NuGo Bars: Protein meets real Chocolate

in Food by FBWorld Team — July 10, 2010 at 10:59 am | 5 comments

NuGo Bars: Protein meets real Chocolate

Until today, chocolate covered protein bars reminded me of “Power Sauce,” Homer Simpsons favorite energy bar. “Power Sauce” was made from shredded newspapers, but Homer believed they helped him loose weight and climb a mountain. Nearly every protein bar I have tried in the past makes some type of un-certified claim, and all of them tasted dry and bland and needed to be consumed with a two liter jug of water.

NuGo bars are different. They are made from real dark chocolate that actually tastes like the “good stuff” you get from a chocolate maker – but this stuff is actually nutritious. NuGO bars are made from the cocoa bean, which is good because it’s high in antioxidants with cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Most other chocolate-coated protein bars are partially derived from cocoa beans, but add cheaper vegetable fat to make their products melt at a higher temperature.  Vegetable fats are unhealthy saturated fats that raise your bad cholesterol, outweighing the natural benefits of the cocoa bean. The Dark Chocolate in NuGo bars literally melts in your mouth, so you know it’s good for you.

We sampled three NuGo bars, two from the NuGo Dark: Dairy-Free, Vegan, REAL Dark Chocolate and one NuGO Organic: Naturally Organic, Vegan, REAL Dark Chocolate bar.

 

Mocha Chocolate: NuGo Dark

If you like coffee beans covered in chocolate, this is the bar for you. It has a rich taste, though, not one that would offend non coffee drinkers. The bar’s inner ingredients are a rice crispy like mixture, which provides a nice crunchy, but light texture. The bar is meant to give you energy, so it’s pretty dense and not something that you should be eating to lose weight.

Nutrition facts: Calories 200″Calories from fat 50″Total Fat 5g 9%”Cholesterol 0mg 0%”Total Carbohydrates 30g 8%”Saturated Fat 3g 15%”Sodium 45mg 2%”Dietary Fiber 2g 8%”Trans Fat 0g”Sugar 14g”Protein 10g

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip

This Chocolate Chip bar covered in dark chocolate will curb all of those chocolate cravings and leave you wanting more. Trust me, we only got one in our sample, and later on I had to go pick up a box for myself. The bar is much more chocolaty than the Mocha Chocolate, but like the Mocha Chocolate it’s got a great rice crispy like center and is loaded with 10g of protein. Plus, the bar is vegan friendly and dairy free to make it enjoyable for anyone. NuGo Dark is certified kosher and pareve by the Orthodox Union

Nutrition facts: Calories 200, Calories from fat 50, Total Fat 5g 9%, Cholesterol 0mg 0%, Total Carb. 30g 8% ,Saturated Fat 3g 15% , Sodium 45mg 2% Dietary Fiber 2g 8% ,Trans Fat 0g ,Sugar 14g, Protein 10g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Iron 10%

Dark Chocolate Pomegranate:

The Dark Chocolate Pomegranate bar had a strong artificial pomegranate taste that really did not sit well with our testers. The chocolate quality was equal to other bars in the NuGo line, and its nutritional value were two positive components of this bar, but the taste didn’t measure up to the previous samples. We did notice that 75% of the bar did not have pomegranate flakes, significantly reducing the bars marketed antioxidant properties and overall satisfaction rating.

Nutrition facts: Serving Size: 1 Bar , Servings Per Package: 1, Average/Serving %, Calories190 , Calories from fat 45, Total Fat 5g 8%, Saturated Fat 3g 15%, Trans Fat 0g 0% ,Cholesterol 0mg 0%, Sodium 60mg 3%, Potassium 190mg 5%. Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%, Dietary Fiber 2g 8%, Sugar 16g, Protein 10g ,Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 2%, Iron 6%

In the world of protein bars, the Mocha Chocolate and Chocolate, Chocolate Chip were among the best we’ve tasted. Consumed as part of an active lifestyle, we’d highly recommend them. Just be warned, they are potentially addictive, and if the bars aren’t eaten in moderation, the health benefits they offer are out weighed by the costs.

Mike Perkins – FBWorld Taster 

Tags: Energy Bars NuGo Protein Bars