Review: Skinny Raw Bar

Perhaps I’ve been living under a rock or something, but this ‘raw food’ thing seems to have crept up on me. That is; there apparently being enough folks doing this thing to warrant producing products which appeal to them. At some point I’ll properly look at this fad development; but not today.

This multipack box is a small one; and there’s plenty of space within it too. This does not bode well in regards to simple value – though I’d not be a fan of a product padded out with sawdust either. I rather like the design; clear to read, gives you all the information you need to know. Once again, I wonder why it says ‘less than 99 calories’ when it is 96, and note the ‘guilt free’ label on the front, which kinda hints at the target market (though to be honest, the vast majority of Britons could do with losing a few kilos, myself included).

Once I manage to get through the box I retrieve a bar, which first reminds me on how small this product is. The plastic warp is nicely designed, just like the box. Opens easy enough, and as ever the nose takes the first bite… not really like a ‘chocolate brownie’ but something somewhat chocolatey. Rather nice, in fact.

I open my eyes, and get greeted by the sight of a date-log. Looking even smaller than the packet –well, how did you think they kept each bar below 100 calories? The bar breaks well, has good bite and tastes pretty much like the smell; not too sweet, which is a nice change. Looking at the ingredients blurb, it’s revealed to me that it contains dark chocolate, which explains it. Also apparently contains almonds, but didn’t really get any suggestion of them. All in all, a pleasant enough experience, unless you loathe dates.

Nutritionally, this product is a clear ‘snack bar’; in the desire to keep the calorie count low they’ve seriously scrimped on the nuts (as they are known to be high in nutritional denseness). However, this also means the protein content is minimal, like the fat. Has a nice bit of fibre in it and is very low in salt, though. It doesn’t claim to be vegan due to the fact it might have a bit of cross-contamination from the production line, however I’ve checked the ingredients list and looks fine – so basically, it depends on how anal you are about the ‘avoiding animal products’ you are.

So ultimately… while I might buy this product again, I won’t be making a beeline for it. I’m not enamoured by date-logs at the best of times and I’d prefer to have one which has a bit more nutritional heft to it. However, I could see this working for you if you’re on a rather harsh calorie-restricted diet and are looking for a product which doesn’t have artificial sweeteners which have the ‘laxative effect’ warning on it.

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Bar
Energy	344 cal	96 cal
Fat	7.1g	2g
…which is saturates	1.8g	0.5g
Carbohydrate	56.8g	15.9g
…which is sugars	45.1g	12.6g
Fibre	15.9g	4.5g
Protein	5.2g	1.5g
Salt	0.02g	0.01g

Facts:

Full Name: Skinny Raw Bar

RRP: £0.33 (28g) – from a multipack of 3.

Available At: Unknown

Ultimate Owner: Gabriel Topco Ltd

Date of Testing: 17^th January 2023

Version Tested: Chocolate Brownie

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.

Review: Nutty Nature Fruit & Peanut Bar

Another day, another apparently random brand chances are you’ve never heard of – though I suspect you’ve heard of Pulsin by now, right? Well, this is a subsidiary brand. And as I picked up this in a grocery discounters (and was not short-dated) it suggests it’s the ‘value’ brand of the company. Well, is it as good as Pulsin products?

One advantage of knowing ownership is that we can automatically take their claims of being gluten/dairy/soya free and vegan at face value. Well, as much as we can for a private entity. This particular product is a multipack; a rather attractive little box even if the ‘lying rating’ is about 35% (however, it’s quite possible this was simply a box in use for another product, or a standard size from the box factory). The brown/tan combo might not be the nicest set on the world, but at least it makes it relatively easy to read the print.

The box opens up fine, revealing the bars within. Yeah… they cut the corner here; no print at all save a warning about peanuts and what I suspect to be a batch number. So not helpful if – like me – you’re the sort who de-boxes their bars and puts them in tubs or a drawer. However, at least the film is sturdy and opens well enough when desired – a design contradiction of terms, if you think about it.

