I just got the opportunity to try out some new nutrition bars this week and wanted to share my review. Nutritionally, Kardea’s bars look pretty good. They have whole grains, natural sugars, healthy plant sterols (good for cholesterol management), lots of fiber and protein, and are free of trans fats. Two of the bars are also vegan (the Chai Spice and Banana Walnut). Kardea’s bars are pretty low in calories too (only 150).
http://kardeanutrition.com/
Kardea bars are available online and in a few major health food stores throughout the US . They have four flavors: Banana Walnut, Chai Spice, Cranberry Almond, and Lemon Ginger. All four bars have the same soft and chewy texture with visible pieces of nuts and grains that give them a little crunch. Here’s my thoughts on the specific flavors…
- Chai Spice – Hands down this one was my favorite. It really reminded me of a chai tea from Starbucks. Yum! I like that there is real vanilla, black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, and clove in the ingredients.
- Banana Nut – This was my second favorite and I bet this is a top-selling flavor. It tastes very close to baked banana nut bread.
- Lemon Ginger – When I smelled this one it reminded me of a lemon dessert cake that my Grandma used to make on holidays. The flavor was very subtle though and I couldn’t quite pick up on the ginger.
- Cranberry Almond – This was was my least favorite, because it was a little too sugary and I’m just not crazy about dried cranberries. But, I’d recommend it if anyone has trouble avoiding the candy machine for their afternoon sweet craving.
Chair Spice Bar
Overall, the Kardea Bars are pretty darn tasty. I try to keep most of my snacking to handfuls of nuts or fresh fruit, but I would certainly consider these if I need something quick on-the-go. Last week I threw one of them in my purse to eat on the subway when I was heading downtown. I was glad I had it for that 45 minute commute!
Thanks so much to Nancy from Kardea for letting me test the bars. Cheers!
