PROBAR

Would I say I'm "into" snack/breakfast/protein/meal replacement bars?  Absolutely not.  Most I actively dislike really.  But back when I used to go to a lot of fitness classes, these were an essential part of my life, as I needed nourishment post-class, and never wanted to spend $$$ or time to grab things from somewhere nearby.  Those days are looong behind me, but I am still often out and about, and I do try to make sure I have an easy snack on hand that has good balance of protein and whatnot, so, I'm constantly trying different kinds of bars.

"PROBAR is passionate about making delicious food with real ingredients to fuel your everyday adventures."

Which leads me to PROBAR, a brand definitely geared at the fitness (or at least outdoorsy) community.  They make 4 product lines: 3 kinds of bars (GO Energy Bars, MEAL On-The-Go-Bars, 20G Protein Bars), and BOLT Energy Chews.  Yes, they like to do strange things with CAPITAL LETTERS.  All are vegan, gluten-free, yadda yadda.  I tried only the Protein Bars.

20g Protein Bars

"Whether you’re fighting off mid-day hunger or need a boost to aid in post-workout muscle recovery, our protein bars are made with 20g of plant-based protein, easy-to-digest carbs, and an indulgent chocolate coating for a bar that’s not only nutritious but tastes good too."

The bars come in 6 flavors: Peanut Butter Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Brownie, Coffee Crunch, and Sea Salt Caramel.  All *sound* like decent flavors, but, being protein bars, I knew to temper my expectations, and tried only one to start.

Peanut Butter Chocolate.

"Peanut butter and chocolate blend perfectly in this delicious bar."

The bar looked pretty good.  Really nicely covered in chocolate.  The chocolate coating was indeed good, smooth, creamy milk chocolate.  It tasted like real chocolate, not trying to be healthy, and not all waxy or cheap.  4/5 for the milk chocolate coating.

Peanut Butter Chocolate: Inside.

But the inside?  

Yep, that is a protein bar all right.  Pretty classic style that makes people, myself included, not like protein bars.  Sorta chewy, sorta sticky, sorta tough, and just, well, clearly not natural in any way.  And the taste?  Yep, it tasted like the ingredients ... isolates, soluble fibers, lecithin, etc, etc.  This is how they get 20g protein into something that initially looks like a nice candy bar.  It was kinda bitter, didn't really taste like peanut butter at all, and, well, I just didn't like it.

I didn't want to finish this, and certainly was not interested in trying other flavors, as this style of bar just isn't for me. 1/5.