Review: Tumaro's Low in Carbs Multi-Grain Tortillas

I've tried to find a good, low carb tortilla in my area as sooooo many of the ones you guys try and love are just not available here in the boonies of wild, wonderful West Virginia. This one I found in a Kroger's store about 45 miles from home. And, I remember thinking that MY Kroger's store closer to home would have them too. Kroger's is Kroger's, right? WRONG! So, anyway, I bought a package of these:

Multi Grain (Award Winning) A delicious way to get a boost of fiber in your diet.

They are light and yummy. I used them for quesadillas with the Mexican Beef recipe I posted a bit back and some shredded Mexican blend cheese. I used them for sandwich wraps. I loved them no matter what I did with them.

There are 10 of the 8" size in the package. They were about $2.99 for the package. And, the nutritional info...WOW!

Nutrition Facts

Click here for nutritional information from the product packaging.

Dietary Labeling

Certified Kosher

Serving size: 1 tortilla
Amount Per Serving
Calories	100
Calories from Fat	25
Amount Per Serving and/or % Daily Value*
Total Fat	2.5g (4%)
Saturated Fat	0g (0%)
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg (0%)
Sodium	115mg (5%)
Total Carbohydrate	13g (4%)
Dietary Fiber	8g (31%)
Sugars	1g
Protein	7g
Amount Per Serving and/or % Daily Value*
Vitamin A	0%
Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	8%
Iron	6%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower based on your calorie needs.

Safety Information
Allergen Information: Contains wheat, soy, almond meal, sesame seed flour. Made on equipment shared with wheat, soy, almond meal, sesame flour.

Ingredients
Water, Oat Fiber, Whole Wheat Flour, Soy Bean Flour, Wheat Gluten, Canola Oil, Aluminum Free Baking Powder (Sodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate), Calcium Propionate (Used to Maintain Freshness), Lecithin, Mono-diglycerides (Derived From Plant Sources), Salt, Sesame Seed Flour, Almond Meal, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Fumaric Acid (Used to Maintain Freshness), Potassium Sorbate (Used to Maintain Freshness), Sodium Metabisulfite (Used to Maintain Freshness).

Directions
Heating: Bend bag to loosen and separate flatbreads. Heat them individually in a skillet or pan for 10-15 seconds on each side to warm and soften. Flatbreads may also be wrapped in a moist paper towel and heated in a microwave for 20 seconds. For freshness, keep flatbreads refrigerated after opening. How to fold a wrap: Place fillings in the center of the wrap. Fold the bottom side of the wrap. Fold the left side over then wrap to the right. Enjoy the great taste of a delicious wrap. After opening, keep refrigerated for freshness.

They have FIVE net carbs and only 13 total carbs... Many tortillas have 20 or more total carbs. 7 grams of protein in a little 8" tortilla is nothing to sneeze at either! They are multi grain, so the carbs are complex for the most part. They include ingredients like oat flour, soy flour, sesame seed flour, and almond meal. They also come in Green Onion, Garden Vegetable, and Salsa flavors, but Kroger's did not have those...just the multi-grain version. Amazon carries this company's (Tumaro's) products too. They sell cases of 6 packs of 10 for less than $20 with free shipping on orders over $25.

Product Name: Tumaro's Low in Carbs 8" Multi-Grain Tortillas

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): bread substitute

Where Can I Get/Find It? Krogers and some other grocers... See their site for a list!

Cost: pack of 10 is about $3.00

Pros: whole grain, low in carbs, taste great!

Cons: For me, finding them will be worrisome... I may end up approaching my Kroger's manager and asking them to order me a case. Otherwise, I'll have to bite the bullet and go the Amazon route!

Overall Rating: Yeah Baby! These will definitely be back in my cupboard!

Review: Oh Yeah Vanilla Creme RTD Shake

Remember that this review is written by someone who hardly EVER likes a protein drink/shake product!

On Tuesday, I stopped by my surgeon's office to pick up something our support group leader left for me. When I get by there, which is not very often these days, I try to remember to check out his protein selection and look to see if he has anything new in the shoppe. Well, this time he did! And, I picked up a couple items to try. Item one was a ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shake made by Oh Yeah.
Not only do they sell them, but they also have a drink cooler and offer them pre-chilled for folks in the gym. So, I grabbed one of the cold ones and figured I could go ahead and try it as I headed out to finish my shopping. The stats looked pretty good. Just needed to pass a taste test.

32 grams of protein in this little 14 oz drink? Heck yeah! I asked the receptionist if she'd tried it before and she said, "Yeah, and I liked it a lot better than I did the Muscle Milk." Well, I didn't care much for the Muscle Milk RTD, so that sounded promising! I paid the lady and hit the road.

I had my daughter with me (mom to the worlds' greatest grandbaby), and we tried it together. It tasted like a thin vanilla milkshake. Even she liked it! I did not discern any real protein-y aftertaste either. 14 ozs is totally finishable even for someone just 3 or 4 months postop! In case that pic above is hard for you to read, one bottle is one serving.
Per serving numbers:
calories: 220
fat: 9 grams (1.5 sat, no trans)
total carbs: 4 grams (1 gram fiber, 3 grams sugar)
protein: a whopping 32 grams!

This was tasty. It was ice cold and refreshing too. I would definitely buy this one again. I will probably look somewhere else to purchase as doc's prices are usually a bit more than say GNC as he offers these items for convenience. It is also available in a chocolate milkshake flavor. I'm not huge on chocolate RTDs, so I may or may not try that one!

From the ISS website at http://ohyeahnutrition.com/rtd.php

The Best Tasting, Premium Quality Ready To Drink, Period.

Portable nutrition at the highest level, the OhYeah!^® RTD delivers a pure and natural taste profile because it is made with fresh diafiltered milk. This high quality, clean taste wasn’t achieved with loads of sugar, preservatives or fat as the OhYeah!^® RTD has only 3 grams of sugar and is lactose free. So delight your senses with 32 grams protein and flavors that will make you say…OhYeah!^® It’s That Good^®.

