Review: Brookside Dark Chocolate Cranberry With Blackberry Flavor Fruit & Nut Bar

I've reviewed these Brookside bars before and I found/find it funny how they take one fruit as the primary ingredient and then they top that with more fruit, but not just fruit...fruit FLAVOR.  Is it too much to ask to have the fruit in there?  Okay, I'm going off the deep end as usual here.  Anyway, I was recently browsing my local Kroger when I saw boxes upon boxes of these Brookside bars on clearance, so I grabbed this Brookside Dark Chocolate Cranberry With Blackberry Flavor Fruit & Nut Bar on clearance for $0.79.  I'd imagine it's typically in the $1.50 range though.  Anyway, this bar is 1.4 ounces, has 180 calories and packs in a modest four grams of protein.  The bar is gluten free, but I do find it funny that the nutritional info on the website specifically says that this is NOT Kosher.  Can't say I've ever seen that definitively stated before.

Review: Nature Valley Sweet & Spicy Chili Dark Chocolate Bars

I've been getting a lot of products from Marsh recently in the clearance section.  I don't think it is because the products are terrible but instead because Marsh has a real problem controlling their expiration dates and keeping food fresh.  So, I guess I bring this up because you should just ignore the clearance sticker on these products going forward and instead focus on the product itself.  Today, I'm adding to my Nature Valley review collection with this review of a box of six Nature Valley Sweet & Spicy Chili Dark Chocolate Bars.  Each bar in the box is 1.24 ounces and has 160 calories with three grams of protein.

Dry bags

Review: Brookside Dark Chocolate Cherry With Pomegranate Flavor Fruit & Nut Bar

It's amazing to me how many products Kroger gets me to try for the first time because they give them away for free.  Usually, they give them away (and I review them) via their Free Friday Download promotion, but today's review of this Brookside Dark Chocolate Cherry With Pomegranate Flavor Fruit & Nut Bar was a freebie that Kroger was giving away just because.  Not tied to any particular promotion or anything...it was just free.  I like that.  So, I happily grabbed my freebie and that leads me to take a look at this 1.4 ounce bar.  Within that 1.4 ounces of gluten free fun (to be determined) is 180 calories and one gram of protein.

Review: Yoplait Plenti Black Cherry Plentiful Greek Yogurt

I'm going to jump ahead a little bit as I tackle yet another Yoplait Plenti review with something that really focuses on what you'll see in the photo after the jump.  Apparently Yoplait (General Mills) has decided to join the "Keep Calm and ______" movement and add the tagline to the underside of top of their yogurt containers.  I can't tell you how insane that drive me.  The "Keep Calm and Carry On" slogan has an interesting history, but some marketer took it and used it for other purposes.  Then other marketers thought this was a good idea and here were are today with that slogan spread EVERYWHERE and way overused.  It drives me insane to the point where it actually makes me angry and I rant on a food blog about it where no one cares.  All over a goofy little slogan.  And...wait...I'm just going to stop here before I go off the deep end and get into the review.  Anyway, I picked up this single serving container of Yoplait Plenti Black Cherry Plentiful Greek Yogurt at Kroger for $1.00 and it comes in at 5.3 ounces packed in with 140 calories and twelve grams of protein.

Review: Yoplait Plenti Blueberry Plentiful Greek Yogurt

I mentioned in my last Yoplait Plenti review that these cups of Greek yogurt seemed like they were something that had been out forever and that's why I had steered away from reviewing them, figuring that I already had.  As I mentioned, it turns out that they were new-ish and I was just dreaming that they had been reviewed before.  So, since I've neglected them in the past, I figured it was time to plow through with another review as I grabbed this Yoplait Plenti Blueberry Plentiful Greek Yogurt off the shelves of Kroger for $1.00.  It's 5.3 ounces and is packed with 140 calories and twelve grams of protein.

Review: Zone Perfect Perfectly Simple Pumpkin Chai Bar

As I've lamented on the blog, it's that time of year for pumpkin-flavored products and why shouldn't Zone Perfect add to their review collection with a pumpkin-flavored product too?  It's only fitting since everyone else is doing it.  So, I saw this limited edition Zone Perfect Perfectly Simple Pumpkin Chai Bar on sale at my local Kroger for $1.00 and snatched it up to once again be over pumpkined.  This bar comes in at 1.41 ounces and has 180 calories with ten grams of protein.  It's also gluten free, so there's that going for it too (besides its seasonality).

Review: Yoplait Plenti Strawberry Plentiful Greek Yogurt

So, mixing oats in your Greek yogurt is apparently the big new thing in the Greek yogurt war.  I've seen several different manufacturers doing it and while I've reviewed plenty of Yoplait products here before, I've never taken a look at their foray into this battle.  That leads me to today's review of this single serving cup of Yoplait Plenti Strawberry Plentiful Greek Yogurt that I was able to pick up for free via a digital coupon in the Kroger app.  This one ordinarily runs about a dollar-ish at it's regular price.  Anyway, this comes in at 5.3 ounces and is loaded up with 140 calories and twelve grams of protein.

