitely didn't want another, and was not inspired to try another of their basic bars.

Protein Crunch Bars

The protein crunch bars add soya crunchies for additional protein.  Available in 4 flavors: banana, apple, strawberry, and cocoa.

However, they have only 5.5 grams of protein, which while higher than the regular bars at 3 grams, doesn't seem particularly notable, and not worth the taste of soy crispies, in my mind at least.

Strawberry Crunch.

"Our Nākd Strawberry Crunch bar is every bit as yummy as you would expect from smooshing real strawberries together with fruits, nuts and protein crunchies, resulting in a seriously satisfying texture and long lasting tingly sweetness. "

The aroma as I opened the package was distinctly strawberry.  This was a good sign.  It was also the last good sign.

It turns out, their marketing is correct.  It did taste just as yummy as I'd expect from having soy protein crunchies mushed in.  Which, spoiler, is NOT good.  The primary ingredient, 42% of the bar, is actually dates, which I also don't care for.  The oh-so-tasty soy protein crunchies make up another 17%.  Cashews and raisins each make up another 17%, and again, are ingredients I don't actually like very much.  Strawberries, the part I was looking forward to, are a mere 2%, with apple juice rounding it out.

The strawberry flavor was fine, but the texture was certainly that of a strange protein bar, and the taste of the soy protein, dates, and cashews was overwhelming.  Did not like at all, and it reminded me of Lara bars.