Cocoa Pebbles Treats

I like Rice Krispies today, just as much as I liked it before as a kid. As a kid my parents could never afford to buy me packaged kind so we always just bought the cheapest cereal on the shelf and mixed it with marshmallows and butter to make our own homemade krispy treats. Granted they were quite delicious, but one thing I hated about them is the fact that if you did not eat finish them within two days after they were made, they tasted stale. Oh how I wished we could just buy the packaged kind.

And now that I am all grown up I and can take my ass to the store, I can pick whatever the hell I want to buy. To tell you the truth, I did not set out for Rice Krispies on my last trip to the grocery store. I was just on the search for something new to try and review.

I found Post Cocoa Pebbles Treats, thinking they were a new product because they still had the "New!" sign on them. Turns out they aren't that new considering that they were invented in 2006.

Well I paid $1.50 for a box of them which contained 8 bars. While I was there I also chose the Fruity Pebbles version as well, which I will review in another post.

So I opened the box and these tiny ass things came out. They were smaller than Snicker's candy bars, and therefore can hardly be called a treat.

Nevertheless I opened one and noticed the lovely chocolate drizzle at the top. I almost protested that the chocoalte drizzle was a waste of calories, and should be taken out to simply increase the size of the bar. But we all know that they threw in that drizzle to make this crap look more appetizing - which it truly does. But then I took a bite and realized that, for once, the chocolate was not a waste. It actually added a nice burst of chocolaty flavor to the bar.




Despite the delicious chocolate at the top, the bar still lacked the delicious chocolate flavor that I was craving from the Cocoa Pebbles. One thing about Cocoa Pebbles cereal that I love is the heavy-chocolate flavor compared to, oh let's say, Cocoa Krispies. But I cannot say which is better: Cocoa Pebbles or Cocoa Puffs. I have never had both at once to compare. Another project for later =]

The texture of the Cocoa Pebbles Treats were just as chewy and delicious as Rice Krispies. Many people actually prefer these to Rice Krispies, but, even a chocolate lover like me, has to say that I prefer Rice Krispies treats (the plain ones not the chocolate ones).


There is something oddly salty about this bar. Obviously the answer is that it is completely artificial; containing all the hydroginated oils and unnatural sugars. You can hardly say this bar is a healthy snack.

Don't be fooled by the 6 vitamins and minerals that are contained by this bar. You can get the same and more of those vitamins from a 10 calorie bite of an apple.

Basically, go into this knowing that you are getting nothing more than a brownie would give you.

Don't be misguided by my negativity though. These are delicious, but would probably taste better dipped in chocolate (Doesn't everything?). I at the whole box, if that means anything.

Slimfast Chewy Chocolate Crisp

SlimFast is never a diet plan that I ever imagined to go on mostly because their products are so expensive. Not to mention that they are all processed. But, as with South Beach, Weight Watchers, and NutriSystem products; I occasionally find them on sale and buy them to try them.

I thought bought a pack of these Slimfast thinking that they would be great as an on the go meal. They are only 200 calories but have 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber to keep you full. Now that's some good nutrition from a processed bar for only 200 calories.



The bar itself is a pretty good size and has a nice chocolate swirls on top with some raw oatmeal sprinkled on top. It looks like a chocolaty Rice Krispie.

But they taste nothing like Rice Krispies. They have a much tougher, chewier texture. The chocolate flavor is nice and strong. There is that familiar whey sweetness in the background of the bar. A large part of the sweetness of this bar comes from that. I don't know if there is any artificial sweetener in this but the bar itself is quite sweet.

The chocolate flavor is deep, but not exactly chocolaty. It's just sweet. I wouldn't say it has much of a real flavor of anything. Just that protein powder like flavor. But it's good.

I was amazed by the taste at first. But after eating a couple more this bar got pretty predictable. Though I still enjoyed it every time I ate it.

But I would only buy it again if it is on sale. The box is $5 at Walmart with only 5 bars in it. That's means each bar is a dollar a piece, and that is pretty expensive.

Fresh & Easy Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake

There is a lot to like about coffee cakes, especially if you have my taste buds. The wonderful thing about coffee cakes is that they are denser than cake, yet they are still moist, unlike a bagel. Now, this is not to say they I do not like cake, I just prefer the thicker stuff like muffins and brownies.

