I was in the gym the other day not having eaten. I was really hungry and feeling a bit weak. I bought a Balance Gold Bar for $1.50. They are delicious but let’s find out more.


About the bar:

~This bar claims to be a triple layer energy bar. It does have 3 layers and with 23 grams of carbohydrates is considered an energy/meal replacement bar.

~Balance Bars work on the theory of 40-30-30 nutritional philosophy, which for them means a lot of protein (15 grams) with moderate carbohydrates- with 23 it isn’t one of the highest energy bars on the market.

~There are 23 vitamins in the Balance Bars.

~ I am reviewing Caramel Nut Blast, which is what epinions shows on the page. Other flavors are: chocolate peanut butter and rocky road.

~At the website: www.balancebar.com you will read that the bars have “100% Daily Value for vitamins C&E, and anitoxidants essential for good health.

~B vitamins to help release energy from food.

~No artificial flavors colors or sweeteners and no preservatives."

Also on the website is a link to Balance Gold: keepitup.com. It is really cute, if you want to check it out.

~This is a 1.76 ounce bar with a food exchange of 2 lean proteins and 1 ½ fruits.

Nutritional Information:

I have told you some but from the website here is some other important information:

Calories 210
Calories From Fat 70

Total Fat 7g
Saturated Fat 4g 11%
20%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 85mg 4%
Potassium 100mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 23g
Dietary Fiber less than 1g
Sugars 13g 8%
Protein 15g 30%


Vitamin A 50% Biotin 20%
Vitamin C 100% Pantothenic Acid 20%
Calcium 8% Phosphorus 10%
Iron 10% Iodine 30%
Vitamin D 20% Magnesium 2%
Vitamin E 100% Zinc 20%
Thiamin 40% Selenium 15%
Riboflavin 30% Copper 20%
Niacin 45% Manganese 50%
Vitamin B6 30% Chromium1 0%
Folic Acid 20% Molybdenum 10%
Vitamin B12 20%


Check the expiration date, which is imprinted under the calories on the back of the bar.

~Because this is what I do, I want to tell you about a discrepancy. It is minor and not intentional but I reviewed Balance Bars previously and found that the package said a portion of the proceeds goes to Big Brother and Big Sisters Association. When I called the 1-800 number to find out what percentage of proceeds, no one seemed to know what I was talking about. I have since stopped buying Balance Bars, (the original Balance Bars) but there is no claim on the Balance Gold. I would not have bought it otherwise.

The package says there are 17 grams of sugar and the website says 13 grams. This is not a huge difference, but it isn’t the same. I just wanted to let you know.

As an aside that is a lot of sugar, but you will find with energy bars that have a higher amount of carbohydrates you will find more sugar than in other bars.

Ok, already, tell me what they taste like:

~The package says that they taste like a candy bar and that is true. They may even taste better than some candy bars. The triple layer is this: A layer of delicious chocolate which covers the bar; a layer of a nutty caramel mixture; and the bottom layer has a cake-like texture which is delicious.

~They have no aftertaste like the some of the higher protein, lower carbohydrate bars have.

~They taste like a Snickers bar and a Milky Way mixed together but they have vitamins and minerals in them.

~The consistency is perfect, although with the chocolate coating you want to keep this product in the refrigerator and not outside if it is warm for too long.

~The picture shows large peanuts and in reality, they are somewhat smaller, most of them are ground up but not so finely that you can’t find them or taste them. You can certainly taste the peanuts and the caramel.

~ I compared the vitamins and minerals to regular Balance Bars and they are very similar. Some are more, some less, but there are no glaring differences that would make a difference in your choice except that Balance Gold are very, very delicious and there is no misleading charity claim on the bar!

Other ingredients include: Protein Blend, which is a blend of whey, soy, calcium, corn syrup and milk protein; palm kernal oil; peanut pieces, skim milk powder and less than 2% of cocoa powder, natural flavors, and peanut maltodextrin and malodextrin.

For a complete list of ingredients go to physicallyelite.com. If you want me to cut and paste them here, leave a comment.

Where to buy Balance Gold Bars:

Although I bought mine at the gym for $1.50, I have never seen Balance Gold on sale for $.99 at the grocery store although other Balance Bar products are often on sale. Balance Gold run in the $1.29 and up range. You can also buy them through the Balance Bar online site for $22.35 plus $4.95 for shipping for 15 bars or a better buy is at physicallyelite.com where you can get 15 bars for $19.45 plus $5.00 for shipping which comes to $1.63 per bar.

My final thoughts:

I was really dragging when I got to the gym. A cup of coffee would have done it for me but I was going to a class and didn’t have time to stop. This bar did the trick and deliciously at the same time. I got through the class with the energy I needed – with the help of the carbohydrates and the sugar.

There was no horrible aftertaste at all as in some bars and the price is reasonable.

I would recommend Balance Gold as a nutritious snack, keeping in mind there is a lot of sugar in them, or preferably post workout or like in my case, when I needed that lift. I do not recommend any energy or meal replacement bars for children. You should drink a glass of water or more with each bar and at least 6-8 glasses a day (or more if you workout) of water.

They are worth 5 points on the Weight Watchers calculator, which is a lot of points to use, but in my case it was worth it and I would buy this product again.






Recommended: Yes