For years, I had purchased the Balance Bars (marketed under 40-30-30 at Trader Joe's) in a variety of flavors, like Almond Brownie or Yogurt Berry. While they were one of the better tasting bars out there, they still tasted like an energy bar.

Finally, two years ago, someone slapped a Balance Gold on my desk (I am usually jonesing for chocolate in the afternoons) and said, "try it. It tastes like a Snickers." Back then, Balance Gold only came in one flavor Caramel Nut Blast.

So I ate it, enjoyed it and then read the label. At 210 calories, it had the same number as a regular balance bar.

Total Fat 7g
Total Carbohydrate 23g
Sugars 17g
Protein 15g

At 23g of carbs, it is lower than a Luna bar, which has 28g. For those of you on a lower carb diet, this number may still be too high for you as compared to the EAS Myoplex Low Carb bars (only 2 to 3 grams!).

The protein content is a blend of casein, whey protein isolate, milk protein concentrate, soy protein isolate. While I am allergic to dairy, the milk protein doesn't seem to cause much of a reaction.

Let's Talk about the Triple Layer Action
This is where the chew factor comes in. This is a very dense bar, with a chocolate coating over caramel and a sturdy cakey base. The caramel definitely the factor that takes this Balance Gold bar beyond where other Balance bars have gone before!

Energy Bar?
Yes. When I'm totally starving, these are a great meal replacement. The high fat content keeps me full for quite a while. They are not so filling that I can't work out soon after eating one.

If there's one downside, it's that after a workout, I find the bar to be too sweet for my tastes. Others may not have this problem but I find that my appetite is a bit sensitive immediately after exercising.

I do not carry these in my gym bag because the bars would melt too easily in the heat of my car. Instead, I keep some at my desk at work.

Cost & Availability
They're $1.50 at my grocery store, but buying them by the box is much cheaper. The balance bar website is now selling them for $16.49/box of 15 bars. This is a great price as even Drugstore.com sells them for $18.99/box of 15, but has all three flavors: Caramel Nut Blast, Rocky Road and Chocolate Peanut Butter.

The Trader Joe's in my neighborhood carries only Balance Gold in Caramel Nut Blast.

Ingredients: (taken from drugstore.com website)
Protein Blend (see product details for ingredients), Corn Syrup, Sugar, Glycerin, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Roasted Peanuts, Gelatin, Maltitol, High Maltose Corn Syrup, Contains 2% or less of, Natural Flavor, Roasted Ground Peanuts, Peanut Flour, Nonfat Milk, Calcium Caseinate, Cocoa, Soy Lecithin, Water, Salt, Canola Oil, Monoglycerides, Soybean Oil, Fractionated Vegetable Oil (Palm and Palm Kernel Oils), Beta Carotene, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Calcium Phosphate, Ferric Orthophosphate (Iron), Vitamin E Acetate, Phytonadione (Vitamin K1), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacinamide, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Potassium Iodide, Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Copper Gluconate, Manganese Sulfate, Chromium Chloride, Sodium Molybdate



Recommended: Yes