Larabar Variety

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Team 101

Almost everyone has heard of or seen Larabar’s in their local grocery store, which is why we thought we would keep the introduction limited. In short, Larabar “blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from whole food, each fl avor contains no more than nine ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended”. They have three product lines–Original, Über and Jocalat–that you can choose from, all of which we will be reviewing at a later date. This review will focus on 4 flavors from their line of original bars, with the rest of the flavors from this line coming at a later date. To learn more about Larabar and how you can get your hands on your own nutrition bars, be sure and head to their web-site for more information.

This review is going to focus on 4 flavors from their original line: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Lemon Bar, Peanut Butter Cookie and Tropical Fruit Tart. The first bar we tried out was their decadent sounding Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip bar, and just like they promised, it’s only made with 4 ingredients. Those 4 ingredients–dates, peanuts, chocolate chips and salt–stand out and make the most of what they’re given, and the truth is that the peanut butter and chocolate chips are the only ingredients you end up tasting after everything is said and done. The texture of this bar is soft and easy to bite down on, but you do manage to get a few peanut pieces and chocolate chips left in the mix that give you some textural difference. Next, we headed for one of the more refreshing flavors in their line, but we’ll be honest and say that their Lemon Bar wasn’t the bar we were most attracted to in the first place. The main and only flavor you get with this bar is lemon, which is actually refreshing and a nice change of pace; however, it certainly isn’t for someone looking to cure their hankering for dessert. This bar did have a nice combination of cashews and almonds, giving it a richer flavor that other bars in the Larabar line don’t really have. The next bar we tested out was their Peanut Butter Cookie bar, and this bar simply tasted like peanut butter. If you’re a fan of peanut butter and everything it represents, just eat this bar and we promise you’ll be happy for the rest of the day. Lastly, we tried out their Tropical Fruit Tart bar, which is a combination of dates, pineapple, coconut and oranges. This bar definitely has a refreshing and fruit quality to it, and if that’s something you’re looking for, then we recommend you give this flavor a try simply because it tastes exactly like its namesake. Overall (4 out of 5).

The pros are that they have a ton of different products and flavors to choose from, you can find them almost everywhere they sell food, they’re made with less than 9 ingredients, the texture is good, all of the flavors taste like their namesake, and it’s just a great product overall.

The cons are that they’re higher in sugar, of which is natural but can still scare people away for some reason.

Nutritional Information For 1 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabar:

Calories 220
Fat 11g
Sodium 60mg
Carbs 26g
Fiber 3g
Sugar 19g
Protein 6g

Metaball Nutrition Snacks

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Team 101

Metaball Nutrition is a company you probably haven’t heard of yet, but that’s why Food Review 101 exists, to bring you in-depth reviews of companies you might be interested in trying out. Metaball Nutrition was built out of a need for healthier protein packed food that you could eat on the go, which is why the owner decided to make a snack that would give you a ton of energy, while being natural and healthy at the same time. This is one product you probably won’t be able to find at your local grocery store; however, you can purchase their products directly from their online store. A few of the key things to know about Metaball products is that they’re all packed with protein, 100% nut free and 100% natural The 4 flavors they offer –Bashin’ Berry, Chompin Chocolate, Mocho Loco, and Raisin The Roof–can all be purchased from them, and will be the focus of today’s review. To learn more about Metaball Nutrition, be sure and head to their web-site for more information on their line of products.

The first ball we tried out was their Bashin’ Berry flavor, and this is actually their version of a nut-free peanut butter and jelly sandwich. One of the things you first notice with this ball is that it’s loaded with raspberry and blueberry flavor, with the sunflower seed butter coming in a close second. This is quite different from any protein bar we’ve ever had, and we’re somewhat jealous that Metaball thought of this idea before we did. Texturally, the ball is dense from the sunflower seed butter; however, it’s easy to bite down on and chew. After that, we bit into their Chompin Chocolate ball, which simply tastes like a combination of peanut butter and chocolate–even though Vermont Nut-Free Sunflower Seed Butter is used as a substitute. It has some vanilla influence to it, but all you really need to know about this flavor is that it tastes like chocolate. The next ball we tasted was their Raisin The Roof flavor, which is more comparable to an oatmeal raisin cookie than anything else. The raisins and sunflower seed butter work incredibly well together, with the slight addition of oats giving it a subtle earthy tone–which doesn’t sound appealing but actually is. Lastly, we headed for their Mocho Loco flavor, a combination of sunflower seed butter, espresso, and a light coating of chocolate that completely surrounds the ball. If you’re a fan of chocolate and coffee, then we recommend you give this flavor a try before anything else. All of the flavors we tried for this review are solid, and we wouldn’t mind trying them out again sometime in the near future. Also, they sell their products with either 1 or 3 Metaball’s per sleeve. Overall (4 out of 5).

