Nature's Valley Protein Bars

As more and more companies try to align their products with the needs of the gluten free community I am at times thrill and at other times completely skeptical. I used to love Nature's Valley granola bars as a child. I loved that they were sweet and healthy, but they were so crumbly and hurt my stomach I rarely ate them. Fast forward to my adult gluten free years and now they have created a gluten free Protein bar that is kept in the "normal food" section with other granola bars. I love this product. I enjoy the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter one the best, but enjoy the salted caramel one too. I have found this product in large sized packages at Sam's club too. Realize they have a lot of products that contain gluten, so you still must always read the label to make sure the product will fit your needs.




 Nature Valley

Protein Bar

I tried this recently. It was very chewy. It tastes like a protein bar, which was a turn off for me. I don't like the consistency of power bars. It reminded me too much of that. It had good brownie flavor, the only issue I had was the texture. I got the brownie one at Hy-Vee W. Kimberly in Davenport. If you don't mind the consistency of a power bar, give it a shot. I personally would not buy this flavor.

I also recently tried the ALT bar from Lara Bars. I tried the Cinnamon Apple Crisp version. It was a weird consistency. Not bad, just odd. It tasted good if you like anything Apple Cinnamon flavored. I went back to Hyvee W Kimberly to see if they had any other flavors, bu they were sold out. It was great in my gym bag for a quick snack. I would buy this product. 

I saved the best for last...

Nogii bars by Elizabeth Hasselbeck - I tried the Chocolate Mint bar - it was really tasty. It again had an odd texture, more like a candy bar than a protein bar (thank God). It tasted like Thin Mints (Girl Scout Cookies). I can't wait to try her other bars. The entire Nogii line is supposed be gluten free. There is even a Paleo product line.  I will definitely buy this product again.

Tiger's Milk Bars

I was reluctant to try these bars since I do not like Larabars. I do not like power bars. I basically struggle with any kind of protein bar more texturally than taste, but most of the time if I like the taste the texture is a no-go for me. Tiger's Milk Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter with Honey are both good. They toe the line texturally with me, they are chewy and somewhat "thick" that's the only way to describe it. They are good though for the days when I need an extra snack to get me through the day. They can be purchased in the Health Market at Hy-Vee West Kimberly in the isle with all the other protein bars, they are on the bottom shelf. They are about $1.29 each, they aren't in the same category as KIND bars, but are a good "protein type" bar.

Think Thin Bars

A friend from work, Patti, recommended I try the Think Thin protein bars. I tried the Chocolate Covered Strawberry one last night. I used it as my dessert at a wedding since I couldn't eat cake. I was a little taken aback by the texture, its not as chewy as a normal protein bar, but its chewy. It has an aftertaste, but the after taste is very similar to a true chocolate covered strawberry. It's 200 calories and 15g of protein per bar.

Try it, you might like it. They have a few different options, so check out their website.