Zone Perfect Chocolate Almond Biscotti Nutrition Bar: Chocolate? Yes, Almond Flavor? Maybe, Biscotti Taste? No
Written: Sep 10 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Decent taste but not like a biscotti, good for Zone diets, filling.
Cons: The flavor name is more than a little misleading.
The Bottom Line: A nice snack for those who are dieting but a little too high in carbohydrates for me to eat on a regular basis.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Zone Perfect Chocolate Almond Biscotti Nutrition B... |
Zone Perfect bars are always a weakness for me, when I saw that they had a Chocolate Almond Biscotti flavor my mouth started watering. I needed to wait about two weeks before I could eat it and at times it was like torture to see it on top of the microwave in the kitchen. When I finally had a cheat day and tore into it I had mixed feelings about it. It's sort of like wanting to see a movie, seeing the trailer for it and hearing everyone talk about it then when you see it, it doesn't live up to your expectations. That, in a nutshell, is what happened with this bar. The name of it leads you to think that it is going to have that hard snap that a biscotti has and that it's going to taste out of this world ... after doing a strict ketosis diet you could eat a bowl of plain pasta and it is going to taste awesome but this bar doesn't really live up to the name. The soy nuggets are what give it the crunchy texture but I couldn't find a single piece of almond in it; reading the ingredients I saw that it contained almond butter as well as almonds but I never hit one when I was consuming it.
Zone Perfect Chocolate Almond Biscotti Nutrition Bar
soy protein nuggets, chocolate flavored coating, corn syrup, milk protein, almond butter, almonds, water, sunflower oil
I won't go so far as to say that this tastes like a candy bar but it does have a good taste to it; as much as I drone on about the name of it and that it doesn't taste like a biscotti ... it isn't something that is going to make you want to retch. It should go without saying that if you have had allergic reactions to nuts in the past, you will want to avoid this bar. Yes, it does contain almonds and there are some people that are allergic to certain types of nuts that can still eat almonds but this is made in a plant that also processes and uses tree nuts in their other products. Just because I didn't hit on any almond pieces in the bars I've had doesn't mean that you won't so if you have food allergies, please read the ingredient panel and warnings on the package. While you are reading the label, make sure you check the 'best by' date to ensure that you are getting a fresh bar. This is located on the underside of the label so you will have to flip up the tab to read it. For the most part Zone bars are good for a month or so past the 'best by' date but anything more than that and you are pressing your luck.
If you have this between meals it can hold you over if you have it with a glass or two of water; if you eat it without drinking anything you might still feel hungry and want to grab another one or something else to kill off the craving. This isn't a meal replacement bar and shouldn't be used for that purpose; trying to use this bar for that purpose is going to ruin a diet no matter how much will power you have. I'm not a huge fan of the Zone Diet but I know a few people that it worked for so I can't flat out bash it. The bars are a great way to stay on a diet plan but still give into your cravings for something sweet from time to time. This isn't like Atkins products that use a sugar alcohol for sweetness; there is a trade off there. The sugar alcohol does have a laxative effect if you eat more than the recommended amount but they are low in impact carbohydrates. The Zone bars, this one has 22 grams of carbohydrates, 14 of which are from sugar, but there's no risk of gastro intestinal distress [diarrhea]. Since this is on the crunchy side you aren't going to be able to wolf it down in less than a minute, that means that the longer it takes you to eat it, the less likely you are to want to grab something else. If you are craving something that has a nice crunch to it, is smothered in chocolate and has a slight almond taste to it ... this is something that you should check out.
The Stats
Calories: 210
Serving: 1 bar / 1.76 ounces
Fat: 7 grams
Protein: 15 grams
Carbohydrates: 22 grams
Sugar: 14 grams
Fiber 1 grams
In addition to the above nutritional values you are also getting 200% of the RDA [recommended daily allowance] of Vitamin C and Vitamin B6, 150% of Vitamin E, 100% Niacin and 50% Zinc. All of these values are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet so if you are eating less or more than that amount, please take that into consideration if you are keeping track of your vitamins and minerals.
Price
The best place to get these is at Wal-Mart. They carry them for .97 cents which is the lowest price I have ever seen them when they weren't on sale or part of a clearance markdown. You are getting a balanced bar that will keep you going for a few hours or as a sweet treat when you are craving something with chocolate in it. You can buy these by the case but I suggest buying a few of these first to see if you are going to really like the taste of them, this way you don't get locked into having to get 12 or 24 of them and getting sick of them.
The Bottom Line
This is a great tasting bar but to me it doesn't really taste much like a biscotti. The soy nuggets do give it a nice crunch but if you are expecting this to taste anything like a biscotti, you might be a little disappointed. The brood had a few of these and weren't really all that crazy about them. They like some of the sport bars that I buy but I think the name on this one screamed 'girlie product' so even if they did like the taste, they weren't going to admit it. The 15 grams of protein are what really make this attractive to those who workout, exercise or lift weights but you are getting saddled with 22 grams of carbohydrates. For about a dollar a piece it's a nice treat if you are having a cheat day or want something to keep you 'in the zone' but be forewarned, the name is a little misleading. Maybe the people who created this never had a real biscotti ...
To read more about the Zone Diet check out their website at www.zoneperfect.com or call them toll free at [800] 666-6830
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2006 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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