Efectiv Pro & Oats High Protein Flapjacks (Online)

There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t eat oats in some form or another. In fact, it was the food I missed most when in Malaysia earlier this year. Almost every morning is kick-started with a bowl of protein oats (proats if you will), but I also love granola and flapjacks too. Protein flapjacks however are often disappointing, and tend to be so far removed from real flapjacks that I’d rather have a real flapjack and get my protein elsewhere. I’m not averse to trying new products though and so when Efectiv contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I’d like to try their new protein flapjacks and Dual bars, I accepted their kind invitation. After all, the protein bar market is rapidly evolving. Gone are the days of chewy bricks, thank goodness! 

Their flapjack range currently consists of three flavours: Chocolate Orange, Toffee Oat & Cherry Bakewell. Each 70g bar is less than 270 cals and contains 14g of protein (check the bottom of the review for the full macros). They’re made with gluten free oats and whey, with no palm oil or gelatine. Efectiv have also used natural flavours and sweeteners, and the flapjacks are GMO free and certified Halal. One massive bonus for me is that they contain no soya protein or polyols, making them much kinder on your stomach. This makes them higher in carbs, but also the perfect post-workout treat. I say treat, but that’s only right if they taste good… 

Cherry Bakewell

I’d normally save the flavour I’d anticipate would taste the best until last, but my preconceptions on what these bars would taste like wasn’t especially high and so I thought I’d give Efectiv the best chance possible. 

The first thought that struck me was how much closer to a real flapjack this bar looked. It was also a decent size too. The second realisation was just how soft the bar was - often protein flapjacks are either super dry or gluey, but this was neither. 

The texture was spot on. Soft and gooey, with a pleasant chew that wasn’t hard work. The cherry flavour however was milder than I’d have liked and I couldn’t help but think that either a layer of jam or chunks of dried cherries would improve the taste. It was still the best protein flapjack I’d tried to date though. 

8/10

Chocolate Orange

Unlike the Bakewell bar, this flapjack was dark in colour. Texturally it was very similar though. 

As for the flavour, this time it was much punchier, although I’d describe it more as cocoa orange as it lacked the milkiness that I’d associate with eating a bar of orange flavoured chocolate. In fact, the flavour kind of reminded me of something that Trek might make, but it was much tastier than Trek’s protein flapjacks. 

8/10

Toffee Oat

I saved this bar until last and found myself really looking forward to it. 

I wasn’t disappointed either. The bar tasted like a proper flapjack! It was gooey, sweet, soft and chewy with a lovely toffee undertone. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that I’d happily eat the Efectiv toffee & oats pro&pats flapjack instead of a normal flapjack and I’ll be hunting down more to try in the future!

9/10

All in all, I was mightily impressed with these protein flapjacks from Efectiv. I do feel like the flavour of the Cherry Bakewell bar could be improved slightly, but that’s just a mini moan! Thank you to Efectiv for sending me the samples. The flapjacks (and the new Dual bars, watch out for the review) are available from their website.

*as promised, here's the Macro breakdown:

NEW! Warrior Crunch White Chocolate Crisp

Yesterday was one of those days when the food stars aligned and I became the proud owner of not one but two incredible sounding new treats to try. Firstly, I had the heads up from Beth regarding the dates that the new McVities coffee caramel digestives were launching in each of the supermarkets and as a direct result successfully found them at last! Hurrah! I have already tried the new biscuits but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the low down I'm afraid.

One the other hand, the other new product was equally as exciting, but one I really didn't have to wait long for....

I popped into CNSport yesterday morning to speak to Conor about the new Mojito Moose Juice (which is amazing, but keep an eye on my Instagram if you want to see the review) and found him super excited about a new arrival that he thought i'd love. I wondered what it could be, but also jumped up and down when he opened the box and showed me the bar that had made my jaw drop and mouth water simultaneously when it was announced on social media only the evening before. Warrior Crunch: White chocolate crisp. 

If you remember, I likened the salted caramel crunch to a toffee crisp chocolate bar, and so I had extremely high hopes for this white chocolate version. 

