PowerBar Plant Protein Bar Review – Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter

From the makers of some of the original protein, snack, and meal replacement bars comes the Plant Protein Snack Bar. The bars are available in 3 similar landscaped flavors including dark chocolate + peanut butter, dark chocolate + almond + sea salt, and dark chocolate + salted caramel cashew. I am trying out the dark chocolate peanut butter one because I’m always for the best combination (peanut butter and chocolate!).  At about $1.80/bar or about 16 cents per gram of protein these bars provide a reasonably priced, ready to eat snack option. The packaging is partially clear, allowing you to take a peek at the contents which includes mostly pea protein crisps, peanuts, rice protein crisps with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. The “glue” or binder for the bar is a combination of nut butter (peanut butter in the flavor I tried) and cane syrup.

If you’re ready to try now, you can get the bars on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Taste Experience – Score: 8 out of 10

When opening the package, you’ll be greeted by the sweet smell of peanut butter, the real kind, not the ‘totally-smells-like-fake-peanut-butter’ kind (which I immediately appreciated and was surprised by given my low expectations for such a mainstream bar). First bite is delish – a sweet concoction of chewy nut butter + sugar enveloping crunchy high protein pea protein and rice protein morsels polished with a bold but undertoned chocolate finish. In the mix of chewing, I found salted nut pockets a pleasant surprise but also one that left me thirsty afterwards. This is a bar I would add to my regular rotation when wanting something sort of sweet, sort of salty but packed with sustained energy if my next meal was a few hours away.

Nutrition – Score: 7 out of 10

Again, I was pleasantly surprised to A. find a mainstream company providing a vegan option but B. the nutrition info checked out decently well! When I look at a food label, I’m mostly looking at 3 nutrients – protein, fiber, sugar and then the ingredients providing the nutrients. Honestly, skip the calorie counting and use intuitive eating principles to help navigate the tricky world of eating.

Protein – 11g in the 1.76oz bar – the protein in this bar is coming from a mixture of sources including the peanuts, the pea protein, the peanut butter, and a snip it from the rice protein. Considering there are 9g of protein in ½ cup of cooked lentils, this bar adds a protein punch to your day.

Fiber – A lot of cereals and bars have inulin added as the main fiber source. Inulin is a type of soluble fiber naturally found in foods like bananas, onions, leeks, and garlic. It’s a prebiotic, meaning that it travels to your large intestine mostly undigested, so the bacteria can feed off of it and be converted into other nutrients. Most of the time in commercial products, inulin is manufactured and added into commercial products vs coming from a whole food. In my experience, inulin as a source of fiber can be great for a lot of people who may not consume adequate amounts of fiber (25-35g/day is the recommendation) but can cause GI upset in some people who regularly eat fiber. So drink adequate amounts of water.

The bar boosts adequate protein, fiber, and a moderate amount of sugar (10g) with the only source of sugar being cane syrup although it is the third ingredient meaning there is a decent amount of it by weight as ingredients are listed by weight.

If you’re ready to buy now, you can get the bars on Amazon by clicking HERE.

The Non-Vegan Review – Score: 9 out of 10

My wife has subjected me to many vegan protein bars and this particular protein bar surprises me in that it doesn’t have the typical flavor profile of other vegan protein bars. I find most vegan protein bars to be chalky with the texture and flavor of cardboard. This plant protein bar from PowerBar is actually really good. It has a great peanut flavor with a nice crunchy but gooey enough texture so it doesn’t get all over you (hate those vegan bars that turn into chalky crumbs and get all over you and the car). The dark chocolate is a nice addition to the bar, but honestly it doesn’t even really need it. The peanut crisp can stand on its own. Two other things I like about this bar: 1. It doesn’t contain soy. As a male that has heard multiple times that soy will give me breasts, it’s nice to find a vegan protein bar with no soy in it. 2. These bars are cheap compared to other vegan bars and I like cheap, good stuff.  So, if you want to share your vegan bars with your meat eating chicken dipping significant other, these are the ones to get it. Non-vegan husband out.

Parting Thoughts

This bar is best suited for a small breakfast or hearty snack. I would add a piece of fruit for longer lasting goodness. But honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall taste, texture, and price. If you like my review, consider trying these bars by purchasing them at Amazon. Amazon has all of the different flavors and you can get them by using one of the below links or by clicking HERE. Thanks for checking out my review.