Review: Chobani flip Pumpkin Harvest Crisp Greek Yogurt

I believe that I've lamented on this blog about "Christmas Creep" before and perhaps even what I'm now going to dub as "Pumpkin Creep.".  Christmas Creep is when Christmas products start making it into the store WAY BEFORE Christmas.  Pumpkin-flavored products are starting to become that way too as some of them are starting to pop up before September 1st.  That's crazy to me.  Fall doesn't officially start until September 23rd.  I, like I'm sure a lot of people, don't really think about pumpkins until October due to Halloween.  Anyway, Chobani has joined this creep by rolling out a pumpkin themed Greek yogurt in a limited batch.  I got this container of  Chobani flip Pumpkin Harvest Crisp Greek Yogurt in early September, but I don't know how long it had been on the shelf before that.  I do know that this is the first time that I've noticed that their flip line of products has been shown as "flip" on the packaging, which is orange by the way to reflect pumpkin (Note:  upon perusal of prior Chobani reviews, I learned that this "flip" has been in effect for a bit and I'm just an unobservant moron).  I picked up this 5.3 ounce container at Meijer for $1.09 and packed within it's orangeness is 210 calories and 12 grams of all natural protein.

Review: Steve's PaleoGoods Cinnamon Paleokrunch Cereal

So, the charity of Steve (as opposed to The Tao of Steve) continues again today as I embark on another Steve's PaleoGoods review that came out of my wonderful sampler pack that they so graciously delivered to my front door.  Today's review is of something I have a real problem with:  granola.  It's not a problem because I don't like it or I'm allergic to it or whatever.  It's a problem because I'm ADDICTED to granola.  I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.  My favorite thing about staying in hotels is the free breakfast in the morning so that I can go down there and DESTROY their granola.  And if you don't think I've used enough all capital letter words yet, I will tell you that when I'm at a hotel that doesn't have granola, I am really, really SAD.  Anyway, today's addiction (or review) is of this 7.5 ounce bag of Steve's PaleoGoods Cinnamon Paleokrunch Cereal that was sent along to me.  It's got five servings in the bag and simple math tells this math wizard that is 1.5 ounces per serving.  Each serving also has 209 calories and seven grams of protein and to top that all off, it's gluten free and paleo.  Yahoo Mountain Dew (does anyone else actually say that or have you at least heard it?)!

Review: Earnest Eats Almond Trail Mix Baked Whole Food Bar

Sorry folks, but this blog has been a little Fresh Thyme heavy recently.  Unfortunately, that's mostly going to continue for a while because I made a HUGE splurge there and probably will go back again.  The positive is that it's freshened up (get it?) the content a bit here and given me some new products to review.  Today is the second look at an Earnest Eats product as I grabbed this Earnest Eats Almond Trail Mix Baked Whole Food Bar for $1.69.  It's 1.9 ounces and has 210 calories with six grams of protein.  It's also organic, vegan and wheat free.

Review: Go Raw Live Pumpkin Bar

Of all the bars I picked up in my Fresh Thyme shopping binge, today's bar (along with some others of the same ilk, but in different flavors) is definitely the most interesting of what I picked up for $0.99.  I mean it was interesting in terms of size and composition.  I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like this Go Raw Live Pumpkin Bar before in the over one thousand reviews that I've done on this blog.  I mentioned its size and it clocks in at a measly 0.46 ounces.  In that tiny package is 60 calories and two grams of 100% organic protein.  If you are interested in all the other health metrics, and I know a lot of people are, this is also gluten free, nut free, raw, vegan and wheat free.  They also tag this on the wrapper as "Real Live Food" too.

Review: CLIF Nuts & Seeds Bar

When I'm walking through the store and am looking through the shelves for new things, I sometimes see products that make me think to myself "why even bother?"  Today's review, which adds to the CLIF collection, is one of those products.  The whole idea of this bar just seems so incredibly boring that I just don't know how it could be appealing enough for anyone to buy it.  Now, I'm a reviewer (or at least pretending to be one), so I bought this CLIF Nuts & Seeds Bar just because it was a new product and I wanted something to review.  This one set me back $1.00 at Kroger and it comes in at the CLIF bar standard 2.4 ounces.  It's also packing 270 calories and eleven grams of protein.

Review: Mariani Sesame Honeybar

After having reviewed several of their products and having seen consistent success in my reviews of those products, it might be time for me to join the Mariani family.  What I like about these products is they stick to basic recipes and presentations and just deliver on flavor.  That said, the source of today's review is one that I've held until last because not only is it the least basic of all the bars that I picked up in a splurge at the Walmart Neighborhood Market for $1.49, it's also the one that I was most scared of because the recipe description seemed just off to me.  Either way, it's time to plow ahead and take a look at this all natural Mariani Sesame Honeybar that comes in at 1.4 ounces with 200 calories and six grams of protein.

