San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Protein bars that actually taste good
Dense and bland with a lingering aftertaste of surrender. It’s hard to get excited about protein bars. But I have recently sampled some that address two of those issues.
Unite Food, a new startup out of California, has launched a trio of bars in flavors San Antonio is sure to appreciate: churro, Mexican hot chocolate, and peanut butter and jelly.
And with a focus on flavor, they’re more enjoyable than many of the competitors in an increasingly crowded market.
I recently tasted all three and will be keeping a stash of them in a drawer nearby.
The Mexican hot chocolate is the easy crowd pleaser with a nice drizzle of dark chocolate over a bar packed with almond butter, hemp seeds and cashews, a dash of chile pepper and other ingredients. The churro variety smells like a carnival — a huge nose of cinnamon and vanilla alongside a taste of salted caramel, sunflower seeds and more. The PB&J is a kid-friendly nibble made with chewy little bits of fruit gummies in a peanut butter base.
Unite hasn’t made a bar any less dense than its competitors. They still have the familiar heavy chew that goes along with nut butters blended with fruit-based sweeteners such as date paste (which these include). But they’re made with simple ingredients and don’t contain any weird supplements or preservatives, and they don’t leave an unpleasant taste behind.
These bars deliver 10 grams of protein and are gluten-free, although not suitable for vegans as that protein in part comes from egg and dairy. They clock in at 190 calories (the PB&J is 180 calories), a good bit lighter than some of the others out there, which can tip the scale at 300 or more calories per serving, but substantial enough to take off the growling edge of hunger.
You can find Unite’s protein bars in 12-packs of a single flavor or a variety pack for $29 at unitefood.com. The company is currently waiving shipping fees with the promotional code TOGETHER at checkout.