I had every right to be excited too. Just look at those layers! The nougat core, caramel layer and crispies all coated in white chocolate. This was what protein bar dreams are made of, nay this is what white chocolate bar dreams are made of. 

The appearance was a fantastic start, but the taste was phenomenal. Protein bars have been coming on leaps and bounds in the last year but I can safely say that this was the best bar I have ever tasted. In fact, I'm tempted to go back and downgrade all the other bars I've reviewed in the past. The white chocolate was sweet creamy, so much so that I'm dubious about the low sugar content, but I really don't care as it tasted so good, as for the caramel and crispies, they added a wonderful textural juxtaposition against the soft nougat centre. It really was soft too, not much firmer than a mars bar, and completely lacking the tell-tale taste of whey that often hinders in the background. As an added bonus (which isn't really required but I thought I'd divulge anyway) the bar melts exceptionally well. 15-20 seconds is all that's required to transform this epic bar into a wonderful dessert.

I thought that Grenade were the undisputed kings of the White chocolate protein bars, but Warrior have completely knocked them out of the park with this one. There's nothing I would change about this bar. 

A huge thanks to Conor for giving me the new Warrior bars to try. Please give him a bell on 07967949984 if you'd like to place an order, but you'll have to be quick as I don't see these bars hanging around for long!

10/10

Macros per 64g bar: 214kCal P20 C25 (of which sugars 2.2g) F11

NEW! PhD Smart Bars: Choc Peanut Butter, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Brownie and Dark Choc Raspberry (CNSport)

Barebells aren't the only bars that are generating a lot of buzz at the moment. There's another player on the scene, and it's phD! I must admit that I've stayed clear of PhD since the peanut butter flapjack that I tried before I even started doing any weight training. Of course the protein bar industry has changed rapidly recently, and there's no space any longer for chewy/rubbery/ tasteless bars. Grenade led the way with the Carb Killa range, and now we're seeing an influx of bars that resemble chocolate bars. The lines are becoming further blurred - just look Mars' range! Texture, taste and nutritionals are all important; cue the PhD Smart Bars. Available in five flavours, the Smart Bars each contain 20g of protein, are low sugar and palm oil free. I was given four of the five bars to review when I was at BodyPower, so here goes...

Choc Peanut Butter 

The long, bobbly bar contained a protein nougat core, surrounded by caramel, then crispies, all covered by milk chocolate. Sounds good right? 

A delightful combination of textures awaited me; the nougat was soft with a gentle chew, the caramel gooey (so much so that it had escaped through the bottom of the bar like it had with the Warrior bar too) and the crispies of course offered crunch. Flavour-wise the chocolate and caramel were scrummy, BUT -and it's a big but for a reason- the peanut butter was non-existent. I made Bert smell the bar (he refused to even sample it) and he promised me he could smell peanut butter, but I really couldn't taste it. Such a shame.

Macros per 64g bar: kCal 239P20/C24/F10

7/10

Cookies & Cream

Ahh the go-to protein bar flavour. I loved the Barebells C&C, could phd compete with the Swedes? This Smart bar looked similar to the choc pb flavour, but was devoid of the caramel layer and instead contained a pale nougat. 

Fundamentally the bar was good with a sweet milky taste and contrasting textures, but It didn't really scream of Cookies & Cream. Even a couple of months ago I would've been mightily impressed, but the chocolate crispies on the outside and better macros of the Barebells bar mean that PhD fail to take the C&C crown.

Macros per 64g bar: 241kCal/P20/C24/F11

8/10

Chocolate Brownie

This coating of this Smart bar was a different colour to the previous two bars, and it was then that I realised that both this and the chocolate raspberry are coated in dark chocolate instead. This is a unusual choice in a market that's dominated by very sweet milk chocolate covered bars.

The flavour was rich but the bitterness from the chocolate meant that the bar was far less sickly than the previous two. The chocolate was only about as dark as Bournville but it made a big difference. The nougat was chocolate flavoured and there was a chocolate sauce between the crispies too, which made it a very chocolatey bar. This might sound like perfection but so actually preferred the milk chocolate coating.