Available at health and vitamin stores, gyms and retailers nationwide.

Nutrition Facts

• Chocolate Milkshake
• Vanilla Creme

Product Name: Oh Yeah RTD Vanilla Creme Protein Drink

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): meal replacement, protein shake

Where Can I Get/Find It? not sure locally, perhaps GNC PLUS several online retailers

Cost: single bottle is in the $3.49 to $3.69 each range, case of 12 is roughly $33 to $38

Pros: tastes great, ready to drink so makes a good "cooler" item but can store at room temp till opening, great to take to work and keep in fridge for a meal in a pinch, 32 whopping grams of protein in a 14 oz serving, lactose free for those postops who can't tolerate milk

Cons: a bit pricey for some at roughly $3 per serving

Overall Rating: Yeah Baby! I'll definitely buy this one again!

Win Free Stuff!! Dr. Kracker giveaway drawing...

I recently posted some reviews on the Dr. Kracker snack chips. Search my blog using the term review and you'll see those and other product reviews. These "snack chips" are basically a very crunchy flatbread in small cracker form made with organic, whole grain ingredients. They are crisp/crunchy and they have seeds on them as well. Some even have cheddar cheese on them. They suit my need for a cracker quite well. They are great with something like chicken salad spread on them or a slice of cheese... And, they are a good snack choice for my lunchbox days as well as they are packaged in 1 oz individually sealed bags!

The Home of Uber Crunch!

The good folks at Dr. Kracker donated some product for our mini-challenge folks for a prize for our current round of the mini-challenge!

In five stupendous flavors:

• Klassic 3 Seed
• Pumpkin Cheddar
• Seeded Spelt
• Seedlander
• Sunflower Cheddar

And, I got a few extra to use as incentives as well. SO, I'm offering a prize box now! On Saturday, 10/11/08, I will draw a name. Anyone who posts a comment to this blog post will be entered in the prize drawing! No purchase necessary! LOL And, I'll cover the shipping costs too! So, this is a totally free chance to try all 5 flavors of Dr. Kracker snack chips for the person who wins the drawing! Post your name or OH username and your email address so that I can email you for shipping info if you win! And, if you like, tell us about other products you are interested in seeing reviewed or would like to try as a future prize item!

Review: Dr. Kracker, take 3! Pumpkin Cheddar Snack Chips

One more flavor tried...two to go! I'm not sure I have the other two though! LOL

The Pumpkin Cheddar snack chips were about the same as the other two flavors in crunchy crispness and taste. The seeds, what there were of them, were bigger, so there was more flavor to them. I've never tried pumpkin seeds before, so I was a bit unsure of what to expect. Not too bad... These crackers had plenty of cheese on them, just not so much on the seeds.
If there were more seeds, this one would be the best so far. But, as it stands, I think I'm still calling the Klassic 3 Seed from yesterday my favorite!

Review: Dr. Kracker, take 2! Klassic 3 Seed variety

Last night, I reviewed the Sunflower Cheddar variety of the Dr. Kracker snack chips. I decided to try another one of the Dr. Kracker snack chips today. Today's choice was the Klassic 3 Seed snack chips.
I think I liked these even more than I did the other one I tried yesterday--the sunflower cheddar variety. These had a lot more seeds in them. Check 'em out!
The sunflower cheddar ones had much fewer seeds on each cracker.

The package says "The Klassic 3 Seed is a compelling blend of nutty flax seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. Crunch!" The certainly do CRUNCH! As a matter of fact, I caught myself thinking that chewing these things to the proper mush point before swallowing was going to be more work than with stuff like Cheeze-Its! So, when you are done, you really feel like you ate something instead of something that just sort of dissolves in your mouth. These DO have a nutty flavor to them. And, they were, as you can see in the pic above, very well seeded.

I think that this one is my flavor of choice so far!

Nutrition Facts for this variety:

	Klassic 3 Seed snack chips	% DV
Calories	120
Fat Calories	40
Total Fat	5 g	8%
Saturated Fat	1 g	5%
Trans Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 g	0%
Sodium	220 mg	9%
Total Carbohydrates	13 g	4%
Dietary Fiber	4 g	16%
Sugars	0 g
Protein	6 g
Vitamin A		0 %
Vitamin C		0 %
Calcium		3 %
Iron		6 %

Like the sunflower cheddar, no trans fats, no cholesterol and a fair amount of fiber...

Product Review: Dr. Kracker snack chips

Been a while since I did a product review! Let's see if I remember how! LOL

At our support group meeting, I got a sample of a new product... Well, they are new to me and I have no idea how long they've been available! But, anyway, they are a line of snack chips or crackers called Dr. Kracker and they claim to be 100% whole grain with an "uber crunch!" Actually, here's what their site says about these snack chips/crackers:

Inspired by the delicious traditional flatbreads of Germany, our Dr. Kracker crackers are made with a blend of nature's best organic whole grains and seeds, then yeast-raised and artisan-baked to perfect crispness.

Available in five stupendous flavors, we make sure that every bite of every Dr. Kracker cracker bursts with texture, character, and gusto.

No-nonsense. Not for the faint of heart. And, everything you always wanted in a cracker.

I've only tried the Sunflower Cheddar variety of these crackers.
I found them to be VERY crisp and crunchy.They have nice big pieces of seeds or whole seeds on the crackers. These definitely have texture! They are thicker and crisper than your average chip/cracker though and definitely resemble the flatbreads that they say they are imitating...

Nutrition Facts for this variety:

	Sunflower Cheddar snack chips	% DV
Calories	120
Fat Calories	50
Total Fat	6 g	9%
Saturated Fat	1.5 g	8%
Trans Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	<>	1%
Sodium	220 mg	9%
Total Carbohydrates	12 g	4%
Dietary Fiber	4 g	16%
Sugars	0 g
Protein	5 g
Vitamin A		0 %
Vitamin C		0 %
Calcium		5 %
Iron		6 %

No trans fats, practically no cholesterol and a fair amount of fiber... Add that to the taste and texture desirability of these crackers and you've got a winning choice!

