Nature Valley Maple Brown Sugar Crunchy Granola Bars Review

I have tried several of the Nature Valley bars like the Oats and Honey, Peanut Butter, and Dark Chocolate, but recently I found a variety pack that included Maple Brown Sugar so I thought I would go for it.

Just like the other Nature Valley bars, the Nature Valley Maple Brown Sugar Crunchy Granola Bars are two in a pack for 190 calories.
Plus they also look the same and have the same texture as the other bars.

They look like a quite compressed oat mixture. When you take a bite, it crumbles all over and makes quite a mess. But, the flavor was delightful. It was not overly sweet like other maple flavor things often are. Instead is was a nice, plainly sweet granola bar with a maple syrup after taste.

Pros: Awesome flavor combination and great crunch.
Cons: Makes quite a mess and was a little predictable.

Taste: 8/10
Texture: 7/10
Amount for calories: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

These granola bars were nice calorie-wise because you get two for the calories of one, plus there was a soft sweetness that lingered. But if you are looking to branch out, this may not be it.

Market Pantry Fiber, Almond and Dark Chocolate Chewy Bar Review

Today I tried the generic Target's brand, Market Pantry Fiber, Almond and Dark Chocolate Chewy Bar. (I apologize for the dark picture quality).

With this chewy bar you get a medium sized, 1.2 oz, bar for 130 calories, and it boasts added fiber. This is very similar to the Kellogg's FiberPlus Antioxidants Chocolate Chip Chewy Bar.

When you open the wrapper, it looks exactly as you would expect a chewy chocolate granola bar to be, there is the oat mixture with a couple of chocolate chips on top, under a chocolate drizzle, and a coating of chocolate on the bottom. This looked quite similar to the FiberPlus Bar as well.. From the look I was expecting a chewy texture with maybe a few crisps and almonds inside, however, it was not like this. The bar was so chewy that my jaw was hurting half way though, and there was no other texture to compliment. I could see a few almond pieces, but they added nothing to the texture.
The small almond pieces did not add to the flavor either. The flavor was the typical oaty flavor but very sweet with the chocolate, probably too sweet for most mornings.

Pros: Chocolatey yum.
Cons: Way too chewy and a little boring.

Taste: 7/10
Texture: 5/10
Amount for calories: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

Definitely not one of the best bars out there, it was good and chocolatey, but I do not think I will buy another box.

Kellogg's FiberPlus Antioxidants Chocolate Chip Chewy Bar Review

Gotta love granola bars! However, the typical chewy bar can get kind of boring, so I like to try all kinds to keep myself from getting bored. Today I tried a FiberPlus Antioxidants Chocolate Chip Chewy Bar for the first time.

With this, you get a 1.2 oz bar for 120 calories, plus fiber!
When I first opened the bar, I saw that it was the typical sticky granola mix bar, with a chocolate layer on the bottom, a drizzle on top, and some mini chips. The texture was exactly what it looks like as it was chewy, but not to chewy that my jaw would hurt, plus the chocolate chips actually provided a little crunch.
Looking at the bar, I was expecting a very sweet but bland oaty flavor, with not much chocolate taste (as that is what I have found in the past with bars similar to this, as well as some bars of this same brand). But I was caught off guard. It had a dominant chocolate taste that was actually quite lovely. It tasted like a candy bar instead of a breakfast style granola bar.

Pro: Lots of chocolate, not too chewy, and it was candy like.
Con: Just another chewy style granola bar and it was too sweet for the morning.

Taste: 8/10
Texture: 7/10
Quantity for calories: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Overall, this bar was delightfully sweet and serve as a wonderful afternoon pick me up, but this is not a good option if you want to break out from the basic granola bar.

Grab and Go Breakfast Snacks

In the midst of week 9 out of 10 in this term, I am quite tired and ready for a break. So on a morning like this, I woke up rather late and had to grab a breakfast to eat in the car. However, I actually kind of enjoy this when I have good snacks in the house.
The first thing I had were Lance Toasty Real Peanut Butter and Crackers.

I can't even explain the obsession I have with these. I love that the cracker is buttery and flaky without being greasy. Also, the peanut butter is not chunky or creamy, it has a slight gritty texture which is different, but good. Plus, Lance says they use no preservatives (which I don't know exactly what this means, but it sounds good to me).

I reached into my big tub of granola bars for something a little sweet. Today I felt like a Clif Kid's Z Bar Iced Oatmeal Cookie.

When first opened, I can smell that inviting smell of oatmeal cookies. The bar is very sweet but has a nice spice zing like that of a real oatmeal cookie. The texture of the bar is chewy with a couple thin oats, plus there are a couple of white chocolate chips thrown in! Plus, there is a little decoration with the white icing stripes on top that makes it look more appetizing.

Last, I walked up to Gino just now when he was dead asleep, he looked absolutely hilarious. I said his name so he would perk up a little for a pic. :)