Macros per 64g bar: kCal237/P20/C22/F11 

8/10

Dark Choc Raspberry 

Finally! An unusual flavour combination from PhD, and the bar I was most excited about -especially having heard rave reviews from Conor at CNSport. The closest creations I guess are Quest's and Reflex's white chocolate & Raspberry protein bars. It's a strenuous link though because clearly the multi-layered  Smart Bar is very different to those classic protein bars. 

This bar comprised a chocolate core, crispies, dark chocolate coating and raspberry flavoured caramel. 

Jesus-F-Christ. 

PhD are genii! This is a bar to really rival the nougat chocolate bars on the market. I adored the juxtaposition of textures as I had with the other Smart Bars, but this combination of flavours was unreal. The slightly bitter dark chocolate worked wonderfully well with the sweet but zingy raspberry sauce, delivering an experience that was reminiscent of Black Forest. Throw in the milky, soft nougat and crunchy nibbles and you've got yourself a winner. I didn't have the patience when I was eating it through to sheer enjoyment, but I imagine that this bar would be amazing heated up - and even better warm with a side of ice cream. Oof.

Macros per 64g bar: 237kCal/P20/C22/F11

10/10

Thank you to PhD for the samples! Smart bars are available from PhD's website and CNSport.Have you tried them yet? What do you think? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram! 

NEW! Barebells Protein Bars: Cookies & Cream, Caramel & Cashew and Coconut-Choco (CNSport)

Chances are that if you're into fitness and regularly use Instagram you'll have seen plenty of posts following BodyPower of the hottest new protein bars on the scene. Just about everyone is talking about Barebells, the Swedish company who graciously came into our lives less than a week ago. Barebells sell a range of protein products including puddings, crisps, desserts and even a hazelnut cream -but it's the bars that has got everyone talking. They're available in three flavours: cookies & cream, caramel & cashew and coconut-choco, and I was lucky enough to be given some samples to review, thanks Barebells. 

Barebells say that they believe in "eating happy and living healthy". Their bars are less than 200 calories and each contain 20g of protein whilst being low in sugar (1.7g or less).

I know you probably don't want to hear about the packaging, but I love it. It's clean, simple, feminine and screams of luxury. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but lets hope you can in this case. 

Coconut-Choco
I'm not a huge bounty fan, and so I opted for this flavour first -thinking I'd get it out of the way more than anything. 

It's certainly pretty once unwrapped too, and sliced easily -a good sign that it wasn't likely to cause jaw-ache. 

The bar was delicious! The inner nougat was a similar consistency to a mars bar with an authentic coconut flavour. I was pleased to see the real coconut flakes (6%) that graced the outside of the bar too. As for the chocolate, it's not about to replace the real deal due to the lack of cocoa solids, but it's as good -if not better- than the coating of a Carb Killa. The bar also microwaved well, check out the video below including a cameo from Anthony the ant who decided to pay a visit from his home in the flowers. 

Macros per 55g bar: 199Kcal P:20/C:15/F:7.7

9/10

Caramel Cashew

Another stunning looking bar. This time the innards actually looked very Mars-bar-esque with the nougat and caramel layers. If you've ever had a Mars protein bar you'll know that they're chewier than their non-protein counterparts. The Barebells however was wonderfully soft, and was far superior to the Mars protein bars in terms of both taste and texture. 

The nougat had a lovely chocolatey flavour to it (much like the now discontinued Mars Xtra Choc actually), whilst the cashews on the outside were crisp and added a natural crunch. The ingredients list mentions white chocolate, but to be honest I'm not sure where that came in -I couldn't see or taste it. This bar was also delicious warmed up, but it doesn't serve to improve it as the bar is so good at ambient temperature anyway. 

Macros per 55g bar: 199Kcal P:20/C:14/F:8.3

8/10

Cookies & Cream

I thought I'd saved the best flavour until last, but I wasn't sure if Barebells could top their other two bars. Cookies & Cream is a popular choice amongst manufacturers in this crowded market, so I was eager to find out how Barebells would rank amongst the protein bar giants such as Quest and Grenade.