The pros are that they have 4 flavors to choose from, they’re 100% nut-free and 100% natural, the texture is good, all of the flavors taste like their namesake, you can purchase them from their online store, they’re packed with protein, and it’s a nice change of pace from your regular protein bar.

The cons are that they’re slightly addictive and can set you back a few calories if you’re not careful.

Nutritional Information For 1 Chompin Chocolate Metaball:

Calories 120
Fat 5g
Sodium 70mg
Carbs 15g
Fiber 2g
Sugar 6g
Protein 5g

Meatless Monday: Vege USA

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Team 101

Since Meatless Monday is becoming more and more of a trend here in the United States, we thought it would be appropriate to talk about one of the large vegetarian companies in America. The company we’re going to review today is called Vege USA, and they specialize in making vegetarian and vegan cuisine that is sure to please even the biggest carnivore. They have a wide array of products that spans everywhere from chicken and steak alternatives, all the way to international offerings as well as fish and sea food alternatives. You can find their products at your local grocery or health food store, in addition to online retailers as well. To learn more about Vege USA, be sure and head to their web-site for more information on their line of products.

To be fair to this review, we thought it would only be reasonable to have 2 vegetarian testers, as well as 3 meat lovers to really even out the playing field. OK, so the first product we tried out was their version of Kung Pao Chicken, which can be made in the microwave, in the oven or on the stove top. Our first bite was filled with a rich, savory, and somewhat sweet flavor from the “chicken” and its accompanying sauce. Texturally, it isn’t the exact same as chicken depending which of our reviewers you ask; however, the vegetarians thought it was spot-on to what they remembered eating as a kid. The meat eaters thought it was chewier and more tough than regular chicken, but that could also change depending on which way you took it. Next, we tried out their Black Pepper Steak, and our testers thought this “steak” was quite peppery. The main flavor of this steak was a mild BBQ sauce mixed with pepper, but it was generally enjoyed across the board. The texture of the black pepper steak was pretty much in line with the kung pao chicken, so don’t expect anything different when it comes to that. After that, we moved on to their Citrus Sparerib Cutlets, of which most of our tasters really enjoyed. These cutlets have a strong citrus influence to them, which could be a good or bad thing depending on how much you like an orange influence with your dish. These cutlets were a bit chewier and less tough than the other items we tried out, but that could stem from the fact that they’re thinner and smaller than the other dishes. Lastly, our panel of judges tried out their international offering, Chicken Tikka Masala. This dish seemed to be more oily than the previous dishes we tried out, but that’s pretty much how a normal tikka masala dish would be anyways. The flavor would best be described as a combination of tomatoes, garlic and ginger, which is actually pretty typical with your average chicken tikka masala. The meat alternatives we tried out for this review were pretty decent, and the vegetarians on our panel loved them, while the carnivores thought they were just OK. Overall vegetarians (4 out of 5), overall carnivores (3 out of 5).

The pros are that they have a huge line of products to choose from, they’re a decent meat alternatives, the flavors were good, the textures were decent, you can easily find them at grocery stores, and they’re high in protein.

The cons are that all meat eaters might not enjoy them as much as vegetarians, somewhat high in sodium, and the serving size is pretty small.

Nutritional Information For 1/4 Plate (2.5oz) Of Kung Pao Chicken:

Calories 205
Fat 7g
Sodium 500mg
Carbs 21g
Fiber 6g
Sugar 4g
Protein 13

Honey Stinger Energy Bars

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Team 101

We’re continuing our recent onslaught of nutrition reviews with a review of a few Honey Stinger products, mainly because they’ll help you achieve your new year’s resolution goals, and because they look and sound pretty great as well. Honey Stinger says: “Honey Stinger, was founded in 2002 to bring great tasting, convenient honey-based foods to consumers. An athletic entrepreneur, a honey industry veteran, a food product developer and a beekeeper make up the team that founded Honey Stinger. Honey Stinger products are available in specialty outdoor retail, natural foods, running and bike shops across the country and beyond. Our products are popular with athletes from all manner of sports and the company sponsors events, athletes and teams across the US and Europe”. Honey Stinger specializes in making protein bars, nutrition bars, energy bars, gels, waffles, chews, and honey of course. For more information on Honey Stinger, be sure and visit their web-site for more information on their line of products, as well as how you can get your hands on your very own Honey Stinger products.

