Delicious chewy energy bar. Comes in a wide variety of flavours, but they are all very sweet so sometimes a little bit much! Also 10g protein which is always a bonus in my mind.
My current obsession. Dense, chewy, with 20g protein. Surprisingly resistant to weeks of being carried around in a backpack in warmer-than-average weather. Not that Builder’s Bars coming into my possession tend to survive that long anyway. My favourite flavours are the Chocolate, and the Chocolate Mint, though the Peanut Butter is good for a less sickly sweet hit.
This is good at what it does, but just not my thing. Very crunchy and crumbly, I found it quite unsubstantial though it was very tasty. Each packet holds two slim granola bars, so good if you want/have the discipline to eat one and save the other for later.
Not a winner, in my opinion, though I know lots of people love them. Pretty much a chewy cereal bar but lighter than a Clif Bar. Didn’t really appeal to me, but would definitely suit people less gluttonous than me. Aimed at women, not sure why.
Surprisingly different to your average fruit bar both in taste and texture. The addition of oats and some chunkier pieces of dried fruit leads to a more textures and crumbly bar, whilst the inclusion of protein powder (Sublime Seed) and superfoods (Tropical Treat, Heavenly Cacao) add an extra layer of flavour – especially as these are not dominated by dates like most fruit snacks are. My favourites are Tropical Treat because it is just so different, and Heavenly Cacao for a slightly more indulgent chocolatey hit.
A perfect combination of oats, dried fruit, fruit juices, raw probiotic chocolate, pea protein, and pea fibre, these bars are unbelievably handy for healthy yet indulgent on-the-go snacking. Small and resilient, weighing in at only approximately 120kcal per bar, they are surprisingly satisfying: chewy, moist, slightly fluffy, a hint of fruitiness and a bit of rich raw chocolate, they really hit that pre-training spot, or that I’ve-got-just-one-hour-until-dinner-but-I’m-hungry-now spot. Gluten-free, nut-free, vegan of course, and with no added sugars, they all taste good but my personal favourite is probably the Oat & Chocolate flavour.
I think everyone knows Nakd bars by now – fruit, nuts, mushed together, can’t go wrong. Handy and easily portable, they do provide an easy and healthy hit of sweetness and energy, and thanks to the nuts they will keep you fully for longer. My favourites are Cashew Cookie, Berry Delight, Gingerbread, and Cocoa Delight.
As you would expect, these are your standard Nakd bar with some added soya protein crunchies. Not really my thing, but a good and worthwhile addition to the Natural Balance Wholefoods family, with a little added protein to keep you going just that little bit longer, and for people who like a little more texture to their bar.
As with all raw wholefood type bars, this is a little block of fruit mush pressed together and given really cool packaging. But you know what, it tasted delicious! Really strong fruity flavour, and quite substantial. However, if you don’t like the uniform smooth texture of these things then stay away.
As above for the texture. Again, very tasty. Can’t remember the taste, just generally sweet and quite rich. A nice pick-me-up.
Again, same texture. This time we have a really rich cacao flavour on our hands, really deep and earthy. Makes for a substantial snack, not just for when you’re feeling vaguely peckish.
The mildest-tasting and unfortunately most chalky of the Pulsin lot. However, I like it! I quite like the pasty chewiness of it. If you have quite conventional taste buds though I would advise you to go for the Berry Burst instead.
For a raw wholefood bar, this is surprisingly rich and hearty, thanks to the crunchy and woodsy almonds and cacao nibs. Perfect for those times when you want chocolate but don’t really feel like anything too sweet, need a quick energy hit but don’t want something full of sugar, feel like eating something rich but not heavy. A really different product to what I was expecting, and I mean that in a good way.
Despite being a fairly straightforward raw wholefood bar like many others on here, the chia and coconut made this closer to a very moist flapjack in texture, less sweet, and overall just incredibly delicious! At just under 200kcal per bar, it was surprisingly satisfying and full of healthy goodness. A great pre-gym snack for when you are actually a little bit hungry.
For a bar from the same company and product range as the Chia Coconut, it was so different! Much closer to a traditional raw wholefood bar, it was still somewhat more substantial and less sweet due to the addition of cacao powder, and the use of goji berries which are naturally a bit more tart and less sweet. Healthy and indulgent, again perfect for that time just an hour before the gym when you realise you need a bit more than a piece of fresh fruit to keep you going!
Made by the same company as Nakd bars, think of a big and less sweet Nakd bar. On the website they call them protein bars, on the packaging they call them energy bars – I see them as energy bars, though they do still add 11g of protein to your day. A bunch of mushed fruit and nuts with some oats, the soy crispies are what put me off, adding a bit of cardboardy chew to an otherwise good product. At about 240kcal per bar, they are easy to put away, and come with the addition of gingko biloba and ginseng, so they are probably a pretty good option if you are looking for quick and sustained energy.
I wasn’t expecting much from this, having had the Trek Energy Bars and Nakd Bars and lots of flapjacks. But they all blew me away! Moist and chewy, with a good oaty wholesomeness just accented by the taste of whatever flavour you pick, these are probably my favourite packaged flapjacks, though they do contain a fair bit of added sugar and oil, so can’t quite be compared with a lot of products on this list.
Great Vegan Expectations 