Review: Nature Valley Salted Caramel Peanut Nut Crisp Bars

I love me some coupons.  Digital, cut out of the paper, whatever...just give me my savings.  It's that undying love of savings that giddily caused me to "clip" a digital coupon to buy today's review subject to add to my constantly growing Nature Valley review collection.  This digital coupon was "clipped" via the Meijer iPhone app and I grabbed this box of six Nature Valley Salted Caramel Peanut Nut Crisp Bars on sale for $2.99 (plus a coupon for an additional $0.50 off).  It's a new product, so of course I was doubly giddy to mix that with a coupon (yeah, I'm a dork).  Anyway, each bar in this box is 0.89 ounces and comes in at 140 calories with four grams of protein.

Review: Mariani Trail Mix Honeybar

Every now and then, something will just sneak up on me when I'm not expecting it.  For example, I was recently standing by the deli case at my local Walmart Neighborhood Market and I happened to just glance over to one of the cooler cases nearby and next to it was a wire rack filled with a new kind of snack bar that I had never seen before.  It's placement was odd since it was right by the cheeses and nowhere near the actual snack or nutrition bars that were located in a different section of the store.  Frankly, I would have never thought to look there and Walmart is probably hurting the sales of these by having them in such an odd location.  That said, since I did happen upon them, I grabbed a handful of varieties and today's review of this Mariani Trail Mix Honeybar is the first of one of these reviews.  This bar set me back $1.29 and within the 1.4 ounce bar are 190 calories and six grams of protein.  It's also all natural, cholesterol free, gluten free, vegetarian and wheat free, so it's got a lot of healthy characteristics going for it.

Review: Balance Bar Bare Sweet & Spicy Nut Bar

Food manufacturing is like one big game of follow the leader.  Everyone copies everyone's ideas and it's just a vicious circle.  You make a non-coated bar, I make a non-coated bar.  You make a Greek yogurt bar, I make a Greek yogurt bar.  You make a savory bar, I make a savory bar.  Anyway,  you get the picture.  That's why it should come as no surprise that today's review subject is another bar in the line of another one of those trends...non-coated savory bars.  I've looked at varieties from other manufacturers previously, but today adds to the Balance Bar review catalog as I take a look at their version with this review of the Balance Bar Bare Sweet & Spicy Nut Bar that I was able to pick up at Meijer for $1.00.  Each bar is 1.19 ounces and has 160 calories and four grams of protein.  It's also gluten, soy and dairy free.

Review: Wholesome Goodness Apple Cinnamon Omega Granola Bar

My mother tells me that I'm supposed to have some wholesomeness and goodness in my life.  If that's true, what better way to get that in my life (and my belly) is there than to eat a bar with both of those things in the name?  I really can't see a better way, can you?  Yes, that is a really horrible introduction, but hey, sometimes it's tough to write something witty (or even remotely passable) every single time.  Anyway, this isn't the first time I've tried to get both of those things in me since I've reviewed Wholesome Goodness previously, but today's review is another variety out of their product offering with this look at the Wholesome Goodness Apple Cinnamon Omega Granola Bar that I was able to pick up for $1.49 at my local Marsh.  Each bar is 1.4 ounces and has 160 calories and three grams of protein.

Review: Wholesome Goodness Cranberry Omega Granola Bar

It's another new manufacturer!  I always love it when I stumble upon something new in my usual stores because I sometimes worry that I'm going to run out of things that I can or want to review for this blog.  In the back of my head, I know that would never be a problem, but I worry because that's just the type of person that I am.  Anyway, today's new product is a Wholesome Goodness Cranberry Omega Granola Bar that I picked up at Marsh for $1.29.  It's 1.4 ounces and has 160 calories and three grams of protein.  As the name would imply, it's good for Omega fats too, so hooray I guess.

Review: KIND Strong & Kind Thai Sweet Chili Almond Protein Bar

He's been mentioned here before but I'll mention again that Junk Food Guy runs a pretty damn fine blog.  Not only does he review products, but he also talks about sports, life, etc.  I've done a lot of reviews, but I only really do quick hitter-type reviews, so just looking the sheer volume of reviews and other things that he's done is astounding to me.  Anyway, I've learned via his Twitter feed that he's a big fan of savory snack bars, so today's review that adds to my KIND review series is an ode to him.  I was able to pick up this KIND Strong & Kind Thai Sweet Chili Almond Protein Bar at Kroger on sale for $1.25 and the bar is 1.6 ounces and has 230 calories and ten grams of protein.  It's also gluten free, among other things, so it's also got that going for it.  This one also shows up as right in the middle on the Spice meter on the wrapper, so I guess I shouldn't expect to be on fire when I'm done, so that's good.

Review: KIND Strong & Kind Honey Smoked BBQ Almond Protein Bar

I mentioned in my last KIND review that the thought of a savory snack bar kind of frightens me.  Still, I'm always looking to try out new products, so despite my fears, I had a desire to try out this KIND Strong & Kind Honey Smoked BBQ Almond Protein Bar that I picked up in the same shopping trip as the last review for $1.25 at Kroger.  This bar clocks in at 1.6 ounces with 230 calories and ten grams of protein.  It's also gluten free, so it's more than just a pretty face...or something.