I was fortunate enough to receive a sample of high fiber bars from the good people at Gnu Foods. I was given five bars to try: Chocolate Brownie, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, Orange Cranberry, and Banana Walnut. One Gnu Bar is 140 calories and provides you with 12 grams of fiber – almost half the recommended daily fiber allowance for most fiber (Compare that to a Balance Bar, which has 200 calories, high fructose corn syrup and other sugars, and contains only 1 gram of fiber per bar). The bars are made of organic whole wheat flour, oats, wheat bran, psyllium (a plant with more than 12 times the soluble fiber of oat bran), flax, millet and soy flour; they are bound with canola oil, sweetened with fruit juice, and flavored with all-natural ingredients.
Even though in an earlier post, I noted stomach issues after eating these bars, I wanted to make it clear that it was from eating 62 grams of fiber in a day, not the individual Gnu bars. I had friends try the bars as well, and I was the only one who experienced the stomach discomfort. For now, I am eating ½ bar at one time and not experiencing any side effects. Warning, if you don’t eat a lot of fiber, gradually increase your fiber to minimize side effects (1/2 bar) and drink lots of water!
Aside from the bar improving regularity and heart health, the bars are tasty! Below are my taste-test reviews:
Peanut Butter Bar
I was anticipating a bite into peanut heaven, but I was surprised there was little peanut butter flavor to it. I even checked the wrapper to check I was eating the peanut kind. The bar instead tasted like a mixture of oats, apples, plum, with a slight hint of peanuts. Nonetheless, the bar was still pretty good, soft, chewy, and filling.
I was anticipating a bite into peanut heaven, but I was surprised there was little peanut butter flavor to it. I even checked the wrapper to check I was eating the peanut kind. The bar instead tasted like a mixture of oats, apples, plum, with a slight hint of peanuts. Nonetheless, the bar was still pretty good, soft, chewy, and filling.
Chocolate Brownie
A healthy bar named Chocolate Brownie? It sounded too good to be true. I liked this bar a lot. While it wasn’t as luscious as an actual chocolate brownie, it still tasted good, and I would consider it a chocolate fix. I would buy again.
Banana Walnut
I really liked this one, reminded me of banana bread. It has a fresh banana flavor, not an artificial banana taste, and a lot of walnuts. I would definitely buy this one again.
Cinnamon Raisin
Tasted great! It reminded me of cinnamon oatmeal or a cinnamon bagel. It was moist, rich, dense, and chewy.
Tasted great! It reminded me of cinnamon oatmeal or a cinnamon bagel. It was moist, rich, dense, and chewy.
Orange Cranberry
If you like orange flavor, this is the bar for you. For me, not so much. I ate it, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. I would not buy this one again – it reminded me of the taste of the orange rind.
If you like orange flavor, this is the bar for you. For me, not so much. I ate it, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. I would not buy this one again – it reminded me of the taste of the orange rind.
I recommend these bars to those who are looking for a healthy snack or to those who are looking for a way to incorporate extra fiber into their diets. Gnu Bars are loaded with as much fiber as 4 glasses of Metamucil and frankly much more delicious!
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