The moment I open it up I realise; it’s another date bar. A small strip (well, it is only 30g) of brown and tan – the latter being the crushed peanuts. The experience was pleasant enough; the peanuts weren’t too stingy and the addition of some raisins took the edge off the

While I cannot prove it, I am rather sure I’ve had a Pulsin bar (before I started reviewing the shit I try) which tasted very like this. To the level of which I think I’d fail a blind taste-test. However, this could realistically be said for the vast majority of date bars/logs out there – that when you’ve got such a limited palette of ingredients, there’s not many combinations you can do. Which means once again – if you like date-bars, you’ll like this. And vice-versa.

Which means it all comes down to the other two elements of this – nutritionals and price. Well, on the former, it comes in as a generic snack bar, almost identical in the macros to other date-bars like the Lidl and Aldi offerings. That once again, it’s charms are in what it isn’t rather than what it is. And the latter… well, I would guess it is marginally cheaper per kilo than those two shops too.

So in conclusion; a decent enough offering, the kind of thing which could function in your life as a kind of ‘snacky (not so) crap’ item. But I wouldn’t bother making much of a detour to do a bulk-purchase of them, though…

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Bar
Energy	396 cal	119 cal
Fat	16.2g	4.9g
…which is saturates	2.7g	0.8g
Carbohydrate	48.9g	14.7g
…which is sugars	46.8g	14.g
Fibre	4.7g	1.4g
Protein	11.3g	3.4g
Salt	0.18g	0.06g

Facts:

Full Name: Nutty Nature Fruit & Peanut Bar

RRP: £0.25 (30g) – from a multipack of 4.

Available At: Home Bargains

Ultimate Owner: S-Ventures Plc.

Date of Testing: 2^nd January 2023

Version Tested: Perfect Peanut

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.

Review: Go On Protein Cookie

The chances are that if you’re reading this, you’re eyeing up this product with a suspicious eye, perhaps due to the fact it’s clearly an ‘import’ of some form and of a brand which you’ve never heard of before. Of which you’d be right; this is a Polish product, which I bought got from my local European ‘ethnic’ shop. And without any more filler, I shall go straight to the review itself; which is the purpose of all these reviews – I try stuff so you don’t have to.

Predictably, we start with the packet. Like expected, it does the general packety things like keeping the product fresh (the material sturdy enough to do this job successfully). The picture on the front doesn’t look that appetising; a part of me wonders whether this is actually a level of honesty on the makers’ part. ‘Zero sugar added’, it tells me; which is a slightly odd way to phrase it – but expected for an import. The majority of the rest of the packet is covered in what I shall assume is the ingredients list in several different languages; as is tradition, I shall only read this once I’ve tasted it.

The packet opens easily and pretty cleanly, allowing me to use the wrapper as a little plate, or to eat it without touching the item itself if I so needed or wished. It smells pretty good; my cookie is ‘Brownie’ and it smells chocolatey. But there’s a slight but definite after-scent I can’t quite identify, however.

Pulling it out shows me that it’s generally managed to keep together in transit and oddly enough looks very different to the picture – this cookie is much more ridged than flat, and there’s not a single brown chocolate chip in sight. It breaks fairly cleanly, though does produce a bit of flakeage.

The taste is rather like the smell; chocolatey, with an aftertaste of something a bit sour – the non-sugar flavouring, I suspect (yes, maltitol). The pale ‘chips’ within turn out to be fairly tasteless hard kernels; I suspect they’re the protein element of the product. The fair taste experienced is relatively counteracted by the dryness of the brownie; it’s not at a critical level, but a drink of some form would be wise. ‘Mouthfeel’ is average; a bit spongy. Yet afterwards, it is decently filling. In conclusion; again, decent enough – I would consume if hungry, but wouldn’t pick at it as a treat (which might in fact be a good thing if you’re on a diet).

Nutritionally, this product comes in as an ‘energy bar’ and a somewhat mediocre one. The best thing which could be said here is the relatively low salt content, coupled with a decent dollop of protein and a little bit of helpful fibre too. However, it’s difficult to look positively on a product which one of the highest for saturate content per kilo – not exactly the thing I would feel comfortable eating on a regular basis.

