[Review] Perfect Foods Bars

I do not believe in replacing a meal with a bar, unless one is trapped in the Amazon or something. But bars make great snacks, especially for a busy college student. Unfortunately, stuff like Balance Bars and Pure Proteins taste godawful and are full of overprocessed garbage. Natural bars, like the ever-popular Larabars, are a little low on the protein front for my taste. I thought I’d never find a truly balanced natural bar for a mid-class munchie. Then the folks at Perfect Foods sent me a sample.

I consider myself a connoisseur of bars, great and small, junky and healthy, fruity, nutty, or soybeany. From Atkins Advantage to Pure Bars, I’ve tried ‘em all. So please, do not take this review as the immature ramblings of a childish fangirl.

With delicious taste, divine texture, and a damn-near perfect nutritional profile, Perfect Foods Bars really are perfect foods in bar form.

Perfect Foods Bars, by Perfect Foods, are based in peanut butter and honey, a stark change from the more typical date-based bars. They come in three flavors: peanut butter, carob chip, and fruit & nut, with a snack bar called cranberry crunch (courtesy of some ricey bits). The carob chips and fruit just play sidekick though–this baby is all nut.

But before we get on to the important stuff (like how it christens your tastebuds in peanutty goodness), let’s eyeball a few numbers.

Can I count how much this bar rocks? Or let me spell it out.

First off: 18 grams of protein! But even more, none of this cheap, crappy soy protein. These bars use egg, milk, and rice protein–all far more bioavaliable. They also contain 33 grams of carbohydrate. For a 77 gram bar, this proves that they aren’t just dousing the thing in sugar. Fat, mostly unsaturated, clocks in at 16 grams. Vive the peanuts!

Number-wise, this is a great balance of protein, carbs, and fat. A marathon runner needing a mid-chew might need more carbs, but for a girl who just wants to hear her professor over her growling tummy, it’s just right.

Perfect Foods Bars also contain high vitamin levels. Unlike Balance Bars, these are legitimate nutrients, not the cheapened lab concoctions that barely absorb anyway. They contain no GMOs, soy, or gluten.

In the field, did these work? I would say so! I ate half before I worked out, and had no end-of-day slug feet.

But most importantly, taste. Who’s bitten into a bar enticely called “Chocolate Peanutbutter Nut” only to meet with Reeses Pieces’ PMSing sister? Yuck.

Perfect Foods Bars taste like a heartier Bit O’ Honey, without the cloying oversweetness. The different flavors are all similar, with carob chip tasting more chocolaty and fruit & nut having a few raisins. The bars are yummy but don’t taste like a calorically empty dessert. Instead, the fats and protein give the bar real substance.

The bar also melts in your mouth–it’s delicious and decadent and is still amazingly healthy. It’s not chewy like a PowerBar or fruity-gooey like a Larabar, but closer to a However, the bars are very moist, meaning that a plastic baggie might be better if you are noshing on the go. As well, the natural oils can make the wrapper a tad slippery. I was inclined to wipe my hand off but didn’t want to stain my jeans. Yet these are but small quibbles in light of such a strong product.

Ultimately, I highly recommend Perfect Food Bars. They make a substantial snack (just eat half if the calories are too high) Not only are they great for you, they embrace your worst peanut butter demon and turn it into a purring kitten.

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