I never have a problem finding something I like for breakfast, or dinner, but lunchtimes I need something to give me an energy boost. Recently I bought a Balance Nutrition Bar, and I chose ‘Cookie Dough’.
The reason I picked this one out was that it was $1.99, and I received $1.00 back in register rewards. I love to try different bars, and this one looks great on the shelf. The packaging is white, with blue, and gold. It shows a really good looking bar on the left, and has lots of information on it. The size of this bar is 1.76 ounce (50g).
Today I had eaten breakfast at 9.00 a.m., and the time is now 1.45 p.m. I have been shopping, cleaning, walking, and need to put back some goodness into my body.
The bar is three and a half inches x one and three quarter inches x half an inch. Not one of the bigger bars, but 210 calories is fine for me.
The bar is covered in chocolate, which I love. The first bite of the Balance Cookie Dough Bar, tasted of the chocolate, then the chewy cookie dough, with chocolate chips in it. I loved the first bite, and continued to eat it. It still tasted good on the last bite. This rarely happens with nutrition bars. They have certainly improved the taste, texture, and overall appearance of them. If they look good, then the manufacturers knows that you will be more likely to eat them.
On the front of the packaging is states that the bar comprises of, ‘40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat, with 0g trans fat’. It is all natural, and is an ‘Excellent Source of Antioxidants and Vitamin D, 15g Protein, 23 Vitamins and minerals, with a low glycemic index’.
I know that it takes 15 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach that you are full, and this did happpen. The Balance Cookie Dough Nutrition Bar felt as if I had eaten a lite lunch.
During the afternoon I continued to run around, doing my normal activities, and I stayed full until 5.00 p.m. when we eat dinner.
Ingredients:
Protein blend (soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, partially hydrolyzed milk protein isolate, casein, calcium caseinate), fructose, glucose syrup, cookies [wheat flour, sugar, canola oil, cocoa (processed with alkali), salt, sodium bicarbonate], sugar, fractionated palm kernel oil, water, nonfat milk, high oleic sunflower oil. Contains less than 2% of natural flavor, butter (cream, salt), lactose, cocoa (processed with alkali), soy lecithin, maltodextrin, inulin, dextrose, salt, nonfat yogurt powder (cultured nonfat milk), caramel added for color, tocopherols added to protect flavor, soybean oil.
Vitamins and Minerals:
Calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol acetate, ferric orthophosphate, niacinamide, zinc oxide, copper gluconate, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, vitamin A acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, chromium chloride, folic acid, biotin, potassium iodide, sodium molybdate, sodium selenite, phytonadione, vitamin D3, vitamin B12.
The bar contains soybean, milk, wheat. There is a warning that this product has been ‘produced on equipment that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, egg, sesame’.
So for my lunch I had 210 calories, 60 fat calories, total fat 7g, saturated fat 4g, trans fat 0g, cholesterol
I do have the rest of the nutrition facts on the back of the packet, and if anyone wants to know them I will be happy to add them.
I do not have a problem with the 17 grams of sugar, because I do exercise a lot, and watch what I eat. I would not recommend this bar to my husband, who is insulin dependent diabetic, as it would raise his blood sugar. However, if he was having a sugar low, then I would be happy for him to eat one, and bring back his levels to normal.
So if you want a candy bar kind of treat, and not want the heavy feeling and taste of a bar, then reach for a Balance Cookie Dough Bar. Once you have eaten one, I am sure that you will keep them on hand.