They have a page of customer testimonials if you'd like to hear what others have written about them. I'll try to post when I try the other flavors as well. They also have a page with recipes using the crackers. I hope to see them continue to add recipes!

The flatbread pieces of these crackers (another item from same company) are large crackers that would be awesome with cheese spreads and/or meats on top! But, these snack chips are great just by themself.

Go to http://www.drkracker.com/sales/retaillocations/ to find the nearest retailer to purchase these products or go to http://www.drkracker.com/sales/onlineshop/ for online retailers such as Amazon.com.

Product Name: Dr. Kracker sunflower cheddar snack chips

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): snack (but also available as actual flatbread pieces for use as part of a meal!)

Where Can I Get/Find It? online, Costco's, Publix, some Super Targets, Whole Foods, other health/natural foods markets

Cost: Amazon.com sells for $23 for 24 of the 1 oz bags, so less than a buck per bag, not sure about local outlets and single packages...

Pros: organic and all natural whole grain snack, good taste and texture, great to replace those crunchy snack crackers

Cons: for me, these are not readily available from affordable, local sources/needs to be ordered from online sources, but that may not be the case for everyone--search the retail locations link as some states have a long page of local retail locations!

Overall Rating: Yeah Baby! Good solution for those who crave crunch but want only whole grain choices...

Product Review: Green Giant Healthy Weight Vegetables

I found these in the frozen food section at Krogers... I had a coupon for $2 off of $10 in frozen food (one of those discount card generated coupons from the store's Kroger Plus system). So, I'm walking along the rows of frozen food cases looking for something new to try and I spot these. Green Giant Healthy Weight Vegetable Mix. It is a mixture of black beans, shelled edamame, carrots, and sugar snap peas in a very light butter sauce. It is delish! The box says, "Healthy Weight--diets rich in foods naturally containing fiber can help you maintain a healthier body weight."

Apparently, they are part of a new line from the Giant... From their site:

NEW! Healthy Weight, Immunity Boost, and Healthy Vision

Now Green Giant offers you a delicious way to meet your health goals - Healthy Weight, Immunity Boost, and Healthy Vision. Each is a variety of premium all natural vegetables uniquely blended and lightly tossed with a great tasting sauce to provide you with specific nutrients to help you feel your best:

Varieties:

Healthy Weight - Diets rich in foods naturally containing fiber can help you maintain a healthier body weight.

• Sliced carrots, sugar snap peas, black beans and edamame lightly tossed with butter sauce.

Immunity Boost - Naturally rich in antioxidants vitamins A & C to help support a healthy immune system.

• Broccoli florets, julienne carrots and red and yellow sweet pepper strips in a garlic-herb infused extra virgin olive oil seasoning.

Healthy Vision - with natural antioxidants luetin & vitamin A to help support eye health.

• Sliced carrots, zucchini quarters, and sliced green beans lightly tossed with rosemary butter sauce.

Conveniently frozen to lock in nutrients and easy to prepare. Simply steam in the microwave for 3 minutes for a fresh, crisp, and deliciously wholesome side dish or snack that will help you meet your health goals.

The Nutrition Facts:
These measure up pretty well! A 2/3 cup (cooked) serving is only 90 calories and has 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein! Only 14 total carbs and lots of taste... These make a tasty side dish for dinner or even a great snack option. Ease of preparation is nice. I set the frozen packet in a bowl and microwaved it for 4 minutes. Then, you just split the packet open and dump it into a dish. Bing, bang, boom! How easy was that? LOL 90 calories, 9 net carbs, and 5 grams of protein... Can't ask for a more WLS friendly side dish!


Ingredients: Carrots, sugar snap peas, cooked black beans (water, black beans) and shelled edamama (soybeans) in a sauce containing water, enzyme modified butter, salt, modified corn starch.




How's it look to you?

Product Name: Green Giant Healthy Weight Veggies

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): snack, side dish

Where Can I Get/Find It? most grocers in the frozen food section

Cost: $2.00

Pros: tasty, good fiber content, low calorie, low fat, fair amount of protein with reasonable total carbs

Cons: I can't really think of any!

Overall Rating: Yeah Baby! This veggie mix makes a very tasty addition to a meal and would make an awesome snack too. It has a very light butter flavor but not an actual "sauce" to it. I'll definitely buy more of this one!

Link to a thread at OH about this item/review

Product Review Followup: Detour Lower Sugar Caramel Peanut Protein Bars

Well, well, well..... Back a couple weeks or so ago, I reviewed this protein bar...

Product Review: Detour Caramel Peanut Protein Bar (both the regular and lower sugar versions)

http://lovinlifewithlea.blogspot.com/2008/04/product-review-detour-caramel-peanut.html

They say it takes a big person to admit when they are wrong. Well, I WAS WRONG!! Melting Mama reviewed this same protein bar and said it tasted like licking the bottom of a 1973 bathroom floor tile--mildew was what she AND Mr. MM said it tasted like. Though tempted to pass it on to my kiddo after that review, I tried it anyway as I'd already bought the durned thing and was curious to see for myself. I must say that with THAT bar, I didn't have the experience that she did and I wrote the review linked above.

Then, as they were okay and pretty cheap AND I had a couple of buy one, get one free coupons from their website, I bought SIX more of them while in Walmart the other night... Six bars for about $4...not a bad deal, right? A few days go by and I need a bar for lunch and I grab one of those. O M G!! NASTY!! I so very truly know now what Beth experienced as I got it too! And, crazy me thought that it had to just be a fluke since I'd had that one before that was okay, so I tried ANOTHER today and, yep--you guessed it--MILDEW again!