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Bar
Energy	453 cal	226 cal
Fat	28g	14g
…which is saturates	16g	8g
Carbohydrate	32g	16g
…which is sugars	1.6g	0.8g
Fibre	7.9g	4g
Protein	23g	11.5g
Salt	0.7g	0.35g

Facts:

Full Name: GO ON Protein Cookie

RRP: Unknown (50g)

Available At: Unknown

Ultimate Owner: Sante Sp. z o.o. (Poland)

Date of Testing: 1^st January 2023

Version Tested: (Chocolate) Brownie

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.

Review: Applied Nutrition Critical Cookie

I’ll admit, I always get a touch excited when I find an relatively unknown brand to test out. This is to be somewhat understandable; this is the two-hundredth review and by this point, I’m starting to get to the position that most of the products I frequently encounter have already been reviewed. And this is my hobby. Of sorts.

Now, who are Applied Nutrition? I’m vaguely familiar with the name, but only in regards to protein shake powder. Well, ready-to-eat snacks aren’t much of a business stretch, is it? It’s a British company too, for folks who care about that kind of thing. But after that aside, onto the review proper – starting with the packet.

Well, it’s the ‘crisp bag’ design, pretty big even for a protein cookie; should be, as this baby comes in at 85g.The picture on the front looks kinda nice; though I did mistake the bit of white chocolate for a curl of butter at first. ‘Fresh baked’ it boasts; though it’s a bit hollow as it’s Best Before is about eighteen months from this point. And why is it a ‘critical’ cookie? Other take-home points; boasts that it doesn’t contain genetically modified products and is certified halal. Anything else? Oh yes, no ‘sugar alcohols’, which I suppose translates to ‘no maltitol’ (factoid for the day; sugar alcohols are halal too).

Okay, what’s this ‘tested for athletes’ logo on the back? Normally, folks would leave that question hanging, but as I’m sad (and this is a review) I’ve looked it up. This logo means… nothing. Now, Applied Nutrition has in fact, been certified by Informed Sport (as in, not containing any stuff which risks a disqualification re doping) however it would appear from their website that this product was not one of those which has been certified. This doesn’t mean this product is bad in any way, mind – if nothing else, it will have to conform to general food standards and so on.

I cannot help but feel the cookie through the packet… and feels very firm. I’ll admit, this does not fill me with pleasant anticipation. It’s a bugger to open too; was about to resort to a blade when it finally gave. As which is usual, I have my first taste with my nose, and… well, not much. Something which is either white chocolate or whey powder, not sure which. Then I open my eyes and notice that even though it has done that lying thing re: size, this one still is large.

Just how large it is becomes clear when you open it up; significantly bigger than my palm. A pleasing tan-coloured misshaped-disc with a few white flecks buried within. Smells… well, some kind of berry, white chocolate and what might be a hint of whey protein. However, I do need to confess two things to you; I’ve recently recovered from ‘flu (or a flu-like) which means my nose and tongue may be a bit out and more importantly – I don’t like white chocolate much. Normally, I don’t buy items which flavour-wise would score a minus by default (which is why I rarely test items with orange flavouring and never anything with yoghurt) but in this case I had to accept the only flavour on offer at the strange shop I found this product in.

But it turns out, my worry about this turned out to be exaggerated. Not that I suddenly started to like white chocolate, but the fact that large expenses of this product don’t taste of much at all – just of a vaguely salty ‘cookie’ taste. I shall be honest, I wasn’t impressed on this front; while the cookie broke well, it was quite flaky (thus with the risk of ‘crumbs in keyboard’) and while I’ve consumed worse products in the thirst-inducing department, this one can’t be claimed to be absent of this either. Even the raspberry taste was rather absent from much of the cookie.

Nutritionally, this product counts as an ‘energy bar (cookie?)’ and even after you take the large unit size into account, not an overly great one. Yes, it has the 20g of protein but that is only around a quarter of the products’ whole mass. Nor am I fan of it’s relatively high saturated content; it’s 35% of your daily recommended level, which means I am more acutely aware of other high-saturated items in my diet (for example, a piece of pork later for dinner). Nor am I enamoured by the salt content either – something I have long considered the dirty secret of protein bars and even powders. The worst attribute I would put at this product’s door is it’s lack of fibre; when one serving comes in towards 400 calories I would like it to try to mimic the macros of something approaching an actual meal, thanks.