At the beginning, I thought that coffee cakes were cakes that were flavored with coffee. In other words, cakes that tasted like coffee. That was until, well I do not know when, all I know is that I realized that coffee cake applied to other types. I think it was Starbucks that brought me this epiphany. As I am writing this blog I realized that I sound very boring. As the famous Gerard Brenan once said “Everyone is a bore to someone. That is unimportant. The things to avoid is being a bore to oneself.”

So I guess since I have nothing really interesting to say, I’ll just cut to the chase and talk about these Limited Edition Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake squares from Fresh and Easy. Fresh & Easy has sprouted everywhere in my town, and there are many things I love about shopping there. For one, most of the stuff there is delicious and sold at a decent price. I also love their reduced price rack. But my favorite thing about the place is their limited edition holiday foods. Like their cakes, cheesecakes, coffee cakes, muffins, gingerbreads, fruit cakes, apple ciders, pancake mixes, and other foods that have that sweet and pumpkin spice flavors. I especially love the pumpkin products.

While I already tried the Fresh & Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffin (review is also posted on this blog), I felt the urge to try the coffee cake as well. Good thing I did because it the end it turned out to taste way better.

It came in a box with 16 little 3-bite squares. Two squares were the serving size on the nutrition facts, which came out to be 230 calories; so 113 calories each. I do not have the nutrition facts on hand, but from what I remember there was less than a gram of fiber per cake square, and each cake square had 1.5 grams of protein.

The texture of the cake was amazing. I do not think it could be more dense and most at the same time. It sort of reminded me of the texture of Halva, for all you Mediterranean people who have tried halva. The sweetness was perfect and the spice and pumpkin flavors were nice and strong, leaving a great aftertaste that was not sour.

The strudel on top is where the pecans were located, but there were not that many pecans on the strudel. It is almost a lie to call it Pumpkin Pecan. It should just be Pumpkin Spice. I ate a square of the cake the moment I got it. The weird thing about the strudel was that, at first, it was pretty crunchy with the brown sugar packed on top. But then, right when I got home, I ate another one, and the strudel was, well, watery. Maybe watery is not the right term, it’s like all the moisture rose in the cake and wetted the strudel. Whatever it was, it worked out because the crunch from the sugar was gone.

These cakes were superb, and perfect for teatime, or coffee time, especially if you are inviting guests over for a party. Even if it is for yourself, the small pieces force you to eat a smaller amount. Two cakes end up being perfectly satisfying. Another great thing about this cakes is that they stay fresh and flavorful for up to a week.

The only bad thing I can say about this product is that it is expensive. A box of 16 squares for $3.99

PowerBar Pria 110 Plus Chocolate Peanut Crunch

I actually found out about these from a friend who is a health nut. She recommended them for weight loss but I just wanted to try them for the heck of it.

I'm going to try to write this review in bullet points. Why? because I want to. Maybe I'll switch to bullet points permanently. What would you think about that? Huh!?!?

• Freakin' disappointing
• Tastes nothing like chocolate or peanut butter
• Not moist and chewy
• Like hard rice krispies on the inside that just stick to your teeth
• Overpriced and waste of money
• Tastes like cardboard
• There are a million other protein bars that taste better out there.

PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bar — key features:
5 grams of protein
23 vitamins and minerals
As much calcium as a glass of milk
Only 110 calories
No preservatives or artificial flavors

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 bar
Calories 110
Total Fat 3.5g
Total Carb 16g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 10g
Protein 5g

Ingredients:
BROWN RICE SYRUP, CHOCOLATEY COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA, WHEY, NONFAT MILK, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA), SOY CRISPS (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, RICE FLOUR, BARLEY MALT, SALT), RICE CRISPS (RICE FLOUR, BARLEY MALT EXTRACT, RICE BRAN, CALCIUM CARBONATE), OAT FIBER, NATURAL FLAVOR (CONTAINS PEANUT), GLYCERIN, SALTED PEANUT BUTTER, WHOLE OATS, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, ALMOND BUTTER. MINERALS: CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, IRON (FERROUS FUMARATE), ZINC OXIDE, COPPER GLUCONATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, SODIUM SELENITE. VITAMINS: VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID), VITAMIN E ACETATE, PANTOTHENIC ACID (CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE), VITAMIN B3 (NIACINAMIDE), VITAMIN B6, VITAMIN B2, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN MONONITRATE), BETA CAROTENE (CONTAINS SOY), BIOTIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN K, VITAMIN B12. CONTAINS ALMOND, MILK, PEANUT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES WHEAT.

Information found on the website.
When should I eat a PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars are perfect for mid-day snacking when you're on-the-go and want a calorie-smart, great-tasting, nutritious snack. Perfectly sized, indulgent and nutritious, PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars are a delicious way to do something good for yourself.

