Cubicle Cuisine Test: KIND Fruit & Nut Bar
After our last Cubicle Cuisine test illustrated the importance of checking the nutrition facts label and the list of ingredients, this week I'll try to find a snack bar that not only tastes good, but is also healthy as well. Luckily, I didn't have to search for long; the very first bar I picked up in our local grocery store got me very interested - the Almond & Coconut KIND Fruit & Nut Bar.
First things first – the bar's nutrition facts label lists the following top four ingredients: almonds, honey, shredded coconut, coconut chips. As you can tell, this is a vast improvement over our previously tested product, which listed the following top four ingredients: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, glycerin, sugar. On the negative side, the KIND bars have more calories per unit weight than most other bars (190 calories in 40 grams), and they also come with 14 grams of total fat. These bars are also not fortified with vitamins, which is a trick that many other manufacturers use to artificially boost the Nutrition Grade of their products. This all leads to a relatively low Nutrition Grade of B-, but I would still choose this bar with all the natural ingredients over most other bars with artificial flavors and fortified vitamins.
The second part of the test was to evaluate the taste, and since this is obviously a very subjective task, I asked a fellow About.com colleague to test the bar as well and answer our standard food review questions:
***
1) Describe the taste
Immediate coconut taste that tempers as you munch. I love coconut, though, so this was right up my alley. But if you’re not a lover, this may not be your favorite flavor. Finishes with a nice nutty flavor. Almost like a Girl Scout Caramel Delight cookie, but without the chocolate. You can really appreciate the whole ingredients here. Sweet, but not super sweet, and a little salty – just the right amount to satisfy.
(2) Describe the texture
Nutty and “bumpy!” The honey really makes it a really tacky chew. Your jaw will get a workout.
(3) What did you like about it?
The flavor really did it for me. Nothing fake tasting here. Really fresh.
(4) What did you not like about it?
Felt like I had to run and brush my teeth after I was done! They should attach some floss to the packaging :)
(5) Did it satisfy your snack craving or did you want something else as well?
No, this did the trick for my afternoon pang. Calories (190) were fine, but I really wish this had had fewer grams of fat (has 14g). Would likely only reach for it for a “treat.”
(6) How does this food compare to similar and competing products?
Again, I like that they let the natural flavors shine.
***
Since my About.com friend was so overwhelmingly kind to the KIND bar, I felt compelled to verify her comments with some additional sources. A quick look on Amazon reveals that almost all 19 reviews were positive. Here are some of the soundbites:
"Move over Almond Joy and Snickers!"
"Small slice of heaven"
"Best energy bars on the market!"
There were, however, also some words of caution; it appears that the lack of preservatives in this product also makes it more susceptible to aging, and some reviewers complained that their bars had a very hard texture and were difficult to chew (probably related to the aging factor). My advice would be to buy these bars from a busy store with a sufficiently quick turnaround of inventory.
Overall, the KIND bar seems to have the best of both worlds – it’s a delicious product, and it features some of the best ingredients available in snack bars.
Question for you:
Have you ever tried the KIND bar? Do you like it as much as I do?
Nutrition Facts:
Follow-Up:
As always, your comments greatly contributed to the overall review. Here are some points that have been raised so far (first 20 comments) that I wanted to highlight:
- KIND bars are gluten free
- These bars come in many different flavors, so if you're not a coconut or almonds fan, check out some of their other bars.
- Relatively speaking, this food is not low in calories and fat (but that doesn't mean that it can't be a part of a balanced diet).
Comments
These are fantastic! I really like the almond & apricot one. Yummy! I work 10-2 and I don't get time to take a lunch break, but these are perfect for a small lunch for me. I don't let the fat content freak me out. The taste is great and it satisfies your hunger. Definitely worth a try!
How does a bar that gets 2/3 of its calories from fat rate a B- nutritionally? The milk chocolate peanut clusters I like -- and which are definitely not on my diet -- only get 42% of their calories from fat, have slightly less saturated fat per unit, and are only slightly more calorie-dense. I recommend the peanut clusters over this bar!
Original Post by: lichterHow does a bar that gets 2/3 of its calories from fat rate a B- nutritionally? The milk chocolate peanut clusters I like -- and which are definitely not on my diet -- only get 42% of their calories from fat, have slightly less saturated fat per unit, and are only slightly more calorie-dense. I recommend the peanut clusters over this bar!
Fat content is not the only criterium that we look at. For more information, check out this FAQ article.
I absolutely love these bars BUT they can only be treated as "treat/cheat" item for an overweight person. The sugar contact is soooooooooooo high. For a better, less sugary snacks i eat almonds and raisins or fresh fruit if I am being really good. The bright side is that it is definitely better than a snickers and taste just as good or even better!
There are many different flavors are they all equa in the nutrition area? I really do like them.