So in conclusion… unless you’re able to pick these up real cheap, I would be inclined to give these a miss, unless this is the Least Worst option open to you at the time.

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Cookie
Energy	462 cal	393 cal
Fat	20g	17g
…which is saturates	8.6g	7.3g
Carbohydrate	47g	40g
…which is sugars	33g	28g
Fibre	0g	0g
Protein	23g	20g
Salt	1.28g	1.09g

Facts:

Full Name: Applied Nutrition Critical Cookie

RRP: Unknown (85g)

Available At: Unknown.

Ultimate Owner: Applied Nutrition Ltd

Date of Testing: 13^th September 2022

Version Tested: White Chocolate & Raspberry

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.

Review: Wild Trail Fruit & Nut Bar

It’s not often these days I get to experience a genuinely new product, and what’s more from a genuinely independent company to boot. Naturally, the main question here is whether it’s worth having.

We start with the packet, as it’s a multi-pack. ‘Five simple ingredients’, it boasts. Hmm, isn’t ‘arsenic’ an ingredient? Okay, I’m no way implying this product has arsenic in it, but I am not hugely enamoured to ‘appeals to simplicity’, at least not for it’s own sake. Oh, also gluten-free and vegan. What’s more, I can’t help but notice that it’s got a pretty long ‘best before’ date too. The marketer within rather likes the packet design; cannot help smile at the ‘cardboard effect’ on the outside, even though I’ll tell you that it appears to be fake. However, I’m not smiling at the level of lies the package has told me regarding the size; each bar is perhaps only 60% of the height of the box, and with rather too much space on the sides too.

I pull out one of the packets; yes, it’s small. Though it does have some decent heft to it, which I noticed when I dropped it on the desk a moment ago by accident. Basically a repeat of the box again, the plastic cover has some clear area which allows me to see the product itself. Hmm… nut bits in… is that date? Or raisins? Well, I’m about to find out. Anything else needing to be known? Well, the plastic is sturdy for transport and also has the best before printed on it. So all good there.

I fuck up opening one end, have more success on the other. The first scent is predictable enough… peanuts and either raisins or dates (for to tell the truth, I can’t really tell between them). Opening my eyes, I see a predictable brown bar with tan flecks (the peanut bits, clearly) within. A closer look shows some brown flecks in the top, which is clearly the cacao. Breaks easily enough with no fragmentation; showing that the nut flecks run within too.

In my mind, I’ve nicknamed this type of product ‘date logs’, and the fact this one is in fact raisin doesn’t really matter much in this case. The taste is distinctive and predictable, and there’s not a hell of a lot of things which can be done with it either. And this product does not veer too far off this base-line; it basically can’t with the self-limited palette. However, this is clearly a better quality of product than some of the others; you can tell this because they don’t scrimp on the peanuts – the pieces are relatively generous and more numerous than some other brands and the addition of some apple concentrate has helped make it moister and with a tangy edge. In all; I rather like it, and I don’t even like raisins.

Nutritionally, it’s a clear ‘snack bar’, due to it’s relative lack of any macro in abundance, but with these products the attraction is more in what it isn’t, not what it is. To whit; a doughnut, chocolate bar or other confectionery item. It’s saturates and salt are impressively low, and while it may still be around 60% carbohydrate… well, carbs are not automatically The Enemy. Even if you’re dieting. And it does have a bit of both protein and fibre. Though not enough raisins to count as one of your ‘five a day’, unfortunately. However, I think I’ve spotted an advantage; it seems to be ‘lighter’ calorie-wise than the date versions.

In conclusion… I could see this working for you. For example, a energy-boosting snack when you’re flagging, with a cup of tea or coffee (no, fruit doesn’t always hit the spot here, before you say anything) or perhaps in a packed lunch. However, it does rely on you liking the above mentioned ‘date logs’ above, which I know from experience is a bit of an ask.

