Wednesday, August 19, 2009

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.

11 comments:

  1. It looks like they're at least taking a step in the right direction. I don't care for ProBars because they taste bad and are overloaded with fat and calories. It's nice to see them considering those things with this new line.

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  2. Eating a fig newton without the cookie casing sounds AMAZING! I would definitely buy these. How cool that you got chosen to be a tester, that must be a lot of fun.

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  3. How do you get chosen to be a tester for products? I have always wanted to do that and write reviews. :)

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  4. Anonymous5:51 AM

    Aw, that's so cool how you got to test them before hitting stores. They look delicious, I may just have to try them!

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  5. Anonymous9:12 AM

    Oh, very interesting to hear about. I like the taste of the regular ProBars and the texture of their bigger chunks of nuts and fruits, so I'm not so sure these new ones would be my favorites. But I can see why they are trying something different. I usually only get the ProBars for long/strenuous hikes, but because they are so dense and because of the cost. And though I would way rather have a ProBar with its whole food ingredients and healthy fats than a low-fat sugary processed soy bar, I'm sure that some people want something that's a bit lighter. Neat that they are including chia seed, though! I will give them a try when they come out.
    jen e.

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  6. Ooh, I'm glad Pro Bar is coming out with a bar with a normal calorie count! I can't bring myself to eat the crazy calorie-laden big ones. And I'm not self-disciplined enough to only eat a half of one of those at a time...these sound yummy. But I'm sure Larabars will always be my fave. I've yet to find a better bar!

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  7. Those are not only great in calories and fiber but they look good. Enjoy them!

    http://nuestracena-vegancuisine.blogspot.com

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  8. Agreed with everyone who's happy to see a decent calorie count, I could see myself snacking on one of those, or taking them on a road trip. Cool that you got to preview these samples!

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  9. Have you tried gnu bars? 130-140 calories and 12 grams of fiber! I am not a part of the company just a happy customer. http://gnufoods.com

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  10. Sounds pretty good! I'm not a huge fan of Larabars and the like, but they're good when you've been on the road and want to find something that is actually food and not processed soy junk.

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  11. Krista7:55 PM

    Honestly, I just tried these bars and was disappointed. You can see my review on Amazon and Vitacost under the cranberry raspberry bar...
    You state omegas from the chia seeds, but I couldn't imagine the bar having that much omegas, because there really wasn't that much chia in the bar. The flavor was basically dates. And the price seems expensive for the ingredients--dates, oats, brown rice syrup....??

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