Original Post by: lichterHow does a bar that gets 2/3 of its calories from fat rate a B- nutritionally? The milk chocolate peanut clusters I like -- and which are definitely not on my diet -- only get 42% of their calories from fat, have slightly less saturated fat per unit, and are only slightly more calorie-dense. I recommend the peanut clusters over this bar!
Yes, but you gotta look at the source of fats. In this case they come from the almonds and coconut, not from chocolate. Those fats are healtier, and actually good for you when consumed in moderation.
HAS ANYONE TRIED THE KASHI DARK CHOCOLATE COCONUT BAR
3.5 G TOTAL FAT FOR 32G BAR ONLY 7 G SUGAR AND 120 CALORIES
I have tried the dark chocolate Kashi bar and I have to say I'm not a fan. The chocolate layer tastes really fake and that isn't what I'm looking for in a Kashi Bar. It is really sweet and kind of gummy.
My favorite is the dark chocolate/ cranberry kashi bar.
I don't think I will be eating this since I hate coconut and that is too much fat and calories. I can eat something better in its place.
I don't know if the Fiber One bars are of the same category as an 'energy' bar but I eat them in the AM or as a mid-day snack, but they have over twice the fiber, 2g less sugar, 4.5g less saturated fat, 50 less calories, 96 less calories from fat, and 11g less total fat.
They just seem better overall, and taste great. I do not know about the gluten, however.
Again, some of you are looking at this the wrong way. You can't look at the fat content without first thinking where is that fat coming from! That's like comparing the fat content of a product made with vegetable oil vs one made with walnut or olive oil. The Mediterranean lifestyles is huge on olives, almonds, and walnuts and different studies have shown it to be one of the healthiest "diets" out there.
Kashi bars are an excellent bar if you would like a snack. They are VERY healthy including ingredients that are whole grain and does not contain anything that God did not create himself for us :).
They aren't completely filling but that's why it is a snack not a meal :).
The reference to the FAQ is unhelpful because it doesn't say anything about what specifically is good about these bars. Pointing to coconuts and almonds is not terribly helpful because these are only part of the whole and make both good and bad contributions. Could you be more specific about what makes these bars healthy? Even if the almonds are high in monounsatured fat, the bars are overall high in saturated fat! The only thing that I can see that makes these bars better than chocolate peanut clusters is the fiber content. Am I missing something?
Original Post by: lichterThe reference to the FAQ is unhelpful because it doesn't say anything about what specifically is good about these bars. Pointing to coconuts and almonds is not terribly helpful because these are only part of the whole and make both good and bad contributions. Could you be more specific about what makes these bars healthy? Even if the almonds are high in monounsatured fat, the bars are overall high in saturated fat! The only thing that I can see that makes these bars better than chocolate peanut clusters is the fiber content. Am I missing something?
The source of the saturated fats is the coconut, and if you are going to pick a source of those you are better off picking coconut over chocolate. But keep your chocolate peanut clusters, you don't have to change every little snack in your diet.
Does anyone have trouble with the Kashi bars and cereal as far as gas producing - I think it's the tree bark - who really should be eating tree bark? lol
I wish everyone would calm down about fat content. The macromollecule "fat" is not necessarily going to make you fat. Bars like these get their high fat content from nuts, one of the best sources for the essential fats we all need in a day. It might seem like a "treat", but that's just proving that whole foods are a lot more delicious and satisfying that most give them credit for. So eat your nuts!
As for this review, I am so glad this product was chosen. Though raw nuts/fruit would be a better choice overall, these bars are a perfect alternative and a wonderful snack. Way to go CC!
(Promote Larabars next! 
)
Original Post by: moises07Original Post by: lichterThe reference to the FAQ is unhelpful because it doesn't say anything about what specifically is good about these bars. Pointing to coconuts and almonds is not terribly helpful because these are only part of the whole and make both good and bad contributions. Could you be more specific about what makes these bars healthy? Even if the almonds are high in monounsatured fat, the bars are overall high in saturated fat! The only thing that I can see that makes these bars better than chocolate peanut clusters is the fiber content. Am I missing something?
The source of the saturated fats is the coconut, and if you are going to pick a source of those you are better off picking coconut over chocolate. But keep your chocolate peanut clusters, you don't have to change every little snack in your diet.
I see -- some people think that the saturated fat in coconut is different and beneficial. Thanks.
-ml
Coconut oil is actually being advertised as a much healthier alternative to vegetable or corn oil. You can buy it in tubs, and use it to fry an egg or use it in baked goods. It is a healthier and more natural form of fat. I believe I've also read that it promotes a healthy metabolism, but don't quote me; I'm working from memory, here!