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Bar
Energy	383 cal	115 cal
Fat	11g	3.4g
…which is saturates	1g	0.3g
Carbohydrate	56g	17g
…which is sugars	32g	9.7g
Fibre	11g	3.3g
Protein	8.6g	2.6g
Salt	0.12g	0.04g

Facts:

Full Name: Wild Trail Fruit & Nut Bar

RRP: £0.50 (30g) – from a multipack of 4.

Available At: Tesco.

Ultimate Owner: Brighter Foods Ltd

Date of Testing: 31^st August 2022

Version Tested: Cacao

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.

Review: Bakeville Fibre Bar

I’d never heard of ‘Home Bargains’ until recently, when I made a journey a few towns over to make a purchase pickup and found said shop too. And if you’re a regular you’ll know I can’t let a possible bargain get away from me. Well, it appears they’re another ‘poundshop’ outfit, one which goes into their own brands in a big way; and this product is one of them.

As is traditional with these things, we start with the box, as it’s a multi-pack. No, let’s move back one step further; the first thing that struck me was this range has a rather wider selection of flavours than the usual suspects (lemon, chocolate and caramel) and so I picked ‘Blueberry Muffin’. But back to the box, yeah? I’ll say this; they don’t look cheap. Well, that cheap; the photoshopping of the blueberries and bar wasn’t great. Or more correctly, the background makes it look odd. Anything actually useful about this box worth mentioning? Not really, apart from the fact it’s vegetarian and it’s got one of those tear things which means you can use the box as a dispenser in your cupboard if you wish.

As ever, I don’t bother doing that, instead opening it from the top. Which means the general absence of product strikes me; the amount of air I’ve bought as got to be at least fifty percent. I pull out one of said packets; a repeat of the box. Plastic film feels sturdy enough to survive in say, a lunchbox or something. Also has the Best Before printed on it, which is handy if you lose the box way before eating the bars.

Said packet opens fine, as ever the first bite is with the nose. Smells like… kinda like a long-life blueberry muffin. The kind you’d find in say, one of those old-school cramped newsagents you sometimes find in random backwaters. Also can smell a bit of what could be mint; I’m not sure if this is due to me storing it wrong or something.

I open my eyes and… well, credit to the picture on the box; it does actually look like this. Though the ‘this’ is hardly appetising in the first place. Even when I tear the doughy square in half (easy enough, no real flakage) it continues mimics the picture. Home Bargains; you’ve won the first ‘completely accurate picture of product on box’ award on this blog (only taken 197 reviews…)

I bite in, and… well, it doesn’t have that rather cloying sweetness which can hurt the teeth. Oddly enough, I can taste a bit of apple, and the ‘drizzle’ on the top is lemon. The first one sorta works with the blueberry bits in the bar itself, but the latter frankly doesn’t. Not hugely dry in the aftertaste either. In all, a rather decent little product; good if you’re sick of the usual tastes.

Nutritionally… well, nothing to shout about here either way, but I’ve now reviewed seven of these ‘fibre squares’ and they’re all about the same on the macros. Perfectly average in all respects.

So in conclusion? A cheap and relatively easy manner to get a fibre top-up in your diet, in a manner which doesn’t lead you to consume much of anything else. If you’re already a consumer of this kind of product and there’s a stockist nearby, it’s worth a look to see if you prefer any of the flavours…

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Bar
Energy	368 cal	90 cal
Fat	10g	2.4g
…which is saturates	5.5g	1.3g
Carbohydrate	54g	13g
…which is sugars	28g	6.7g
Fibre	23g	5.5g
Protein	4g	1g
Salt	0.97g	0.23g

Facts:

Full Name: Bakeville Fibre Bars

RRP: £0.20 (24g) – from a multipack of 4.

Available At: Home Bargains.

Ultimate Owner: TJM Ltd

Date of Testing: 29^th August 2022.

Version Tested: Blueberry Muffin

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.

Review: Lidl Protein Bar

Another day, another product which the now-famed discounter supermarket has put their hand to. Well, in this case it was some time back, but I’ve only just got around to trying the thing. However, it’s also know that their result can be a hit-or-miss affair. So, which one is it to be today?

