Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Fruit and Oat Harvest, Country Strawberry

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Fruit and Oat Harvest, Country Strawberry (5 for $4.39, CVS)

1.76 oz / 50g

Ingredients: whole grain oats, sugar, palm oil with tbhq, enriched flour, corn syrup, oat fiber, isolated soy protein, maltodextrin, acacia gum, glycerin, cellulose, wheat gluten, molasses, natural flavoring, baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, salt, soy lecithin, bht, peanut flour, nonfat milk, invert sugar, strawberry puree concentrate, modified corn starch, sodium alginate, citric acid, dicalcium phosphate, methylcellulose, artificial flavor, caramel color, malic acid, red 40. 

Calories: 180
Cals from fat: 45
Total Fat: 5g (8%)
Sat Fat: 2g (10%)
Sodium: 160mg (7%)
Total Carb: 33g (11%)
Fiber: 5g (20%)
Sugar: 15g
Protein: 4g

The first thing I noticed about this bar was its atrocious ingredient list - palm oil, 5 or 6 different sweeteners, things that are only listed as their abbreviations, etc. The second thing I noticed was the mess of crumbs it dumped in my lap when I opened it. So these are some things that one needs to be prepared for. 

This is actually not a bad bar at all - it is sort of a large chewy bar that looks like it is made up of the same stuff as a crunchy nature valley bar, but topped with a layer of strawberry jam. It has remarkably little chemical taste for something that is made primarily of chemicals. I ate it over the trash can and will happily do so again at least 4 more times. 

Evolution Harvest Cocoa & Nut Bar

Evolution Harvest Cocoa & Nut Bar (about $2, starbucks)

1.48 oz / 42g

Ingredients: almonds, whole-wheat flour, rice meal, whole oat flour, salt, organic agave syrup, brown rice syrup, cocoa, ground almonds, sea salt. 

Calories: 180
Cals from fat: 90
Total Fat: 10g (15%)
Sat Fat: 1g (5%)
Sodium: 120mg (5%)
Total Carb: 21g (7%)
Fiber: 4g (16%)
Sugar: 9g
Protein: 5g

Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first; this is an extremely expensive bar. This and a regular coffee set me back about four bucks. But between this and the 500 calorie banana bread I think I made the right decision (and I love banana bread but that's a whole other blog, am I right?) - I mean, look at that ingredient list. Very respectable. 

This bar is a crispy thing coated in a very thin layer of chocolate. It sort of looks like it is made of cocoa krispies and almonds. It sort of tastes like that, too actually. It has a nice light texture and a non-cocoa-krispie-like deep chocolate flavor. It is really "cocoa-y" sort of like dark chocolate which isn't bad. The chocolate coating is a little melty and looks like it would stick to stuff if you let it out of the wrapper but even my ham-hands did ok and didn't get messy. Overall, a fine bar. 

Larabar Pecan Pie

Larabar Pecan Pie (4 for $5, Kroger)
1.6 oz. / 45g

Ingredients: dates, almonds, pecans.

Calories: 220
Cals from fat: 130
Total Fat: 13g (20%)
Sat Fat: 1g (6%)
Sodium: 0mg (0%)
Total Carb: 24g (8%)
Fiber: 4g (16%)
Sugar: 18g
Protein: 3g

This is very similar to all the other larabars but with one exception: the pecans and almonds together give off some oil. The bar was sort of oily. It tasted fine, but had what I would best describe as an unpalatable sheen.