As an emormous fan of coconut, I will have to try this bar. On very busy days, I have trouble hitting 1200 calories (chasing the kids around will do that to ya!). This could be a great way of getting those extra calories at the end of the day. My greatest diet sabotage is the times that I'm not chasing the kids. I used to snarf down whatever was in the house. Boredom eating: But that's another blog altogether!
Have you tried Luna bars? Theyr SUPER tasty! 90 calories, and 6g of fat. Theyr 70% organic and theres soo many flavors. My favorite is caramel nut brownie. I dont crave sweets anymore, since I started eating Luna bars, they'r in the nutrition section at Wal-Mart and pretty much every other grocery store. Sooo delicious! serioulsy try em! youll love em!
Original Post by: moises07Original Post by: lichterThe reference to the FAQ is unhelpful because it doesn't say anything about what specifically is good about these bars. Pointing to coconuts and almonds is not terribly helpful because these are only part of the whole and make both good and bad contributions. Could you be more specific about what makes these bars healthy? Even if the almonds are high in monounsatured fat, the bars are overall high in saturated fat! The only thing that I can see that makes these bars better than chocolate peanut clusters is the fiber content. Am I missing something?
The source of the saturated fats is the coconut, and if you are going to pick a source of those you are better off picking coconut over chocolate. But keep your chocolate peanut clusters, you don't have to change every little snack in your diet.
What? Coconut is a terrible fat! The American Heart Association has attacked coconut fats, palm oil etc for years because of their clogging properties!
Original Post by: mary6francesHave your read the ingredients? Do you really want that in your body?
I was referring to the Fiber One bars.
Check out All-Bran bars with 40% of recommended daily fiber.
I haven't seen KIND bars at my grocery, but we do have Mariani Honey Bars in 4 flavors--recently on sale for $1 a bar. The trail mix has 190 calories, 12 g fat and 1.5 g saturated fat, 6 g protein. Pretty substantial for a bar with no artificial anything--just nuts, seeds and honey. I like a solid and simple bar, rather than the rice krispy-treat kind of bar that most of the major manufacturer's are selling. I'm guessing the KIND bar is similar. I'll keep my eye out for it.
Something new in our store, BHUJA snacks. Not bars but loose mixtures of nuts, seeds, and crispy things, very spicy and good tasting, gluten free, low glycemic and 140 cal per serving (about 2 tablespoons). Anybody tried Bhuja snacks?
I was just contacted by the maker of the KIND bars, and was asked to share the following:
***
Thanks for reviewing KIND Almond & Coconut! I wanted to let your readers know that between our original line of KIND Fruit + Nut Bars and new KIND PLUS Bars, there are 16 different flavors to choose from. As you can imagine, with that kind of variety, some bars have better nutritional profiles than others. For those who are concerned about the saturated fat content in Almond & Coconut, we recommend trying our Walnut & Date or Almond & Cashew flavors. Both come in at 150 calories with only 1 gram of saturated fat (entirely from whole nuts like almonds and walnuts), while being a good source of fiber and protein.
We would also point out that a growing body of research is emerging showing the importance of satiety in weight management. One of the leaders in this space, Dr. David Katz (www.davidkatzmd.com), Founder and Director of the Yale-Griffin Preventative Research Center, recently completed a pilot study measuring the impact of filling, wholesome foods on weight loss using KIND’s Fruit & Nut Delight. After adding these two bars a day to their diet over the course of eight weeks, those enrolled in the study experienced modest weight loss, lowered BMI and improved blood pressure. Based on these promising findings, Dr. Katz is currently leading an expansion of the study to test these findings in a larger patient population. You can learn more about the pilot study here: http://www.yalegriffinprc.org/downloads/pressrelease/Press_r elease_10-21-08.pdf
To be clear, KIND is not a miracle weight loss food. But as those who struggle with weight loss and management know from experience, many of the products claiming the ability to assist in dramatic weight loss are fool’s gold. On the other hand, we believe KIND is a delicious, all-natural, and healthy option for those looking for filling snacks to assist them in weight loss and management. We hope Calorie Count’s readers will give them a try!
I eat the "Special K " bars, they are great and satisfy my sweet cravings and only 90 Calories and total fat of 2%
The Kashi Dark Chocolate Cocnut bars are ok as a go to snack. They are small in size, and the chocolate melts a little in your hand. But, overall, I still like it.
For such a tiny bar the calories, fat, and sugar are rediculously high!! It is great that they are much more wholesome than some bars, but they need to do some work and formulate a bigger bar, with fewer calories less sugar and much much less fat!! Serioulsy, I ate a Nutribar the other day (I don't usually eat "bars" but I got it for free with a purchase at a store) and it was much larger than this at about 65 g, had 230 calories and 6 grams of fat which I thought was pretty bad, and it did nothing to fill me up. It had 5 g fibre and 12 g of protein. I wish they would make bars that were like, 100 g, less than 200 calories, less than 7 g sugar, over 5 g fibre and no more than 4 g of fat. Now that would be something I would spend my money on - and it might actually be a tad more filling!! (If anything amazing like this already exists, please let me know!!)