As every, we start with the box; as this is a multi-pack, it has one. Take-home points; slightly oddly enough, does not have a picture of said product on the front. Oddly enough does not tell us how much protein is per bar but does have the stupid traffic light to tell us it’s ‘bad’ for saturates. I admit, I like the hinged opening for this box; means I can properly re-close it if I’d like to. Or desire to use it again for something else (you never know).

Box lying rating; 25%. In fact, after measuring internals and then the bar conclude it could be a four-pack in the same dimensions. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pissed off about the ‘lost product’, just the extra printed cardboard I paid for. The bar itself is merely a repeat of the outer box; for once, the packaging is good enough for it to standalone. Different barcode too, which suggests to me Lidl have considered selling this bar as solos like the Aldi one does.

Opens up fine, revealing… a bog-standard plain chocolate bar. Though the chocolate itself is a bit suspiciously light. I try to tear it in half… well, it might simply due to the warmth of my room, but it doesn’t break. It simply gets all sticky and mushy, like you were trying to tear apart warm fudge. So top tip; don’t bother. If you must make this smaller, cleaver it in ‘twain with a blade of some form.

The bog-standardness continues after I’ve done this; looking at the very thin chocolate covering into a tan block, with a couple of tiny black bits (the ‘cookies’ bit of the flavour, I assume). I bite, and it’s okay… tastes vaguely like cream. Hiding a whey protein solution of some form, if I’m any judge (correct). Pretty old-school in experience, leaving me with the combination of slight thirst and sickness at the same time (my bet, the artificial sweetener… yep maltitol, there’s a ‘may crap self’ warning on the box). So on this front, a pretty average experience. Hardly tasty, but not horrid either.

Nutritionally… this bar is interesting. For it’s price, it’s surprisingly good. In fact, it has the highest protein content in regards to a proportion of it’s size (exactly 50%, in fact) that I’ve come across so far (and as I’ve tested over a hundred-forty bars by now, that’s saying something). Coupled with it’s relatively low salt content and low calorific level… more than makes up for it’s slightly iffy saturates and general absence of fibre.

So, in conclusion; it’s worth a look – particularly if you are merely looking for an affordable source of barred protein which neither breaks the bank or has too many nasties elsewhere. Oh, and you’re really not fussed about the taste. Just don’t eat it without something to drink too.

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Bar
Energy	415 cal	187 cal
Fat	10.9g	5g
…which is saturates	6.2g	3g
Carbohydrate	29g	13g
…which is sugars	2g	1g
Fibre	0.7g	0.4g
Protein	50g	22.5g
Salt	0.57g	0.26g

Facts:

Full Name: Lidl Protein Bar

RRP: £0.92 (45g) – from a multipack of 3.

Available At: Lidl

Ultimate Owner: Lidl GmbH. (Germany)

Date of Testing: 25^th August 2022

Version Tested: Cookies & Cream

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.

Protein Inflation?

Another day, another little refresh of old blog content; today’s turn was my ‘Price of Protein‘ post. And while I mulled over whether I should update the prices mentioned (I decided not to, as the actual figures are irrelevant to the post’s purpose) I wondered; in this era of inflation and supply shortages, have protein costs gone up as much as it feels they have – a feeling partly generated (admittedly) by me yesterday looking to re-stock my ‘shake’ and ‘cooking’ powders online and coming to the conclusion the former was now a luxury I can no longer afford (a conclusion which I suspect I am not alone on having).

So, without further ado, the comparisons (in pence per gram of protein)…

	April ’20	August ’22	Increase
Milk	1.7p	1.8g	6%
Peanut Butter	1.8p	1.8g	0%
Pork Chop	1.9g	2.1g	10%
Cheddar Cheese	2.0g	2.1g	5%
Eggs	2.5g	2.6g	4%
Minced Beef	2.6g	3.1g	19%
Chicken Breast	3.2g	3.6g	13%

To the best of my ability, I’ve compared the same retailers; though I can’t be sure. The message is clear, however – while there has been inflation, it’s generally concentrated with meat. Now with the bars…

	April ’20	August ’22	Increase
Sci-Mx Pro Duo Bar	7.5p	10.0p	33%
Trek Protein Flapjack	9.0p	9.8g	9%
PhD SmartJack Protein Flapjack	10.0p	10.6g	6%