SO, being the corporate complainer that I used to be many years ago, I called their 800 number to complain. Guess what I was told.... "I'm sorry, but we no longer make the Detour bars. I can give you the company info for who DOES make/market them now though..." So, she did and I called THEM only to get a danged voicemail system because all lines were busy. Hmmm, maybe busy taking complaints from folks who got these mildew tasting protein bars??? Ya think??? I left them a message and told them just what I thought of the bar and my name and phone number. The system promised a call back within 48 hours. I'm guessing that is business days though, so may not hear from them before Monday or Tuesday since this was Friday afternoon... I'll edit this if/when I get a response. I imagine that the only thing they'll have to offer to make up for this "inconvenience" (ugh, my poor abused tastebuds!) will be a coupon for a free bar. If they DO offer this, it certainly won't be THIS bar I buy with that coupon! Maybe I can use it towards one of the coconut almond Detour/Joyride bars... Otherwise, I'm not interested! Never again will one of these Caramel Peanut Lower Sugar Detour bars see the inside of MY shopping cart!

For anyone interested in the info, the company now making/marketing Detour bars was Forward Foods and the number is 800-203-3877. Maybe you'll get a real, live person to take your complaint. If you don't get a real, live person, be sure to leave them a message! LOL

Product Review: ISS Oh Yeah Bars--Vanilla Toffee Fudge

OMG! Those things are good! Toffee...Fudge... What a combo!! Then, add in some peanuts and a wonderfully creamy vanilla coating and you are in heaven--vanilla toffee fudge heaven!

This protein bar is a large one at 3 ozs, but can easily be cut in half and used for two individual servings OR chop the bar into bite sized pieces and eat as a snack sized treat now and then when the craving for something sweet hits you! For a real treat, chop it into slices and put them in a baggy in the fridge to take a bite of when you are just in the mood for a teensy bit of something and would otherwise grab something not nearly as good for you! Mmmmm, what a treat!

From the ISS website:


No pain, no gain should define your training - not your protein bar! So reward your workout with the gooey, sweet taste of OhYeah!^®. Containing 26-28 grams of muscle-building protein, heart-healthy fats, low sugar and absolutely no trans fats in a bar that's nothing short of amazing.

More than just another flavorless brick, OhYeah!^® looks and eats like a real candy bar that's so good you'll know how it got its name. OhYeah!^® - It's that good!^®

OhYeah!® Vanilla Toffee Fudge

Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 85g (1 bar) Servings Per Container: 1 Amount Per Serving % DV* Calories 370 Calories from Fat 160 Total Fat 18g 28% Saturated Fat 8g 40% Trans Fat 0g Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Cholesterol 5mg 1% Sodium 115mg 5% Potassium 100mg 3% Total Carbohydrate 30g 10% Dietary Fiber 4g 15% Sugars 10g Sugar Alcohol 13g Protein 27g 54% Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 15% Iron 10% Phosphorus 10% * Percent Daily Values Based On A 2,000 Calorie Diet.

Ingredients: Protein Blend [(OhYeah!® Blend Consisting of Whey Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate), Hydrolyzed Gelatin], White Coating (Maltitol, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Milk Protein Isolate, Nonfat Dry Milk, Soy Lecithin, Distilled Monoglycerides, Natural Flavor and Sucralose), Toffee Flavored Soy Nuts (Soybeans, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Sunflower Oil and Salt), Peanuts, Chocolate Caramel [Corn Syrup, Sugar, Cream, Cocoa (Process with Alkali), Fructose, Water, Palm Oil, Soy Lecithin, Salt and Natural Flavor], Glycerine, Cocoa Powder, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Sucralose and Potassium Sorbate Added as a Preservative.

Allergen Alert: This product contains peanuts, milk, and soy and is produced in a facility that processes soy, dairy, egg and wheat ingredients, peanuts, and tree nuts.

SO, if you eat half of this large bar, you get just 185 calories, 15 grams of total carbs (2 fiber, 6.5 sugar alcohols--net carbs of 6.5!) and you also get 13.5 grams of protein in a proteinalicious^© taste treat! I noted NO protein taste in this bar either. This bar does well on my rules for protein bars and tastes great too! And, when used to soothe those sometimes savage sweet tooth cravings, it is a real winner! This bar is candy-bar enough to be loved, heck even fought over by the kiddos. My 16 year old says that this bar is "a great way to get a teenager to eat a healthy snack!" LOL Of course, if you are buying them by the bar, that could get expensive! I paid $2.89 per bar at GNC, but found a box of 12 for $25 at Vitamin Shoppe. SuperTrition offered them for $20.12 for a box of 12. So, they can be very affordable though not at local purchase sites. While I don't buy a lot of things online, this is one that I will be ordering more of on a somewhat regular basis!

And, as I've commented on package pics versus actual appearance before, let me say that this bar's picture on the package DOES do justice to what you actually get! And, if I hadn't already finished the bar, I'd give you pictorial evidence! LOL Ah well, maybe when that new box of them shows up later this week I'll get a pic taken and posted??? Who knows! It could happen!

Product Name: ISS Oh Yeah Bar--Vanilla Toffee Fudge flavor

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): protein bar

Where Can I Get/Find It? locally, probably only GNC but several online sites carry them and offer low cost, flat rate shipping

Cost: single bar at GNC is $2.89 but boxes of 12 online are $20 to $25 at MANY sites

Pros: great taste, measures up to my rules for protein bars, even the kiddos will eat it

Cons: even the kiddos will eat it! LOL not readily available from affordable, local sources/needs to be ordered from online sources

Overall Rating: OH Yeah Baby! This bar has already found its way into my online shopping cart and has won a place in my short list of protein items I eat regularly!

This bar is also available in other proteinalicious^© flavors! The creamy vanilla & caramel is particularly good too! My kiddo loves the peanut butter & caramel as well as the chocolate & caramel. But, what ISN'T good with caramel? I mean I only own one flavor of DaVinci sugar free flavor syrups and guess which one it is...Caramel! Here's links to the ISS site's info on the different flavors!
Flavors:
Chocolate & Caramel Nutrition Facts
Peanut Butter & Caramel Nutrition Facts
PB & Strawberry Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vanilla & Caramel Nutrition Facts
Vanilla Toffee Fudge Nutrition Facts

I happen to know that Melting Mama liked this bar AND Melting Mama liked the creamy vanilla & caramel one too! It came up in the Google search when I was looking for the nutrition info for these bars! LOL

Product Review: Detour Caramel Peanut Protein Bar (both the regular and lower sugar versions)

Apparently Beth (AKA Melting Mama) and I are of somewhat like minds these days while shopping... We both picked up the same protein bar to try--Detour's lower sugar Caramel Peanut Protein Bar. This bar appeals to the WLS postop due to its nutritional counts--just 15 net carbs, 15 grams of protein and only 170 calories. If it tasted as good as the nutrition facts read, it would be a winner! Looking at the wrapper, you are hoping it will be like a Snickers bar with bennies such as high protein and low carbs!
Melting Mama reviewed this bar on her blog and posted about it on ObesityHelp.com as well. It wasn't a good review. She compared it to licking the bottom of a bathroom floor tile circa 1973... You can imagine where that went!