What makes PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars different from other snacks?
The PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar is an excellent combination of calorie-smart nutrition and rich, indulgent flavor. With just 110 calories and 3.0–3.5 grams of fat, PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bar is the right size to get you re-energized, without weighing you down. Each bar also contains 23 vitamins and minerals, plus 4–5 grams of soy protein, so PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bar is a mid-day snack you can feel good about.

Is the PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar good to eat if I'm trying to lose weight?
To lose weight effectively, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Although not designed as a weight-loss product, PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar is an ideal snack because it satisfies your craving for something great-tasting and indulgent, it's nutritious with 23 vitamins & minerals, and it has just 110 calories.

Diet Exchanges*=1 Carbohydrate


* Based on The American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association exchange lists.

Are PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars all natural?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar contains protein-enriched soy crisps and other wholesome ingredients but is not all natural. However, there are no preservatives and no artificial flavors in any of the bars. Please check the Nutrition Facts on the label for more information.

Is it safe to eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar during my pregnancy?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars can be part of a healthful diet for pregnancy. They are an excellent source of folic acid. However, if you are sensitive to any of the ingredients listed on the label, you should not eat these bars. Check with your obstetrician for more information.

Can children eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar is a nutritious snack for active, growing children because it provides 23 essential vitamins and minerals including calcium, which supports growing bones and teeth. Kids love the crispy, chewy texture covered in a chocolate or yogurt coating. And because it's smaller than most energy bars, children can finish a whole bar, leaving no waste. This bar is not recommended for children under age 4, and because children need to eat a variety of foods for a well-balanced diet, we recommend those under six years of age be limited to one bar per day. PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars make a nutritious addition to a child's balanced diet. Consult your pediatrician for more information.

I'm lactose intolerant. Can I eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars?
PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars do contain some dairy products. However, the amount of lactose is small (approximately 0.15 g per bar), so nearly all lactose-intolerant people may consume it. Consult with your physician for more information.

I have food allergies. Can I eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars?
If you are allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, wheat or gluten (from oats or malt) you should not eat PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Peanuts/Nuts: All PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars are made on equipment that processes products with peanuts and/or nuts. Some flavors contain either almond or peanut ingredients. So, if you have peanut or nut allergies, we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Milk: All PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars contain milk ingredients. If you have allergies to milk, we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Soy: All PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bar flavors contain soy ingredients. If you are allergic to soy, we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Eggs: All PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars do not contain egg ingredients.
• Gluten/Wheat: All flavors contain oat fiber and whole oats, a potential source of gluten. If you are sensitive to gluten, we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars. All bars are made on equipment that also processes wheat ingredients, if you are allergic to wheat we recommend that you do not eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars.
• Consult with your physician for more information on food allergies and sensitivities.

How should I store PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars?
For the best eating experience, PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars should be kept between 40–80° F to prevent the chocolate or yogurt coating from melting. No need to refrigerate.

How long will my PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bars last?
Each PowerBar® Pria® 110 Plus nutrition bar is stamped with a "best by" date. Although it is safe to eat PowerBar Pria 110 Plus nutrition bars after this date, we recommend that you use them by the "best by" date to ensure you're enjoying the freshest product and receiving the full nutritional benefits of the product.

Carmel Coffee & Co. Chocolate Honey Nut Bar

For my little summer vacation I headed over to Carmel with my aunt and my mother. It truly is a beautiful place if you have never been. The weather is always cool which was a plus because it's boiling where I usually am. We walked around he shops, went window shopping, ate at this restaurant called Portabella. It was a great experience.

Around the late afternoon we needed a little snack from all that walking so we hit the coffee shop. Carmel Coffee & Co. is what they called it. I got a coffee, but I honestly have to say it didn't taste very good. Their 100% Arabica coffee did not taste very fresh, and it has bizarre flavoring to it. I did not like it. I usually drink my coffee black, but even after cream and sugar this stuff didn't taste good at all.

But I did get this Chocolate Honey Nut Bar thing that they had in the little baked goods section. I'm not sure of the exact name of it, and the girl who worked there had no idea herself. All I thought was that it looked pretty damn good.



I'm pretty sure the bottom was an oatmeal cookie base, topped with a thick layer of rich chocolate mixed with coconut and walnuts, topped with another layer of cookie and drizzled with chocolate. My mouth is still watering.

