Slightly Out Of Balance, S’Mores Balance Bars Are Still Good!

The Good: Very healthy, Tastes good
The Bad: Very expensive, Does not taste truly like s’mores.
The Basics: Despite tasting very good, Balance Bar S’mores Bars are a little expensive and not as rich in flavor as one might hope for something supposedly s’more flavored.


As my wife and I look for healthy alternatives to keep our calories down and our weight in check, I’ve been scouring the clearance racks and discovering a few real gems for my family. I hesitate to call Balance Bars’ S’Mores bars a “gem” though my wife loved them. I enjoyed these healthy treats quite a bit, though I contest that they do not taste all that much like s’mores. Having camped out quite a bit as a kid and teenager, I feel quite confident making that assertion.

I picked up the Balance Bar S’mores because they were on clearance and I wanted something that would allow me to keep within my caloric budget for the day. But these bars are not remarkable enough to enthusiastically recommend, though they do live up to their promise and they are good.

Basics

Balance Bar is the company that merchandises its foods for people who are trying to lose weight and get their daily nutrients. For exercise enthusiasts, outdoorspeople, and/or dieters, the Balance Bars can be a real asset.

The S’mores Bars come in a 1.76 oz. chocolate bar that is foil-wrapped. Each bar represents a single serving and Balance Bar S’mores bars are a chocolate bar that are each 3 1/2” long by 1 1/4" wide by 3/4" thick. The slightly textured top of the bar contrasts the smooth rest of the bar. One bar is one portion, so this is very easy to get into on the portion front! These meal bars come sold as single bars or in boxes of six.

Ease Of Preparation

Eating Balance Bar S’mores Bars is not a real challenge. After removing the wrapper, simply pull out the bar and take a bite off it. There is no particularly complicated equation to eating this chocolate bar. This is an entirely ready-to-eat food!

Taste

The S’mores bars smell like light milk chocolate and, oddly, caramel. They are only aromatic for a moment when removed from their wrapper. Even so, the aroma is very inviting to anyone who loves chocolate.

Biting into the S’mores Balance Bar, one is greeted by a soft chocolate that is instantly recognizable for what it is. This is a light milk chocolate that is very sweet and not at all strong. In fact, there is a slight undertaste of orange in the chocolate, a vaguely citrus flavor that might be a component of the graham cracker and rice inside.

Unfortunately, outside the texture, there is nothing vaguely marshmallow about the S’mores bars and the graham cracker contributes nothing to the taste.

Interestingly, this is one of the few Balance Bars I have had that does not have a strong, dry aftertaste to it. In fact, this was the only one I have tried that left my mouth moist and ready to eat more without drinking!

Nutrition

Balance Bar S’mores Bars are intended as a supplemental food or to replace a full meal when one is on the go. These 1.76 oz. bars represent a single serving and they have discrete amounts (averaging 15%) of a boatload of nutrients in them. Made primarily of soy protein nuggets, protein blend, and glucose syrup, the ingredient list does become a mess of preservatives and vitamins near the end. This is not an all-natural food product and these snack bars were produced on equipment that forces them to add a disclaimer about milk, soybeans, wheat, and eggs and has a notation about being manufactured on machinery that processes tree nuts.

Balance Bar S’mores Bars have a stunning 200 calories, only 60 of which are from fat. A bar represents 20% of one's RDA of saturated fat, though they have 2% one’s RDA of cholesterol. As well, they are surprisingly low in sodium, having only 220 mg per serving. They also have fourteen grams of protein and at least fifteen percent of twenty-three different vitamins and minerals! These are not vegan compliant, but they do not use any genetically engineered ingredients.

Storage/Cleanup

Balance Bar S’mores Bars do not vary in taste regardless of when they are eaten or how they are stored. Unopened, they have a decent shelf life around eight months. We purchased ours in the mid-July (2013) on clearance and they have an expiration date of September 21, 2013. If they melt, they will stain, so consult your fabric guide if that happens. Otherwise, cleanup is simply throwing the foil wrapper away when you are done with the chocolate bar.

Overall

Balance S’mores Bars are good, but not for what they are supposed to be. They taste wonderful and have good nutritional content, but they are hardly s’mores.

For other reviews of healthy foods, please check out:
Special K Sweet & Salty Popcorn Chips
Bolthouse Farms Perfectly Protein Chocolate Mocha
Peeled Organic Apricot-a-lot

6/10

For other food and drink reviews, please visit my Food And Drink Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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