SO, after reading this review and conversation thread, I must admit that I was tempted to give this one to the kiddo and see what she said... If she gave it an okay (remember, she won't eat a protein bar that tastes like protein), then perhaps I'd consider buying another and trying it myself. But, I bit the bullet and tried this one after all. I have considered trying this bar for many months now (each time I stand in Walmart or Sam's Club contemplating the protein bar array) for many reasons. First, it meets my "rules for protein bars" with at least one gram of protein per gram of net carbs (15 of each in this case). The lower sugar bar has just 170 calories. Not many bars will meet that protein versus carbs rule AND still have less than 200 calories. It just doesn't happen often! But, this bar does both. AND, it was only about a buck to purchase! So, what could I lose, right? Well, I bought it. Actually, I bought it AND the non-lower sugar version to try both. The NON lower sugar version actually has just 14 grams of net carbs, still has 15 grams of protein, and has 180 calories. It does, however, have 6 grams of sugars versus the 3 in the lower sugar version.
After trying them both, I must say that if given a choice between these two bars and nothing else for an entire day, I would choose, ugh, the lower sugar version. While they both have a distinct protein taste to me, the regular version has a stronger protein taste despite the higher sugar content. Both give me a nasty after-effect in proteinalicious burps... Ugh again! I hate, hate, HATE protein powders and the way they taste and smell. I also hate protein bars that distinctly taste like protein bars... If I'm eating a bar, I want it to be more of a treat than a protein item. So, that protein taste (whether during or after) is a joy killer for me. Fortunately, despite the protein taste, neither bar gave me the vision of licking dirty, mildewy floor tiles like it did for Melting Mama. Sorry Beth... While I didn't really care for them, you are alone on that one!
I will add though that the truth-in-advertising factor comes into play here too. The pic on the package is a bit more attractive than the actual bar. See above my shot of what it really looked like inside. There is a thin layer of nuts/caramel above a thick layer of nougat. But, if you scroll up and look at the wrapper pics (particularly the regular, not lower sugar one), you see lots of nuts and gooey caramel pictured. As you can see from this pic, that is NOT what you actually get...

They have a buy one, get one free coupon offer on their website right now. The coupon comes by email. Go to http://detourbar.com/coupons.php to request one.

From the Detour Website:

Original Detour – the #1 Whey Protein Bar

Detour is #1 for a reason. It starts with the core of every Detour product - whey protein, the highest quality protein available. And whey protein has never been more delicious! You’ll love our candy bar flavors, like Caramel Peanut and Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Butter. Of course, our bars are made with only the finest ingredients:

• 15 – 30 grams Protein
• High-quality Whey Protein
• Award-winning candy-bar taste

The candy bars they are thinking of may have won awards, but these protein bars aren't winning any awards from me! Just my opinion (and Beth's I suppose), but I'd rather tell ya'll what I really think!

Product Name: Detour Lower Sugar Caramel Peanut protein bar and Detour Caramel Peanut Protein Bar

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): protein bars

Where Can I Get/Find It? many grocers, Walmart, Target, Sam's Club, etc... Pretty much anyplace that sells protein bars!

Cost: single bar is about a buck, box of 5 is about $5

Pros: cheap, readily available, good balance of protein versus carbs, less than 200 calories

Cons: Distinct protein aftertaste to the lower sugar version, distinct protein taste while eating with regular version, proteinalicious after-burps!

Overall Rating: Lower Sugar version--Maybe Baby! I just might eat this bar in a pinch where I couldn't get one I'd rather have.
Regular version--No Way Baby! I might just go hungry if this were the only other option!

Product Review: Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe Protein Bar

This was a new one for me... I have a lot of protein bars to review that I use regularly these days or that I've tried a while back. This one, on the other hand, is one that I just bought yesterday to try and to review for you guys. I've heard lots of other folks comment on using the Pure Protein bars regularly. I have never tried any of them. I have a couple other flavors to try still.

This is one DENSE bar! Even the Atkins bars I love so much are more of a nougat texture than this bar. It is very tight/dense/solid. And, the package picture of the bar is deceiving as well. Here's a comparison pic:

See the difference??
The pic on the wrapper makes it look like it has little crispies in it and is sort of oozy with something that looks fudgy. And, it IS a chocolate DELUXE after all! But, in reality, it is a very simple and solid bar that I found to have a protein-y aftertaste. I prefer a bar that does not have any distinct protein taste--while eating OR afterwards. This one did. And, while I know that some folks would say that it is what it is--a protein bar, I eat them as snacks usually and it is nice to eat something that is reasonably good for you while not really tasting like you're eating protein. Does that make sense?? I would have NO problem keeping the kiddo out of this one as she won't eat a protein bar that tastes like protein! LOL

FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S WEB SITE:
For many of us, chocolate is heaven. With the Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe high protein bars, you get all the flavor of chocolate without all of the sugar . It’s loaded with 20 grams of high quality protein, packed with vitamins and minerals…. and has 0 grams trans fat. With Pure Protein Bars… heaven isn’t too far away.

INGREDIENTS: Protein Blend (Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Whey Protein Isolate), Coating (Maltitol, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Cocoa Powder (processed with alkali), Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose), Hydrolyzed Collagen, Glycerin, Cocoa Powder, Water, Milk Protein Isolate, Milk Chocolate Drops (Sugar, Whole Milk Powder, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), Maltitol Syrup, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Peanut Flour, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Ascorbic Acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Sucralose, Soy Lecithin, Wheat Germ, Almond Meal.