Now, this isn’t 100% accurate as I found it difficult to find a stockist for the last, but again, rises which were somewhat more rapid than what we are accustomed to. Though I really cannot explain why the Sci-Mx has gotten so expensive…

	April ’20	August ’22	Increase
MaxiNutrition Progain Protein Shake	5.0p	7.1p	42%

Which explains why I went ‘ouch’ when I was looking to top-up my shake powder. Though this product is now ‘MaxiMuscle’ and they’ve done the shrinking con (1.5kg has become 1.2kg). Well, perhaps it’s whey protein which is causing this…

	April ’20	August ’22	Increase
Bulk Powders Pure Whey Powder	2.5g	3.9p	56%

Yeah. It’s the whey powder. Gotta be; I know from personal experience that other protein powders haven’t over doubled in price. However, whey comes from milk, and that’s only gone up by 6%… odd.

* * *

The little lesson for today being; it pays to re-evaluate your own nutritional habits now and then, comparing to current prices and your finances. In times like this, you’ve gotta be sharper with the creativity, particularly as everyone else is ‘upping their game’ too, and some of your old tricks no longer seem to work that well (or at all, on occasion). We become creatures of habit, not really paying attention to the prices of things until they become so glaringly out of whack. Or we run out of money. Which is quite probable for some of us this coming winter…

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. Facts correct at date of posting. Part of my Frugality series.

Review: The Protein Ball Company Breakfast Balls

Sometimes there’s a backstory to a product being reviewed; this isn’t one of them. I simply spotted it, noted I’d not tried it yet and thusly, bought it to do so. After all, this is the purpose of all these reviews; I try everything (ultimately) so you don’t have to.

First off, I don’t like it when I’m lied to; even if it’s an innocent lie. For there is no such thing as ‘The Protein Ball Company’; it’s actually just a trademark. I know why you’ve done it too; to increase search hits. Though thank God they’ve actually named this product ‘breakfast balls’ otherwise the post title would have a redundancy and would do my head in. I also don’t really like it when the company hides the ultimate company identity either – okay, it’s not hidden, but they didn’t make it easy for me to find it out. Which was a bit weird as they’ve got nothing to hide here.

The start is the usual packeting; tiny square plastic thing, about the same size as a small packet of nuts. Can’t complain here; not excessively large for the contents and it’s sturdy enough to survive in a bag or similar without worrying about it failing and shedding the balls everywhere. Speaking of which… the picture on the front. Clearly, it’s another date-ball we’re experiencing. The other takeaway point is the claims about being a ‘Vitamin Ball’; containing B12, C and D3. I lack the technical knowledge to comment on this. Oh, it’s also gluten-free and vegan.

Due to the fact the pack is pretty sturdy, it’s a bit difficult to open; not that difficult, but enough of a challenge you might worry about the ‘ripping open and shedding contents’ issue (but hey, you can’t have everything). The claim to be ‘Blueberry Muffin’ is borne out by the scent which hits me on opening the packet; it’s strong and – as long as you like the flavour – alluring. I extract a ball… and feel a little let down. It’s a lot smaller than the picture. It’s also nearly entirely consisting of date; a situation confirmed when I slice it in half. The taste… is a lot less appealing than the smell, to be honest; going from ‘Blueberry Muffin’ to ‘Date and Blueberries’. It’s still pleasant enough – the two tastes ‘work’ – but I’d argue the alluring smell writes a cheque the taste-buds can’t cash.

Nutritionally… this product is a generic ‘snack bar’, though a reasonably decent one at that (a little ironically, marginally misses the ‘energy bar’ due to lack of protein). Low in salt and saturates, with a reasonable (for the size) fibre and protein. But it’s nothing special on this front; it’s within the band which you’d expect from a date-based product.

Which leads to the conclusion for this product; decent enough offering, but nothing special – if you’re familiar with the realm of flavoured date-based bars/balls. And such a product might be able to touch a niche in your diet; for example as a snacky packet on your desk at work, as an alternative to the chocolates or other nutritionally worse items.