This was about the best dessert I've eaten in a long time. It beats brownies in my book. Up till this bar, brownies were my favorite. This bar surpasses any granola bar that I've ever tasted. It has everything that I can possibly want in there.

The bar itself was so sweet. The texture was moist and chewy. You felt the delicious coconut pieces crunch under your teeth and melt with the chocolate flavoring. The walnut pieces were a perfect compliment to it all. The cookie was so moist, fresh, and delicious.

I can't stop raving about this bar. I wish Starbucks had something like this. I am seriously thinking about driving out to Carmel to get a barrel of these or something.

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bar

One of the first cereal bars that I tried in my entire life was Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Cereal bars. They used to be so popular that everybody was eating them. They had a phase, like the Pop tarts had a phase, and cupcakes had a phase.

But now they are sadly sitting on the shelves eagerly waiting for that one in a million customer to pick one of them up. I was one of those one in a million the other day. I decided to pick up the classic strawberry flavor.

I don't know why people still don't love these. They remind me of Fig Newtons, which are a love of my life. They are simple whole grain bars covering a sugar filled fruit center.

The strawberry one was lovely, and very sweet with a slight tart flavor to it. The filling didn't even taste that artificial.

Each bar has only 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, 24 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

For craving a sweet snack, these are a great choice. You can get a nice box of these for less than $2 at your local supermarket.

I say go pick them up. Reminisce on some memories.

Fiber One Oats & Peanut Butter

Most of us by now have heard of the popular brand Fiber One by General Mills. I myself heard of it three years ago from Hungry Girl. Now their products are all over the shelves trying to fill Americans with the proper amount of fiber. Most Americans do not get enough fiber from the foods they eat. Many of our diets have become filled with processed food and fast food that it primarily junk. The only fruits and vegetables many Americans get are the ones found it their fast food hamburgers and ice creams.

Fiber is indigestible by your body. It comes in two types: soluble, and insoluble. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and stays as clumps in your system. These clumps promote digestive health by moving the bulk in your stool and keeping you regular. This is the kind of fiber you want to cure constipation, a illness many Americans have.

Soluble fiber does dissolve in water and turns it into a thick gel-like substance in your body. This slows down the digestive process keeping you full longer. It also lowers your glucose levels, providing slow steady energy. It's also know to lower your blood pressure.

Fiber One's Chewy granola bar line comes in many flavors. No matter which flavor you purchase you are going to get 9 grams of fiber per bar which is an estimate of what should be 35% of your daily intake of fiber. This is about the same amount of fiber that you would get from eating two medium sized apples. Sounds like some healthy stuff right?

The one I bought today was the Oats and Peanut Butter variety. These bars tasted pretty great. Taking a look at them from the top they have a nice peanut butter syrup drizzled on as decoration. On the backside they you see their peanut butter flavored chips spread out all over the bars. I picked off one of these to try alone and they were fantastic. I have to say they would be great in brownies.

These bars smelled fantastic too, exactly like baked peanut butter cookies. Their flavor was just as good. They were nice and chewy. They were heavy on the grains but that's what makes them fantastic. The chips sort of melt in your mouth and add moisture to the bar. It was nice and sweet.

Another great thing about this product is the packaging. It's wrapped in heavy foil so in humid conditions it won't sweat, deform, and get overly sticky.

This is an all around great product. It's not all that natural, but it's a good and handy way to get fiber on the go. They are kind of like a healthier candy bar. I wouldn't rely on these for my daily fiber intake, but I they are an excellent and low calorie treat.

Quaker Life Soft Baked Banana Walnut Bread Bar

Another trip down the snack aisle brought me to these bars. I have a thing for Banana Walnut Bread, so I grabbed them. They were on sale =).

They look exactly like a smaller version of Quaker's oatmeal-on-the-go. They are meant to be for adults; possibly because they have more fiber and protein in them.

The bar smelled good, looked good, and tasted good. The only thing was that the sweetness came as an aftertaste. Nevertheless, they were delicious and I would buy them once again.

I hope they still make them because I cannot find them on the Quaker website.

I give them an 80%.
8/10

Nature Valley Maple and Brown Sugar

Before going on a diet I almost NEVER purchased granola bars. I honestly did not really know that so many of them existed. I ate the more dense stuff like Snicker's or Twix. But boy were they a positive slap in the face when I had to cut down on calories.

The honest reason why I bought these granola bars at the store was because they were on sale for $1. You can't beat that considering how expensive granola bars are. If you honestly look at what's in the stuff you're buying, you'll realize how much you are being ripped off.