Directions: Adults, for best results drink 8 fl. ounces of water or other liquid with
this bar.
WARNING: This product contains sugar alcohols, which may cause
gastrointestinal discomfort. Excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
©2007 Manufactured exclusively for
Worldwide Sport Nutritional Supplements, Inc.
Bayport, NY 11705
Questions? Call toll free 1-800-854-5019
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.eatgoodlookgreat.com

Nutrition Facts (click to go to their site)
Serving Size 1 Bar (50g)
Servings Per Container 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 40
%Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.5g 7%
Saturated Fat 3.5g 17%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 105mg 4%
Potassium 110mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 2g
Sugar Alcohol 4g
Protein 20g 39%
Vitamin A 25% Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 25% Iron 10%
Vitamin E 20% Thiamin 25%
Riboflavin 25% Niacin 25%
Vitamin B-6 20% Folic Acid 25%
Vitamin B-12 20% Biotin 20%
Pantothenic Acid 25% Phosphorus 10%
Iodine 20% Magnesium 6%
Zinc 25% Copper 30%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.


LOVIN' LIFE WITH LEA INFO
Product Name: Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe Protein Bar

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): Protein Bar

Where Can I Get/Find It? some grocers (I got mine at Krogers), Walmart, Target, etc...

Cost: single bar at Krogers is about $1.39, boxes of 5 at Walmart are about $5

Pros: This bar is nutritionally sound. BUT, since I didn't really like this one, I'll go by my rules for protein bars--calories are decent at 180, carbs are 17 with only 2 fiber (I like to see more), so 15 net carbs which compared to the 20 grams of protein is cool, and the sugars aren't too high--2 sugars and 4 sugar alcohols. It is also a small (1.76 oz) bar which is good for folks with very limited pouch capacity. It is also cheap and easily found at local retailers.

Cons: definite protein-y aftertaste and deceptive pic on wrapper leads you to think this bar is different than it actually is

Overall Rating: Maybe Baby! I am not sure if I'll buy this one again or not. It would depend on my needs at the time. It is nutritionally worthy, but just not up to my taste standards. I know literally hundreds of folks who love them though!

Product Review: Pop Secret Cheddar Popcorn

So, as a WLS postop, we still crave some of the same carby things others do... We may tell our self that we are stronger now and can avoid these items, but every once in a while, we CAVE! I will admit that I love popcorn. And not the air-popped variety either--the greasy microwave sort is my thing. So, I do it very rarely and most often go for the kettle corn variety made with Splenda instead of sugar (not greasy). But, in a moment of "ummm, that looks good" ignorance at a Super Target store lately, I purchased Pop Secret's 1-Step Cheddar Premium Popcorn. It looks all cheesy on the box! And, cheese is protein, right?? Well, a quick glance at the label info would have told me better in this case:

See much in the way of protein in there? Nope, me neither! LOL It IS orange... But, it is also greasy. The orange sort of wipes away onto your hands and leaves you a mess. Not a powdery, cheesy mess like oh, say Cheetos might, but a greasy, slick and orange mess... Yuck! The box says "Pops Up Cheesy!" What a bunch of crap!

Ingredients: Whole Grain Popcorn, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Corn Oil, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Colored with Yellows 5 and 6 Lake, Soy Lecithin, Nonfat Milk, Freshness Preserved with Propyl Gallate.

And, had I not been in a carboholic haze that day, I would never have bought an item with that much TRANS fat in it! Yep, I know better! And, for some reason I never noticed it--not then in the store OR today in front of the microwave... In an average week, I get maybe 1 or 2 grams of trans fat. I am home most days (work from home) and eat out on very rare occasions, so it is very easy to control this part of my diet.
Product Name: Pop Secret 1-Step Cheddar Premium Popcorn

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): snack

Where Can I Get/Find It? most grocers, Walmart, Target, etc...

Cost: box of 3 packets is about $3.00

Pros: popcorn is a whole grain

Cons: This stuff was greasy, full of trans fats, and not cheesy at all. It was messy and has no real redeeming qualities.

Overall Rating: No Way Baby! This stuff will never see my shopping cart again and I'll be more careful when considering other popcorn products due to the trans fats...

Product Review: Atkins Advantage Caramel Double Chocolate Crunch Bars

This is another one of the Atkins protein bars. So far, I've not tried one I didn't like. And, it is also another one of their "caramel" line. The caramel bars are a bit smaller (this one is 44 grams) than the regular Atkings Advantage bars (such as the Advantage Chocolate Peanut Butter or Smores which are about 60 grams), but they are just the right size for a WLS postop for snack or even the occasional light meal replacement. They are tasty, delicious and make a good after-workout recharge as well. This particular bar is coated with chocolate on the outside and full of a dark, crunchy chocolate cookie sort of inside that also has a layer of caramel on top. Simply yummy! I have not even let the kiddo try this one as there were only 5 in that box and there just wouldn't be any left after she got done! LOL This bar has a bit of a cookie crunch to it while still having a great nutritional breakdown...

Nutrition Facts--
serving size: 1 bar
calories: 150
calories from fat: 65
total fat: 7 grams (4.5 saturated, 0 trans)
cholesterol: 0
sodium: 200 mgs
total carbohydrates: 19 grams (9 fiber, 1 sugar)
protein: 11 grams



FROM THE ATKINS SITE:

You know you have something divine when a double dose of chocolate and a gooey layer of caramel are infused with the optimal mix of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and low sugar. The Atkins Advantage® Caramel Double Chocolate Crunch bar provides active chocoholics with both the flavor and fuel they need to keep going all day.

Nutrition Advantage Points: 11g protein, 9g fiber, 1g sugar, 19 vitamins and minerals, including an excellent source of Calcium, 150 calories, 0g sugar alcohols.