For today’s review, we thought we would look at their line of energy bars. The first bar we tried out was their Peanut Butter & Honey flavor, which actually tastes exactly how it sounds. What our testers enjoyed most about this bar was the strong presence of peanut butter, mainly because we weren’t sure if it would be strong enough for us to actually notice. The honey flavor wasn’t too overwhelming or sweet, but you can definitely tell it’s one of the main ingredients. As for the texture of this energy bar, we would say that it has some chew to it, but it does change up a bit once you hit the bottom of the bar, which is completely covered in a layer of chocolate. The peanut butter and chocolate combination has always worked well, and Honey Stinger merely keeps that tradition alive with their take on this classic duo. After that, we tested out their Berry Banana Buzz bar, which surprisingly had a decent amount of banana and berry flavor to it. This bar contained a decent amount of fruit–apple, banana, cranberry and strawberry–that lended a unique flavor to this bar; however, the thing most of our testers enjoyed the most was the thin layer of vanilla yogurt that ran the bottom length of the bar. If you’re looking for a healthier energy bar with a healthier sweetener, than we recommend you give Honey Stinger products a try the next time you’re looking for a quick boost of energy. Overall (4 out of 5).

The pros are that they have 5 different flavors of energy bars to try, the texture is good, the flavors are spot-on, you can find them in grocery stores or online retailers, they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, and it gives you natural energy.

The cons are that they’re still pretty high in sugar, which we know a lot of people are scared to eat at times.

Nutritional Information For 1 Banana Berry Buzz Bar:

Calories 180
Fat 4g
Sodium 160mg
Carbs 28g
Fiber 2g
Sugar 22g
Protein 10g

Detour Protein & Oatmeal Bars

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Team 101

Detour is a nutrition company that specializes in making some of the finest and tastiest looking protein and nutrition products on the market, most of which we have already tried or will be reviewing in the near future. They say: “Detour is owned and manufactured by Forward Foods LLC, which produces and markets high protein bars and shakes. Detour was launched in October, 2002, with the goal of revolutionizing the world of high-protein snack bars”. First, they started out with their original protein bar, but later expanded to a much larger line of protein bars and nutrition products. You can find Detour products almost anywhere food is sold, such as: grocery stores, nutrition stores, health food stores, online retailers, as well as their own online store. To learn more about Detour, be sure and head to their web-site for more information on their line of products, and how you can get your hands on your very own Detour products.

For this review, we’ll take a look at two flavors from their line of oatmeal bars, as well as two flavors from their line of protein bars. First, we wanted to try out their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough oatmeal bar, which is actually quite an enormous bar as you can see from the picture. This bar is more for someone who really needs the extra calories to power through their vigorous workout; however, you could also split it up between a few snacks if you really wanted to. The bar tastes exactly how it should, and if you’re looking for a chocolate chip cookie dough combination in a healthy snack, then look no further than this bar that Detour has presented you with. Texturally, the bar is tougher than your traditional protein bar, but it isn’t dry or mealy or off-putting in any way at all. You can see in the picture that the bar is loaded with huge chocolate chips and oatmeal, leading us to believe this bar is a success. Next, we headed for their Peanut Butter Banana oatmeal bar, and this bar is actually loaded with banana chips, pecans and peanuts, as well as rolled oats of course. Surprisingly enough, the banana flavor came out really well, as did the peanut butter that makes up the other portion of this delectable nutrition bar. The texture for this oatmeal bar is the same, so don’t expect anything different when it comes to that. After taking a look at their oatmeal bars, we headed for their scrumptious sounding line of protein bars. The first protein bar we tried out was their Cookie Dough Caramel Crisp bar, which comes in a 45g bar as well as a 90g bar. Detour describes it as: “Chocolate chip cookie pieces, lower sugar caramel, light crunchy crisps, and creamy cookie dough core, all covered in lower sugar chocolate coating”. We would have to agree with their description of this bar, simply because it’s loaded with chocolate chips, has a decent caramel flavor to it, as well as a few cookie dough pieces scattered throughout. This bar is more pliable and relatable to your average candy bar when it comes to texture, but it does get a bit harder if you put it in the fridge or freezer for a couple of hours–as it obviously would. This bar actually tastes like a candy bar, so our testers were quite pleased with what Detour was able to do. Lastly, we tried out hand at their Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch bar, of which is loaded with protein and flavor. The flavor combination works great; however, we would have to say that chocolate is the main flavor with peanut butter coming in right behind it. Detour describes it as: “Lightly seasoned dry-roasted peanut halves, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth peanut butter layer, and light crunchy crisps, all covered in a lower sugar dark chocolate coating”. The fact that everything is low in sugar is amazing, but the most amazing thing about these bars is that you can’t even tell they only have 2 grams of sugar in them. Overall (4.5 out of 5).

The pros are that the oatmeal bars tasted awesome, the protein bars tasted like candy bars, their loaded with vitamins and minerals, they’re high in protein and fiber, they’re low in carbohydrates, the texture is good, and you can find them at your local grocery store or online retailers.

The cons are that they’re made with sugar alcohols, of which might upset a few peoples stomachs if you’re not used to them.

Nutritional Information For 1 Detour Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch (45g) Bar:

Calories 190
Fat 9g
Sodium 180mg
Carbs 15g
Fiber 4g
Sugar 2g
Protein 16g