Art's Fruition Bars

Recently I found a little box on our doorstep... for me! Usually all the packages are for Mr. Vegan Eats & Treats, who runs his business out of our house. But lo! An unexpected package for me! How exciting.

Better yet, it contained 4 new bars from the folks at Pro Bar. They are working on a new line of FRUITION bars. First things first, I love the name! These bars are a combo of dates, fruits, chia seeds, and cashews - 160 calories per bar, 4 grams of fiber. As you probably know, chia seeds are a rich source of Omega-3 acids. So, that's the nutritional low-down on these babies.

As you can see, the packaging is not yet finished. Art's Pro Bars have some of the prettiest packaging in all the world, so I'm sure these will be beautiful as well, once they hit the stores.

I was sent 4 flavors to sample: Cran-Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Peach.

All four flavors have a similar texture - soft, chewy, and a little seedy from the chia seeds. They are a bit softer than a Lara Bar. The flavors are very natural - I really didn't have any feeling of eating a "blueberry-flavored" bar or the like. Unlike some bars, there is no vitamin-y aftertaste, just a pleasant fruity flavor that lingers.

Strawberry was my least favorite of the four. The strawberry flavor didn't really shine through, and overall the bar seemed a bit bland and only vaguely flavored.

Peach, the next one I tried, was a step forward. Chewy, seedy, and moist. This bar was sweet, but not in an overpowering way. It's very fruity and oat-y, but not distinctly peachy. Peaches can be a pretty gentle flavor, so that doesn't really surprise me.

My favorites were the Blueberry & Cran-Raspberry bars. The Blueberry bar had a very clear and natural blueberry flavor, which was a pleasant surprise. It tasted fresh and really like blueberries! The Cran-Raspberry bar was the only bar with a little bonus texture... with little bits of fruit, it seemed more like a "food-experience" than just "eating a bar." The raspberry flavor came through a bit more (fine with me!), but there was still the tang of cranberries.

I liked these bars, and I was honored to be included in the pre-market testing. However, I don't think they're my new favorite bar. They seemed a little too soft, and a little "food stuff" rather than "actual food" to my palette. I'd like it if they allowed slightly bigger chunks of nuts and fruits, rather than having it quite so blended.

I think my aunt really hit the nail on the head when she described it as "like eating a fig newton without the cookie on the outside." That's pretty much right. While perhaps not a new standard on my shopping list, I did very much like the flavor, I'm grateful for the emphasis on whole food ingredients, and I appreciate the inclusion of chia seeds, so you might catch me tossing some Blueberry and Cran-Raspberry bars in my shopping cart.