Gnu bars: only 3.5 gms fat, (zero saturated) 12 gms fiber and ALL NATURAL ingredients. 11 gms of sugar but it is all natural!
Here ar the ingredients.Gnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic kamut, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, raisins, canola oil, apples, plums, rice, wheat protein isolate, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder.
More on gnu bars, can't beat them.
Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 bar (45g) Amount Per ServingCalories 130 Calories From
Fat 30 % Daily Value * Total Fat 3g 5% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Trans Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 30mg 1% Total Carbohydrate 32g 11% Dietary Fiber 12g 48% Soluble Fiber 8g Insoluble Fiber 4g Sugars 11g
Other Carbohydrate 9g Protein 3g
Vitamin A 0% · Vitamin C 0% Calcium 6% · Iron 10%
Compared to the South Beach Cereal bar... no comparison. The South Beach Peanut Butter bar is 140 calories, 5 gms of total fat, 6 gms of sugar, and 10 gms of protein. Most higher protein bars are calorie loaded. These are better balanced, and the peanut butter flavor is really good.
People. Don't eat processed crap!! That's why everyone is so fat in this country. I'm from Europe and I never eat bars and stuff like that. I've also weighed about 110 lbs my entire life. Just eat something natural, like fruit. Forget all these processed foods loaded with fat and sugar. Did our ancestors eat processed stuff? No, they didn't. And they didn't struggle with their weight back in the stone age!!
14 fat grams is way too high!....i agree with baska ..im trying to ween myself off processed foods..i have to admit though , its not that easy...
Can't wait to try these (KIND bars). I'm gluten sensitive and am always looking for products that are ready to eat and gluten-free. Good fiber content for the number of calories in the bar - I agree with laurenashmore and lichter that fats are not all bad. I don't know about the rest of you but, as much as I like fruit, sometimes you just want something sweet and chewy and knowing you can have one of these bars for a treat is a good thing. Really appreciate the recommends on other bars - Thanks everyone!
Agree with the posters above that say bars should be avoided. Bars are a "temptation" food, not occurring in nature, or from the natural combination of ingredients. If you are eating foods from the A/B grade on the nutrition scale, you shouldn't be having cravings that would require this type of food.
My favorite temptation is trail mix... I feel good about that. lol
BUT... I like bars. I've been trying to get away from the processed conveniences in life. They got me to where I am right now... overweight.
I think I might be allergic to gluten. I hear lots of people are.
How does it have 14g carbs, 4g fiber, and 11g sugar? Last time I checked 11+4=15
The first thing I noticed upon seeing this article is that this KIND bar looks a lot like the REAL energy bar!
http://www.productfile.co.nz/product_info.php?cPath=22&p roducts_id=36
Original Post by: white_sakuraHow does it have 14g carbs, 4g fiber, and 11g sugar? Last time I checked 11+4=15
It's due to rounding (e.g. 3.6 + 10.6 = 14.2). I checked our nutrition data and they are correct (compare here).
I see one positive and one negative on the label that you didn't mentoin
Positive - very low sodium, especially important for sodium restricted diets
Negative - high in sugar, 11g. Kind of high for those watching sugars (diabetics and triglycerides control)
Try juggling sodium and sugars like I need to... its tough, but it does sound like a good bar for sure.
yep! I'm another lover of the KIND bar. anything of theirs with Apricot and/or Macadamia (of course plenty of fat in mac. nuts, tho, I know) really satisfies!
Where can these bars be bought? I live out in the country (Wal-Mart is a 40 minute drive!) Please don't let them be only at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.
Thanks!
I was introduced to the Kind Bar with this blog and I decided to try one at the grocery store. I selected the Kind Plus: Almond and Cashew...surprisingly YUMMY!! Only 150 Cal/9 grams of fat!! 4 grams of fiber and protein, lots of vitamans. So if you want to save a few more calories and fat grams, I definitely reccomend this bar as a snack!
My tummy was growling, but not quite ready for lunch yet...now I'm satisfied :)
Original Post by: kuulteacherWhere can these bars be bought? I live out in the country (Wal-Mart is a 40 minute drive!) Please don't let them be only at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.
Thanks!
I've seen them everywhere. There are no Wal-Mart stores in NYC, but I would be surprised if you couldn't find them there.
Thanks! I'll be on the lookout for them. I have a really bad sweet-tooth (or should I say sweet-TEETH), and this sounds like a good craving-buster.
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One item that you failed to mention is "KIND bars" are one of the few snack bars that are Gluten Free. For those with a gluten allergy, this bar is a savior.