Ingredients:
Soy Nuggets [Soy Protein Isolate, Calcium Carbonate, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali)], Polydextrose, Glycerin, Inulin, Palm Kernel And Palm Oil, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Cookie Pieces [Enriched Wheat Flour, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Sunflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Chocolate Liquor, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose], Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Whey Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate, Non Fat Dry Milk, Butter, Cellulose, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Olive Oil, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Maltodextrin, Sucralose, Mono And Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Acesulfame Potassium.
Vitamins And Minerals Blend: Calcium (Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate), Magnesium (Magnesium Oxide), Vitamin A (Vitamin A Palmitate), Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate), Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine Mononitrate), Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamin), Vitamin E (DL Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Vitamin B-3 (Niacinamide), Biotin, Pantothenic Acid (D-Calcium Pantothenate), Zinc (Zinc Oxide), Folic Acid, Chromium (Chromium Chelate), Vitamin K (Phytonadione), Selenium (Sodium Selenite).

THIS PRODUCT IS MANUFACTURED IN A FACILITY THAT USES PEANUTS, OTHER NUTS, AND SEEDS.

LOVIN' LIFE WITH LEA INFO
Product Name: Atkins Advantage Caramel Double Chocolate Crunch Bars

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): protein bar

Where Can I Get/Find It? These are available at many pharmacies as well as most Walmart stores, Sam's Club, GNC, and various online retailers including the Lovin Life with Lea Shoppe at Amazon.com

Cost: box of 5 at Walmart is about $6, GNC is about $1.49 a bar, Amazon.com sells a 15 count box for $18.64 with free shipping on orders over $25

Pros: meets my rules for protein bars, good protein amount (11 grams), high fiber (9 grams), only 150 calories, yummy chocolate outside and crunchy cookie inside, individually wrapped and great purse size item, tastes more like a cookie bar than a protein bar, makes a great snack or would be a good protein/carb boost after a workout. The kids would definitely eat this one! If you gave it to them out of the wrapper, they'd never know it wasn't a candy or cookie bar... Also a very affordable protein selection at about $1.20 a bar in the 5 count box from Walmart.

Cons: so yummy you may want to eat another! also yummy enough that the family may steal them all and you won't get another!

Overall Rating: Yeah Baby! This one's a keeper!


Post at OH that links to this review and has comments on this product can be found at http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/a,messageboard/action,replies/board_id,4856/cat_id,4456/topic_id,3559788/

Product Review: Atkins Advantage Caramel Chocolate Peanut Nougat Bars

We all want a protein bar/snack that tastes more like a sweet treat, right? Well, I know that I do! And, for this reason, I have a very hard time finding a protein bar I can tolerate. Well, for this reason AND my rules for protein bars... I hold a protein bar to a certain set of standards and it makes it harder to select one as so many of them just won't measure up! This one does and is yummy to boot! While it may not be a Snickers bar, it is about as close as I figure a protein bar can come! And, it has NO protein taste or after-taste. That is big for me! This bar, one of the Advantage Caramel bars, is nutritious and delicious!





Nutrition Facts:
Serving size--1 bar
Calories--150
Calories from fat--60
Total fat--7 grams (3.5 saturated fat, 0 trans fat)
Cholesterol--5 mgs
Sodium--130 mgs
Total Carbohydrates--17 grams (9 fiber, 1 sugar)
Protein--11 grams

FROM THE ATKINS SITE:

The most decadent flavors come together for this healthy surprise. The Atkins Advantage® Caramel Chocolate Peanut Nougat bar might sound like dessert, but this low-sugar, nutrient-packed bar is a satisfying meal or snack for active people who won’t sacrifice taste or nutrition.

Nutrition Advantage Points: 11g protein, 9g fiber, 1g sugar, 19 vitamins and minerals, including an excellent source of Calcium, 150 calories, 0g sugar alcohols.

INGREDIENTS: PROTEIN BLEND (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, HYDROLYZED COLLAGEN, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SODIUM CASEINATE), GLYCERINE, POLYDEXTROSE,CARAMEL LAYER (POLYDEXTROSE, INULIN, BUTTER, NONFAT DRY MILK, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, VANILLIN), PALM KERNEL AND PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA POWDER (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), SOY NUGGETS [SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE,CALCIUM, COCOA POWDER (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), SUCRALOSE], COCONUT OIL, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CARAMEL COLOR, OLIVE OIL, DEHYDRATED COCONUT (SODIUM METABISULFITE), CITRIC ACID, MALTODEXTRIN, SUCRALOSE, MONO AND DIGYLCERIDES, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM. NUTRITION BLEND: TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, ASCORBIC ACID, SODIUM ASCORBATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, CYANOCOBALAMIN, ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, NIACINAMIDE, BIOTIN, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, ZINC OXIDE, FOLIC ACID, CHROMIUM CHELATE, PHYTONADIONE, SODIUM SELENITE.

CONTAINS: SOY, MILK, PEANUTS, WHEAT AND SULFIDES.
THIS PRODUCT IS MANUFACTURED IN A FACILITY THAT USES PEANUTS AND OTHER NUTS AND SEEDS.

LOVIN' LIFE WITH LEA INFO
Product Name: Atkins Advantage Caramel Chocolate Peanut Nougat Bars

Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc): protein bar

Where Can I Get/Find It? These are available at many pharmacies as well as most Walmart stores, Sam's Club, and various online retailers including the Lovin Life with Lea Shoppe at Amazon.com

Cost: box of 5 at Walmart is about $6, Amazon.com sells a 15 count box for $21.36 with free shipping on orders over $25

Pros: good protein amount (11 grams), high fiber (9 grams), only 150 calories, yummy chocolate outside, individually wrapped and great purse size item, tastes more like a candy bar than a protein bar, makes a great snack or would be a good protein/carb boost after a workout. The kids would definitely eat this one! If you gave it to them out of the wrapper, they'd never know it wasn't a candy bar...

Cons: so yummy you may want to eat another!

Overall Rating: Yeah Baby! This one's a keeper! And that is a good thing since I bought a box of 15!


Post at OH that links to this review and has comments on this product can be found at http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/a,messageboard/action,replies/board_id,4856/cat_id,4456/topic_id,3559056/

Format and Rating Scale for Product Reviews

So, what makes an item good? What factors go into an overall rating?

