The Good: Surprisingly delicious, Very healthy, Comparatively inexpensive
The Bad: Could be more chocolatey and less expensive!
The Basics: Quaker Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar are one of the healthy treats I’ve found that are actually a treat!
Since my dreadful experience with the Atkins Advantage bar (reviewed here!), I have been very wary of health food bars. While my wife has been enhancing her health and keeping from being hungry by enjoying granola bars, after my experience with Atkins Advantage, I could not bring myself to eat any granola bars. But, today I was in a hurry and needed something to eat for breakfast and something to keep me from getting hungry at work. So, on my way out the door, I grabbed a Quaker Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar.
And it was good!
I used to eat s’mores at summer camps and this chewy granola bar smells just like what I remember, even if it does not quite taste the same. This is a wonderful option for those looking for a healthy snack that tastes good.
Basics
Quaker is perhaps best known for making oatmeal, but for a long time has made granola bars and other healthy snacks. Their Chewy Granola Bars come in several flavors and my wife and I chose the Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar because we both have a sweet tooth and are trying to eat healthier. As one who reviews a lot of candy, I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the S’mores flavor, but I found myself uncharacteristically impressed by this health food.
The Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar come in a .84 oz. bar that is foil-wrapped. Each bar represents a single serving and Quaker has the Chewy Granola Bar presented as 1” wide by 3/8” thick by 4” long granola bar that is unsurprisingly breakable or squishable. A box of Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar contains eight or twelve bars, depending upon where you buy them. My wife and I picked them up because they were on sale (2/$5) and we had a coupon. Not on sale, these are a much tougher sell to me.
Ease Of Preparation
Eating Quaker Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar is simple. After removing the foil wrapper, simply pull out the and stick it in your mouth. There is no particularly complicated equation to eating this snack; it is an entirely ready-to-eat food!
Taste
Unwrapping the Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar, I was pleasantly surprised by just how chocolatey the bar actually smelled. This was warm and inviting and smelled slightly like graham crackers only once the strong milk chocolate scent had passed!
Placing the granola bar in my mouth, I was somewhat surprised by how this did not taste dry at all. Quaker’s Chewy Low Fat S’mores granola bar had a slight coconut flavor to it that was instantly intriguing in contrast to the chocolate scent that dominated when the wrapper was opened. The marshmallows in this granola bar are virtually tasteless, but the chocolate chips are delightfully chocolatey and make me wonder how something so delicious can actually be healthy for me!
Nutrition
Quaker chewy granola bars are intended as a snack, but having a couple might fill you up in a pinch (as I discovered today!). These .84 oz. Chewy Granola Bar represent a single serving and they are surprisingly healthy. Made primarily of granola, whole grain rolled wheat and soybean oil, what surprised me was how there was nothing in the S’mores bars that was unpronouncable. This is a mostly-natural food product and these Chewy Granola Bar were produced on equipment that may leave the bar with traces of peanuts and other tree nuts. There is also a dietary disclaimer that this flavor contains wheat, soy, milk and coconut ingredients. Because it has milk, it is not Vegan-compliant.
Quaker's Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bars have only 90 calories, only 20 of which are from fat. A full serving represents 2% of one's RDA of saturated fat and these are cholesterol free. Surprisingly, they are fairly low in sodium with only 75 mg per serving and there is 1 gram of protein to be had by eating a full bar. These are not a significant source of vitamins or minerals, though they do have 8% of one’s daily calcium and 2% of the RDA of Iron.
Storage/Cleanup
As a healthy snack, Quaker Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar remain fresh so long as they are kept in their wrappers. Our box had an expiration date in 2013, so these truly do last. As long as the bars are not heated up, they remain fresh and the only real clean-up for them comes from wiping up crumbs.
If the S’mores bars get hot, though, the chocolate chips in them will melt and cleaning that up can be a little more tricky, especially from light fabrics. Consult a fabric guide if the chocolate chips melt into one of your outfits.
Overall
Quaker Low Fat S’mores Chewy Granola Bar are a delicious healthy snack and one that is very easy to recommend to those trying to eat healthier!
For other reviews of healthy food, please check out:
Peeled Organics Apricot-a-lot
Special K Cheddar Cracker Chips
Ocean Spray Pomegranate Craisins
8/10
For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page on the subject! That is available by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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