For those of you who may not know, these bars are crunchy. I prefer the soft and chewy bars, but the crunchy ones seem to last better during the warmer seasons. If you don't know what I am getting at, the crunchy bars stay nice crisp and fresh no matter what's going on with the temperature. On the other hand, the chewy bars tend "sweat" or "melt" and disfigure themselves through minor temperature fluctuations.

When this bar first hit my tongue, it didn't taste like much until it sat there and sogged for a while. Then the maple and sugar flavor hit with a fantastic burst. They tasted pretty good.Nevertheless, I was disappointed for the first second that they were in my mouth. I happily finished the package and craved a little more.

So we can say that these bars tasted good. Are they really healthy? Well nothing packaged really is, even though these bars claim that they are 100% natural.
IngredientsWhole Grain Rolled Oats, Sugar, Canola Oil, Crisp Rice With Soy Protein (Rice Flour, Soy Protein Concentrate, Sugar, Malt, Salt), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Maple Syrup, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda, Natural Flavor, Peanut Flour, Almond Flour, Hazelnut Flour, Walnut Flour, Pecan Flour.
It's not to say that they are all bad; you will get SOME health benefit out of this (like some instant energy and some whole grains). But that high fructose corn syrup doesn't look too good to me. The rest of the stuff looks fine though, at least I can pronounce it.

Overall, these bars aren't fantastic. They are just a good snack that's not too sugary. They aren't anything memorable. They are pretty low on the stats as well, with only 190 calories per bar.
I would give them a 6/10.

Peanut Butter Grahamwhich

Did you know that a peanut is a legume or from the bean family? It is a common misconception that a peanut is a nut. It was actually discovered in the country of Peru. The Aztecs were the first ones to grind the peanuts into a paste that we call peanut butter today. It actually takes over 500 peanuts to make a 12oz jar of the peanut butter that about 90% of Americans own in their house today.

Enough with the peanut facts, let's get to the grub. What I am going to talk about is "Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly on Graham Wafers." It's a product by Advance Pierre Foods that comes frozen. When you rip open the pack it's shaped like those classic ice cream sandwiches that you get at the store. The cracker part is thicker than the regular HoneyMaid that you may be used to. The peanut butter is pretty evenly spread and is slightly thicker than peanut butter out of a jar (which is a good thing because it means that it would squirt everywhere; it seems more natural).

This product smells amazing; like I placed a peanut butter jar in my lunch box along with a sweet pastry-like twist. Did that make any sense? Well it doesn't smell like your usual PB&J in soft bread, I can tell you that much. It smells better! And I love the smell of PB&J.
The taste is phenomenal. Even out of the freezer the cracker part is perfectly crunchy. The peanut butter doesn't taste artificial and it has the creamiest texture. Although the jelly doesn't have much of a profound flavor, there is a perfect amount of it to sweeten this product. The aftertaste is also great.

It is honestly one of the best snacks/breakfasts you can find that is packaged. This keeps me satisfied for a couple hours. It kicks those sugar cravings and gives you some good, healthy fats, fiber, and protein. It's a perfect guilt-free snack.

Nutrition Information:
1 2.02oz Graham
Calories:290
Fat:17g
Carbs:30g
Fiber:3g
Protein:9g

I give this product a glowing 10 points!
10/10
100%

Quaker True Delights Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia and Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond

Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia These bars are full of flavor and delicious. They are soft and chewy and quite grainy as well, which I actually like to chew. The sweetness was perfect and almost dessert like but the bar is not that high in calorie. It had a nice toasted coconut flavor and there were maybe about 2-3 macadamia nuts in each bar on average. They sort or reminded me of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a banana and coconut flavor. The banana flavor was heavily present as well, but in more of a banana bread way than in an artificial way. I loved this flavor overall and was pretty impressed by it. 

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond

This bar was just as good as the Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia one. It tastes exactly like it sounds. Just imagine a trail mix flavor of this stuff and you'll get the picture of what these tastes like. But like I said before, they are very moist. As you can see from the picture, there are little specs of red that are supposed to be raspberries. There seems to be more nuts in these bars, as in almonds. This is probably because almonds are much cheaper than macadamia nuts, although they are more delicious.


I give both bars an 9/10

So I came back to this review two years later, to add some nutrition facts, and when I got online to look for the products, I realized that it is no longer for sale. They discontinued True Delights! Come on Quaker! This was probably your best line of stuff and you discontinue and replace it with something like Real Medleys? BRING THESE BACK IMMEDIATELY!