Sweet bejeezus. It was a corker. The inner was milky sweet and every bit as soft as the other too bars. If I was to be pernickety I'd say that the cookie pieces in the centre were too small to be noteworthy. The best part however was the coating, which was covered in super crispy cocoa soy crunches and ended up tasting like coco pops. So imagine if you will: a soft, low-sugar protein bar with the texture of a Mars bar, but coated in chocolate covered Coco Pops. Need I say more? 

10/10

If you want to try these fantastic new bars then please do give Conor a call at CNSport, he's selling boxes of 12 for £21.99 but as a favour is offering an extra 10% off for you guys -simply quote AMY10 when you ring: 07967949984. I think that makes them the cheapest place to get them in the U.K right now!

Thank you to Barebells for the samples! 

NEW! Creative Nature Protein Flapjacks (Online)

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to receive some of Creative Nature's new protein flapjacks, you know, the ones I mentioned in my review of their superfoods bars? The flapjack flavours sounded spectacularly good too, and seeing as their superfoods bars reminded me of nakd, I thought these might pose similarities to Trek protein flapjacks bars.

Like Trek flapjacks they're made from cold-pressed fruit, are vegan, gluten and dairy free. In contrast they're smaller (40g compared to 50g) contain a mixture of vegan proteins (soya and pea instead of just soya) and contain about a third less calories, whilst delivering only about a gram less protein. 

Apple pie

Is there anything more comforting than warm apple pie (or crumble) with custard? Now don't get me wrong, I don't think that a raw protein bar is in danger of replacing the classic dessert, but surely it can't hurt to have a healthy snack with similar flavours to tickle your tastebuds when hunger strikes between meals. 

Can you see how packed full of seeds and protein crisps the bar was? It smelt incredible too with both the Apple and cinnamon emanating from the bar. It was soft, and the aromas translated into the taste. For me there wasn't enough oats to quantify it being called a flapjack, but it was certainly tasty! 

Macros per 40g bar: 152kcal P8.1/C:20.0/F:3.5

8/10

Salted Caramel 

The flavour is everywhere isn't it? So it makes sense that Creative Nature bring out their new bars in salted caramel too. 

Unfortunately whilst the texture was good, the flavour wasn't as fabulous as I'd hoped.Granted the fruity bar was sweet and had a welcome salinity to it that worked well, it just didn't scream of gooey, buttery caramel. Perhaps that's unsurprising given that it's vegan and raw. 

Macros per 40g bar: 152Kcal/P:8.4/C:19.0/F3.7

6/10 

Cacao orange

Of course I saved the chocolate flavour until last, and used it to top some chocolate flavoured skyr and served it with raspberries as part of a pre-bed treat. 

The flavour in the bar comes from a combination of cocoa fibre, cocoa butter, cacao beans and natural flavourings. It was tasty too; there was a kind of rustic feel-good quality to the chocolate which was complimented by the tangy orange. It wasn't overly sweet, but it was far from bitter either. 

Macros per 40g bar: 151Kcal/P:8.0/C:18.0/Fat3.9

9/10

If you fancy trying these protein flapjacks them please pop on over to Creative Nature's website where you can find your nearest stockist and/or place an order! As ever, a huge thank you to Creative Nature for the samples!  

NEW! Warrior Crunch Salted Caramel Bar (CNSport)

A few weeks ago I was in my favourite sports nutrition shop, CNSport, talking to owner Conor who told me about a new bar that I had to try. He said that it was the best bar he'd ever tried -given his job, he knows what he's talking about- and gave me a couple to review. Salted caramel sounded good to me, and although I had never heard of Warrior before, I was more than happy to give it a go. Lo and behold, within a few days the bar started popping up all over instagram, with plenty of positive comments. Shall we see what the fuss is about? Oh go on then...

"Warrior CRUNCH bars are the result of over 12 months of research and development, working 24 hour days to blend a high protein, low carb, healthy nutritional profile into something that gives you the true "candy bar" experience. 

CRUNCH bars are packed with 20 grams of healthy protein, encased in a layer of gorgeously gooey caramel, and wrapped in delicious chocolate."