A big factor these days is cost. You have to factor in local availability versus shipping from online sources, but with the cost of gasoline steadily climbing and many websites offering flat rate shipping ($4.95 to $8.99 many places no matter how large your order and so on), it is often cheaper to have it shipped than to drive across town to get it. For those of us in the boonies who have to drive a half hour to an hour to get anywhere that you can actually get anything good, online shipping can be a huge savings!

Taste is a huge factor for many, many people. If you have to choke it down, is it worth it? I know that I personally have to choke down most protein drinks, but that doesn't make them NOT worth the effort when I'm having a really bad food day. While I may not enjoy the taste and/or flavor, it doesn't take away from the convenience of getting in 26 grams of protein in just 134 calories!

Since I just mentioned it, we'll go with convenience next. Is the packaging convenient? Is the item easy to eat while on the go? Is the source convenient for you to pick up or order from? And, if whether the supplier is online or local, are they good to deal with? There's a lot more to convenience than we sometimes realize!

Pouchworthy? (A term from Melting Mama, LOL, that I use with her permission...) If you are a gastric bypass postop, is the item being reviewed worthy of filling up your teeny pouch's space with it? If you eat this, could you have made a better choice towards getting your protein in for the least amount of refined carbs and such? If I eat something that is pouchworthy for me, it means that I got a suitable amount of protein out of the meal or snack that it was part of. It was not smack full of refined/simple carbs. And, the fats and such were at reasonable levels. As I've mentioned before, I prefer that an item have fewer net carbs (total carbs minus fiber grams) than it has grams of protein. So, a pouchworthy item might, for example, be a protein bar with 20 grams of protein, but less than 20 net carbs and no more than 250 calories. Then, it could also be a crunchy/salty snack that serves to suppress a craving while getting me 9 or 10 grams of protein from a lower carb snack option such as my Kay's Naturals butter pretzel twists! And, when I stop and look at my day so far, I like to see that I have at least one gram of protein in per 10 calories eaten and no more grams of net carbs than I have grams of protein for the day. So, if I have eaten 530 calories, I like to see 50 or more grams of protein and less than 50 net carbs (way less if possible!). And, if those numbers were not close to this range, then I'd often alter my eating plan for the rest of the day so as to bring things back into perspective for the day.

Pros and Cons of each item will be part of my product reviews. I think that it is important to look at all angles when considering making a product part of your regular intake. Convenience can be important for an on the go item and if that convenience factor means that you'll get your protein in though you get in a few more calories than otherwise, it may still be a good item for you. On the other hand, if you like something simply because it tastes sinfully good, then the cons may make you realize that it is an okay occasional treat, but probably not a regular meal choice... Lots to consider!

I'm thinking that the following will be my "format" for product reviews:

Product Name
Product Type (meal replacement, protein bar, snack, etc)
Where Can I Get/Find It?
Cost
Pros
Cons
Overall Rating

And, that overall rating will range from "Yeah Baby!" to "No Way Baby!" for me. Yeah Baby items will be tasty, affordable, convenient, and SO totally pouchworthy! No Way Baby items may be too high in refined carbs, too lacking in flavor or taste, not high enough in protein for the calorie/carb counts, and so many other things may factor into a No Way Baby rating! Yeah Baby is a 5 on a 1 to 5 scale where 5 is the best you can get. On that same scale, No Way Baby might be a 0 or a 1! Somewhere in the middle, you will find "Maybe Baby" (a 3 perhaps?). Pouchworthy items would be a solid 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 is the best rating.

Please take a minute to comment on items you'd like to see reviewed--both specific items as well as types of items and what sort of things you look for in a product!

My Rules for Protein Bars

I'm going to start doing more product reviews. So, I thought I'd write out what I expect in a protein bar... I'm not sure what different types I'll review here, but I have sort of a pass or fail test that I put ALL protein bars through before I even put them in my shopping basket.

1) Calories--I prefer that a protein bar have about 200 calories even when it will be used as a meal replacement. I find that a lot of the ones I do buy end up in the 230 to 260 zone though. If it has 300+ calories, it has to meet other criteria AND be large enough to split into two filling snacks at least.

2) Carbs--Have you ever noticed how many protein bars have over 30 grams of carbs in them? And most of them have less than 20 grams of protein! I prefer that a protein bar have less net grams of carbs (carbs minus fiber grams) than it does grams of protein. So, if a bar has 19 grams of protein, I prefer it have less than 19 net grams of carbs. If it has more, I often won't even try it. I see bars with more carbs than protein grams as those intended more for energy or for body builders who mean to add body mass.

3) Fiber! I love a bar that has 5 or more grams of fiber! Fiber is a big issue for us WLS postops! We don't get near enough in the average day of eating. Any boost from a product like a protein bar is gravy!

4) Sugars--Many bars out there are sweetened with sugar. And, this can mean even 12 to 20 grams of sugar in a lower protein bar. I try to stay below 10 grams of sugar per serving AND prefer bars sweetened with artificial sweeteners/sugar alcohols.

5) Coatings--You are starting to see more and more bars made with a chocolate coating or a yogurt coating. Those are great if you just have to have that coating to make the bar more tolerable. However, they may also mean a higher calorie count and/or a higher sugar number. While not the greatest comparison, I sometimes think of this like Poptarts--frosted or not???

6) Balance--By this, I mean that there is a fair balance of calories/carbs/fats/protein. We each have our own idea of "balanced," but that is all about personal preference! I would love to see a 50% protein, 25% fats and 25% carbs balance, but it is not all that common...

SO, with all that said, we all know that number 7 here would be taste, right? So, while taste is important as far as us tolerating something, it is not imperative to making a bar a better choice than another. And, if something is just so danged yummy that it is like protein candy, we are more likely to abuse it as a snack and not a meal replacement. If it is a PLANNED snack, then that is cool. But, if it is the temptation in our cupboard, then perhaps it isn't truly the best option? If I found myself thinking of a bar as a treat, then I'd have to take another really good look at its nutrition facts....