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Pack
Energy	397 cal	178 cal
Fat	16g	7.3g
…which is saturates	2.4g	1.1g
Carbohydrate	45g	20g
…which is sugars	38g	17g
Fibre	8g	3.6g
Protein	14g	6.5g
Salt	0.13g	0.06g

Facts:

Full Name: The Protein Ball Company Breakfast Balls

RRP: £1.80 (45g)

Available At: Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, https://www.dolphinfitness.co.uk

Ultimate Owner: Skinilean Ltd

Date of Testing: 9^th June 2022

Version Tested: Blueberry Oat Muffin

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.

Review: Nano Protein Pancake

Of all the protein products I’ve tested so far (which is quite a few now), this is the first pancake I’ve come across. I’m not sure exactly why this is so, but it is. But this also means this product already has a ‘unique selling point’; a quick look on the all-knowing Google tells me this is the only premade one for sale. Yet, does it occupy a niche by itself because said niche is crap? Let’s find out…

As ever, we start with the packaging. Small crisp-packet style, like you see with protein cookies. It bucks the trend by having zero pictures on it; not of the product in question, nor of ingredients. Speaking of ingredients, this has to be a first; not only does it assure me they use free-range egg in this product but also inform me that it uses ‘Volac’ whey protein. Anything else worth mentioning? Well, it promises to be ‘fresh baked’, which is somewhat stretching the point as my sample is six months old (having a ‘manufactured on’ date as well as a ‘best before’). Oh, and it’s ‘whole grain’.

The packaging opens fine; the first experience is the scent of peach jam and some form of pastry. I then retrieve the item from inside; guestimate that the ‘trick rating’ of oversized packaging vs the actual product is perhaps 35%. However, now placing the item on a plate for me to look at properly… I’ll admit, I rather like it. Looks identical to the Scotch pancakes you can get, with an ‘ä’ on the top. Feels a bit… rubbery, though (though admittedly so can some normal pancakes).

To those unfamiliar with Scotch pancakes; they’re easy enough to eat with your fingers (unless covered in something, obviously) and this product is no exception. As I tear it open, it doesn’t fragment into a load of crumbs either. Doing so reveals the jam in the centre; it’s not generous a serving, but not overly skimpy either. I try said jam alone with my tongue; it’s rather nice, not sickly sweet.

The general eating experience is… decent enough. The bits with the jam are okay, but the outside bits are as dry as a bone and rather on the tasteless side. Top tip; don’t consume this without a drink of some form. However, in defence most of these complaints could also be levelled against a normal Scotch pancake. So it’s a pretty good attempt; and by making a filled version (which I’ve not seen before) manages to push the product out of the ‘plate and cutlery’ section and into the ‘handheld snack’ one.

Now, onto the macros. I’ll admit; I’m surprised – this product counts as a true ‘protein bar’, and not just because it’s not actually a bar (with hindsight I’d have named those categories differently, but I’m now stuck with them); but that it doesn’t taste like it’s larded with protein powder of some form. Even more surprising, it’s a damn decent one; not only does it have a decent proportion of protein, but it’s also very low in the saturated fat, easy on the total calorie level and is low in the salt.

In conclusion; it’s kinda unfair this product is so hard to come across – because I could see it possibly being up your alley. It’s a decent alternative to the traditional protein bar, an experience which might have been improved taste-wise if it had been put in a toaster, microwave or under a grill to serve hot, like a waffle. So in short; worth a try if you come across it.

Nutritionals:

	Per 100g	Per Pancake
Energy	295 cal	132 cal
Fat	4.9g	2.2g
…which is saturates	0.9g	0.4g
Carbohydrate	28.1g	12.6g
…which is sugars	5.9g	2.6g
Fibre	0g	0g
Protein	35.5g	16g
Salt	0.27g	0.12g

Facts:

Full Name: Nano Ä Protein Pancake

RRP: £2.20 (45g)

Available At: www.proteinpickandmix.co.uk, https://proteinpackage.co.uk.

Ultimate Owner: Next Level Foods Kft (Hungary)

Date of Testing: 31^st May 2022

Version Tested: Peach Jam

As everything on this blog, merely my own thoughts and opinions. I’ve not received anything for this review. Facts correct at date of testing. Part of my Product Reviews series.