At 64g, they're a good size bar with a low sugar content. Macro-wise they stand at:
Fat - 11g/ of which saturates - 6.1g
Carbohydrates - 24g/ of which sugars - 2.3g/ of which polyols - 20g
Protein - 20g

But lets be honest, the taste needs to be good in the ever-evolving world of protein bars! 

It looked like a standard chocolate bar, although the caramel had escaped through the bottom and seeped everywhere. I'm glad I was eating the Warrior Crunch bar at home, it would have made a right mess otherwise.

Cutting into the bar revealed the distinctive tiers of filling. Don't they look good?

It tasted damn good too. In fact I'd liken it to a Toffee Crisp! Warrior have you really unwrapped the iconic chocolate bar and repackaged it with your branding? The caramel was as gooey as my sticky hands suggested, with a good salinity to it. The chocolate casing was also fairly good too, and whilst it might not be up to Cote D'or's standards, it certainly hit the spot. The crisps that studded the outside were plentiful and added the promised crunch. As for the central protein nougat, it was chewy but soft enough to avoid the dreaded jaw-ache. 

But, could and would the bar be improved by a short blast in the microwave?

I hope that answers your question. Of course it was. If you've ever microwaved a Carb Killa (and if you haven't, why on earth not?) then you'll know what to expect. The bar becomes more like a dessert than a sports supplement -and please, lets not forget that's what this is.

Warrior, I salute you.

9/10

Thank you to Conor for the samples!

Oatein Brownies (CNSport)

I'm very fortunate, our tiny little city may miss out on many good shops, but what we lack in doughnut outlets (ahem Krispy Kreme) we make up for in Sports Nutrition. Hereford hides a little gem within its central Buttermarket and that, ladies and gentlemen, is CNSport. Owned and managed by Conor, it's a tiny but extremely well stocked haven of every feasible nutrition product. That's not even the best bit though. Really it's not. Instead the company's best asset is Conor and Dan who run the shop. I remember the first time I paid a visit, new to working out and not sure where to start, but being instantly welcomed by the duo. Conor is not only passionate about Sport but his ethos revolves around giving his customers the best service experience. As such he is happy to offer genuine advice. Isn't that all but lost in this digital age? To boot he'll always price match wherever possible too. Does it get any better? CNSport will also deliver, so it's not just Herefordians who can benefit - so please do pop on over to their Facebook and say hello.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well it was during a recent visit to the shop that Conor gave me a couple of Oatein's new brownies to review. I hadn't tried any of Oatein's products before but had read many a good comment on Instagram about their flapjacks. I've really got into making my own protein cakes recently, so I was looking forward to finding out how Oatein's brownies would taste.

Both the white chocolate chip and double chocolate chip brownies weigh 60g and contain 17g of protein, coming in at just under 255 kCals. Not too bad for a protein treat. 

White Chocolate

The square shaped bar was loaded with a decent amount of large white chocolate chunks and smelt inviting. Forgive me for being pernickety but shouldn't it be called a blondie seeing as the 'cake' itself isn't chocolatey? The packet shows the brownie with ice cream, and that sounded good to me, so I heated it slightly in the microwave and served it with Jude's new Chocolate with a Touch of Sea Salt. 

Ooh I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I was met with a deliciously sweet flapjack-brownie hybrid. The oat flavour was prominent and well matched with the white chocolate. Texturally it was dense and moist like a brownie; can you tell I loved it? There was no horrid whey grittiness either. I could've quite happily enjoyed this cool and on the go (I nibbled the corner before serving) but it was scumdiddlyumptious warm.

Macros per brownie: kCal 254 P:17/C26.5/F8.6


9/10

Double Chocolate Chip

Given the success of the brownie & ice cream combo I thought I'd repeat it with the double chocolate flavour - this time pairing it with Oppo's Mint Chocolate Swirl.

Again the oaty flavour was strong and sweet, but the chocolate wasn't as dominant as I'd have liked. For some reason it was overshadowed by the oats. This brownie wasn't as moist either, and I was grateful for the ice cream alongside. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it, I did, but Oatein haven't quite nailed this flavour to the same effect that they have the white chocolate version.

