When hunger pains come between meals, sometimes it’s all too easy to reach for a chocolate bar or bite sized candies. Sure, many of us would prefer something heathy, like a crisp apple or ripe banana, but it’s not always convenient to keep fresh fruit around, especially when we’re at work. Planters is offering up another snacking option with its NUT•rition line. They come in portable tins or individually wrapped bars, so they are easy to take anywhere and enjoy anytime. Plus, the NUT•rition line of products are all formulated to promote different aspects of heath, from getting more antioxidants to keeping your heart strong.

 

From the line of products, we reviewed three: their Heart Healthy Mix, their Antioxidant Mix and their NUT•rition Energy Bar. The Antioxidant Mix contained nuts and dried fruits including: almonds, bananas, peaches, blueberries, cranberries, and cashews. The mix was very tasty, with the combination of fruit and nut providing a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors, and all our tasters said they would recommend it.

 

We also really enjoyed the Heart Healthy Mix. It has almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. The assortment of nuts provided a nice variety of flavors and it was rather filling, so there’s no need to devourer the whole tin. Since the nuts are low in sugar and high in protein, with some fiber thrown in as well, they make for a much healthier snack than any candy bar.

 

Now, Planters might have hit a home-run with the mixes, but their energy bars left something to be desired. They were hard and a bit over salted, which covered up the other flavors. Only one of our four tasters said he would recommend people try the bars. Even the 18 month-old, who was accompanying one of our reviewers, spit out her portion of the Planters NUT•rition Energy Bar. Cutting back on the salt and adding the the balance of flavors would go a long way towards improving these bars.

 

How Nutritious are is NUT•rition

 

If you’re interested in just losing weight, these are not your food of choice. They are pretty high-calorie, with 8 servings in each container at 150-180 calories. For people that are active and simply trying to maintain a healthy weight, the snacks are a good choice because they are low in fat and cholesterol. All our tasters thought the mixes would be an excellent replacement for potato chips or other junk foods that we tend to eat more than we should. Try packing a tin of a NUT•rition mix instead of chips for a week and see how you feel.