Kashi Dark Mocha Almond

Kashi Dark Mocha Almond ($2.50 for 6  on sale, Publix)
1.2 oz / 35g

Ingredients: rolled whole grain blend, brown rice syrup, roasted salted whole almonds, soy protein isolate, dark chocolate, soy grits, evaporated cane juice syrup, cocoa, corn flour, honey, rice starch, expeller pressed canola oil, natural coffee extract, vegetable glycerin, natural flavors, oat fiber, nonfat milk, kashi seven whole grains & sesame flour, evaporated salt, soy lecithin, peanut flour.

Calories: 130
Calories from fat: 35
Fat: 3.5g (5%)
Sat. Fat: 0.5g (3%)
Sodium: 90mg (4%)
Total Carb: 21g (7%)
Fiber: 4g (15%)
Sugars: 6g
Protein: 6g (9%)

This sort of bar: a standard chewy granola bar with no icing or other foolishness, is what kashi is best at. The coffee flavor is good but not my favorite flavor. No real chemical taste. The texture is great; light and easy to eat without being crumbly. Overall if you're buying Kashi you should stick to this sort of thing, they are pretty good. 

Kashi Roasted Almond Crunch

Kashi Roasted Almond Crunch ($2.50 for 6  on sale, Publix)
1.4 oz / 40g

Ingredients: whole grain oats, evaporated cane juice crystals, rolled whole grain blend, expeller pressed canola oil, natural roasted almond butter, soy protein isolate, almonds, kashi seven whole grains & sesame flour, chicory root fiber, honey, rice starch, wheat germ, evaporated salt, gum arabic, soy lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, natural flavor, mixed tocopherols. 

Calories: 170
Calories from fat: 50
Fat: 6g (9%)
Sat. Fat: 0.5g (3%)
Sodium: 150mg (6%)
Total Carb: 26g (9%)
Fiber: 4g (19%)
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 6g (8%)

Another upstart takes on the classic Nature Valley 2-to-a-pack crunchy granola bar and ultimately fails. I tried to take a bite of this and didn't make it; I couldn't actually bite through it on my first try. It is denser than the Nature Valley. It also tastes a little chalky. I appreciate that adding whole grain flour adds some nutritional value but it also kills the texture and taste. It isn't that the flavor is bad, it is just that it reminds me of and pales in comparison to the much better Nature Valley bar. 

Kashi Peanutty Dark Chocolate

Kashi Peanutty Dark Chocolate ($3.43 for 6, Publix)
1.1 oz / 32g

Ingredients: rolled whole grain blend, dates, roasted peanuts, chicory root fiber, brown rice syrup, vegetable glycerin, evaporated cane juice, soy protein isolate, chocolate liquor, expeller pressed canola oil, natural peanut butter, soy grits, semisweet chocolate chips, evaporated cane juice crystals, unmodified cornstarch, evaporated cane juice invert syrup, honey, yellow corn flour, rice starch, cocoa, soy lecithin, natural flavors, evaporated salt, oat fiber, kashi seven whole grains and sesame flour, almond flour, nonfat milk. 

Calories: 130
Calories from fat: 40
Fat: 4.5g (7%)
Sat. Fat: 1g (5%)
Sodium: 80mg (3%)
Total Carb: 20g (7%)
Fiber: 4g (16%)
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 4g (5%)

I'm struck by the idea that "natural" foods may now be firmly ensconced in the mainstream - 6 small granola bars for under $3.50, with a lot of what a few years ago would have been considered fancy ingredients. Of course, I'm not sure anything with three different types of evaporated cane (sugar! just call it sugar!) is allowed to be considered "natural." Anyway, let's get on to more practical matters. This is sort of two bars in one - a granola bar laying with a pressed date "chocolate" bar on top - thick icing really. It is certainly decent - the granola is good, the chocolate stuff is good, but there's a faint smell and taste of something fake - what is it? Hard to say. This is good bar for the price but woe to the natural food movement; get yourself a handful of peanuts from the ground and gnaw on them in memoriam.