Macros per brownie: kCal 248 P: 17/ C 24.2/ F8.5

7/10

I'd definitely have the white chocolate version again, but probably wouldn't bother with the double chocolate chip. Oatein have stirred my interest though, and I'm eager to know how their cookies and flapjacks compare. Are any of you Oatein fans? Is there any of their products that I simply have to try? Leave me a comment below or via Instagram/Twitter and let me know!

Thank you Conor for the samples.

Double Choc Brownie R Bar Review (Reflex Nutrition)

It's been a while since I reviewed any of Reflex's protein bars The last one I tried was the white chocolate and raspberry ripple R Bar, which I was impressed with primarily due to its softness. I've continued to munch the bars on a regular basis and find them to be just the ticket on the train home from uni.

I was fortunate to receive a package of treats from Reflex just before I went away which included the double Choc Brownie R Bar as well as their Banana & Custard Casein (review coming soon). I wanted to make the most of our trip and knew I'd be up to all sorts of energetic activities (get your mind out of the gutter now please) so packed a few for those "just in case I get hungry" moments.

For those of you who aren't au fait with Reflex or their philosophy, then you need to know that their sole objective is to create quality sports nutrition products. Whilst taste is important, they aim to deliver the very best supplements and as such the bars are made in their very own factory here in Blighty using the "highest quality whey protein", almond or peanut butter and natural sweetener gluco-fibre (as opposed to IMO, dextrose or glucose syrups which cause spikes in blood sugar levels).

I found the RBar to be more enjoyable than their flapjack based bars and so was looking forward to trying their double chocolate brownie flavour.

It turned out that taking a few bars with me was a cracking idea. On only our second day we visited Batu Caves -home to the gold statue of Lord Morugun, the largest religious statue in the world- and hiked the 272 steps in the heat to visit the monkey ridden temple cave at the top. Breakfast suddenly felt like a long time away and we weren't sure how long it would take to get back to Kuala Lumpur, so out came my first R Bar of the trip.

*

I regularly eat Quest's chocolate brownie bar so it was easy to draw comparison between the two. The first thing I noticed was the softness of the bar, which could be easily bent. The second I noticed was the cubes of chocolate that were embedded throughout. Quest's chocolate brownie is one of their non-chunky bars and so I found Reflex's addition to be a welcome treat.

Biting into the bar rendered a pleasant surprised. Whilst it didn't taste exactly like a non-protein, full fat brownie, I didn't expect it to. The chocolate fused with the undertones of almond well to provide a well balanced flavour that was sweet despite containing only 1g of sugar. It tasted less of whey than I thought it would too, and the sweetener was also less apparent. Even my protein supplement avoiding other half asked to try a bite and then promptly asked if he could nab a bar. 

*

As with the white chocolate & raspberry R Bar, the malleability is remarkable. There's nothing worse than chewing a bar until it makes your jaw or having to retrieve bits of one from between your teeth - and that's thankfully never going to be an issue with these bars.

If you want a high quality, chocolatey, soft protein bar with excellent macros then you can't go far wrong with a Double Choc Brownie R Bar. For me, it's far superior to Quest's version. 

Macros per bar: Kcal: 209 P20/C9/F9

R Bars are available to buy from Reflex's website. As always, a huge thank you to Reflex for the samples. 

8/10

*Can you tell the rest of the photos taken in my garden instead?

NEW! Grenade Peanut Nutter Carb Killa Review (CNSport)

It seems that Grenade can do no wrong when it comes to their Carb Killa range. The line goes from strength to strength with a rapidly expanding range of flavours to choose from. Until now there's been a huge gap in the flavours though. Where oh where was the peanut butter bar? Surely everyone* appreciates that peanut butter is a gift from the gods? Nut butters are certainly a favourite amongst the fitness sector, so I'm surprised that Grenade haven't harnessed the flavour until now. 

"High protein bar with a peanut flavoured centre and caramel layer coated in milk chocolate with sweeteners."

All is forgiven because at long last they've filled the void, as they announced a couple of weeks ago that their first bar of 2017 was to be the Peanut Nutter -Hoorah! Even better, my local sports Nutrition retailer CNSport have already got them in, and the lovely Conor gave me a couple to review! Thanks Conor. 

The bar was smoother than expected, lacking the usual 'crispies' that adorn the outside of other Carb Killas. Slicing into it presented a slight surprise - there's peanuts inside the bar! The description made no mention of chopped nuts, but I was super pleased to see them amid the gooey caramel layer. Bravo Grenade. 

As normal I tried the end section at ambient temperature and popped the rest in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until the caramel started to ooze. Even before tasting the bar I could smell the intoxicating combination of peanuts and milk chocolate, reminding me of snickers. So far, so good. 

I wasn't disappointed with the taste either. As usual Grenade have nailed the soft yet chewy nougat-like protein layer, which was infused with a peanut flavour that was pretty damn good. My only criticism is that it was a little on the sweet side and could do with a tad more salinity to pull back it into balance and deliver a true peanut-butter-iness 

As always the caramel layer and chocolate coating were delicious, rivalling the likes of Mars and Snickers (real chocolate bars that is, not their protein counterparts). As for the peanuts, they offered a welcome crunchiness that added an extra textural edge to the bar. 

It's easy to forget that the Carb Killa bars aren't chocolate bars, and in fact deliver a whopping amount of protein whilst keeping the carbs low. The Peanut Nutter hasn't got quite as much protein in as other bars due to the lack of soy crispies, but it's macros are still extremely decent AND it tastes incredible. I'm not sure it beats White Chocolate Mocha to the top spot, but it is definitely just as good. 

Well done Grenade, and thanks again to Conor for the samples to review! 

10/10

Macros per 60g bar: Kcals 223 P21/C15.4/F9.3

Grenade Carb Killa Banana Armour (CNSport)

If you're into fitness and supplements there's no doubt you'll be au fait with Grenade's Carb Killa bar range. The company is going from strength to strength and in the last few months Grenade have extended the line with a whole host of new flavours. In fact just today they launched their new bar: Peanut Nutter. Who else is crazy excited? I know I've been dying for them to bring out a bar flavoured with my favourite foodstuff for ageeeees. In the meantime, I thought I'd write up a review of their recently released Banana Armour flavour.

"High protein bar with a banana flavoured centre and caramel layer coated in milk chocolate with sweeteners."

Only yesterday I mentioned about my love of chocolate (spread) with banana, so this was a bar that I was particularly eager to get my chops around. In fact poor Conor (of CN Sport) had to put up with my daily pestering for a good few weeks whilst he tried to locate stock of them in the U.K. 

For those of you who aren't familiar with Carb Killas, I'll fill you in. Quite frankly they are the undisputed kings of delicious protein bars. Despite tasting more like chocolate bars, they contain a high protein content (at least 22g per bar) and pretty low carbs (the highest carb content is in the White Chocolate Mocha, which contains 15.3g per 60g bar). Pop a Carb Killa in the microwave until it starts to melt and you've got a treat that will rival most  -and beat some- high st chocolate bars.

In usual Carb Killa fashion, the bar comprised of three distinct layers: the chewy but soft protein base filled with soy crispies, topped with the gooey caramel and surrounded with chocolate. So far my favourite Carb Killas have been the white chocolate ones, so I was eager to see how this compared. 

As with the other bars in the range, this was a bar that was soft enough to eat at ambient temperature, but became oh-so indulgent when melted. The banana flavour was strong but artificial, in a foam-banana kind of way, however I love the sweets so enjoyed the taste! The chocolate was pretty good, although the white chocolate still reigns supreme in my eyes. As for the caramel, it was as good as it is in all of Grenade's bars -chewy and sweet- despite the lack of sugar. I always enjoy the crunchiness of the Carb Killas, and of course this was no different. 

Another winning bar from the guys at Grenade, now to find a Peanut Nutter bar or 10!

9/10

Banana Armour Macros: 217kcal P:22.7/ C14.8/ F8.3