Plain old energy bars and gels are going out of style, and here’s an example of something new - the Kashi GOLEAN ROLL. Instead of a bar, this is a roll!

It looks a lot like a bar, but it’s rounded, like a log. But not just any log… we’re talking nougat log! Seeing this roll really brought back the memories of those delicious, creamy nougat logs I used to have at Easter.

This Caramel Peanut flavor Kashi GO LEAN Roll is basically a nougat log covered in peanuts and soy crisps. It looks and smells like a PayDay candy bar.

Based on looks, it should taste extravagant. And it almost does…

See, the peanuts are nice, but the soy crisps detract from the taste. And the nougat is pretty good, albeit nowhere near as sweet as the unhealthy nougat logs! Those soy crisps lead to an overall “crispy” texture, which certainly takes away from the soft, chewy, and creamy texture I was expecting.

Breaking it down some more…

The nougat is pretty close to having the nice texture you’d expect from nougat, although it’s not as sweet as usual. The caramel coating over the nougat is good, and the peanuts on the outside are good. Unfortunately, the oats, grains, and soy crisps on the outside make it feel like you’re eating bird seed!

I guess you can’t take a candy bar, sprinkle some healthy grains on top, and have it work out well.

Kashi GO LEAN Roll Nutrition

Can the nutrition facts save this bar?

At first glance, it does seem pretty healthy for an energy bar. The 190 calorie bar provides 27g carbs and 12g protein, along with an impressive 6g fiber to help you stay satisfied. It is also formulated for an “optimized glycemic response.”

But the ingredients don’t impress me much…

Brown Rice Syrup, Crystalline Fructose, Soy Protein Isolate, Kashi Seven Whole Grains and Sesame® Blend (Whole: Hard Red Winter Wheat, Oats, Rye, Barley, Triticale, Long Grain Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Whey Protein Isolate, Peanut Flour, Chicory Root Fiber, Peanuts, Oat Fiber, Evaporated Cane Juice, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Rice Starch, Mechanically Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Skim Milk, Vegetable Glycerin, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin, Magnesium Oxide, Carrageenan, Mixed Tocopherols (For Freshness), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin E Acetate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Fumarate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12.

Crystalline fructose (which isn’t much different from high fructose corn syrup) is way too close to the top! That’s too bad. It’s probably because of the caramel and/or nougat, since most Kashi products only contain healthier sweeteners such as evaporated cane juice syrup and/or brown rice syrup.

My final verdict is…

While most of Kashi’s products are stellar, this GOLEAN Roll was a disappointment. It looks like a delicious candy bar, but it ends up tasting no better than a plain old Kashi granola bar. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but it’s one of the worst products in Kashi’s lineup. (The GOLEAN protein & fiber bar was disappointing, too.)

Feel free to try one to see for yourself, but I would recommend you grab the Kashi TLC granola bars instead. Either stick with the healthier bars, or splurge with a PayDay candy bar - don’t compromise and get one of these.

Official website: www.kashi.com (GOLEAN Roll page.)

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Kashi’s GO LEAN line of products seems to be never-ending. The latest addition to my Kashi shelf has been this Kashi Chewy Bar, also labeled a High Protein & Fiber Bar.

I like my protein and fiber, although that’s not really why I was excited about this bar; it was the cookies ‘n cream flavor that did it for me! Hopefully it tastes as good as Oreos

But if not, there are still health benefits to fall back on. This “all natural” 290 calorie bar (yeah, it could probably function as a meal replacement bar for dieters) is packed with 13g protein and 6g fiber.

But as I said, I’m more concerned with taste right now. Unfortunately, biting into this gave me nothing more than a bland taste of chocolate and filler. It’s thick and chewy so it does feel like you’re eating something substantial, but the flavor is just too bland and mediocre.

This Kashi GO LEAN protein bar is nowhere near as good as the Met RX protein bar which comes in a scrumptious cookies and cream flavor. That bar is actually a treat!

But this Kashi bar wasn’t a total disappointment. The taste is not actually bad, but it’s just good enough to make them edible.

Considering how I purchased these at a Big Lots department store for about 30 cents each, I can’t complain. I mean, 1/10 of a cent per calorie is a good deal! Even though they aren’t that tasty, I stocked up on an a fairly large supply because they’re still convenient and fairly healthy.

My final verdict is…

The only reason I got these is because they were cheap. At full retail price, I’d never buy these. They’re fairly healthy and everything, but 13g protein really isn’t that much, and they taste like crap.

There are far better tasting options, and most protein bars have 25-35g protein, so choose one of those instead. (Or, if you’re looking for a regular bar from Kashi, try something like the Kashi TLC crunchy bar.)

Official website: kashi.com (Cookies ‘n Cream page)

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The SoLo energy bar is yet another energy bar to stock the shelves in the growing sports nutrition aisle - but it has a few key improvements in its formulation that could see it come out on top.

The first big difference with the SoLo bar is that it ranks low on the Glycemic Index (GI.) All the bars are clinically validated at 22 to 28. A GI below 35 is considered very low, so all SoLo bars are well into that range. To put that in perspective, table sugar (sucrose) ranks at a 64 on the Index.

If you’re not familiar with the Glycemic Index, it is basically a measure of how fast a sugar is broken down and enters the bloodstream. The higher the number, the faster the sugar enters the bloodstream. So theoretically* a food low on the GI will slowly release sugar into your bloodstream for continued energy and avoid “spikes” in blood sugar that later result in a crash.

* It also helps to look at the Glycemic Load (GL) and Insulin Index (II) along with GI, to get a better perspective, but that’s another story.

Anyway, ranking low on the GI is good, but do SoLo bars have the taste to make it worthwhile? Yes indeed.

The SoLo Bar Taste Test

SoLo bars come in five flavors, including old standbys such as chocolate and peanut butter, along with fruity flavors, and even a mint flavor. Here are my thoughts on each one:

Peanut Power - Peanut Power (pictured, left) tastes a lot like a peanut butter flavored Kudos bar, which I ate on numerous occasions as a child. It is very soft, creamy, and flavorful, making for a great taste and texture for peanut butter lovers. I really enjoyed this, and I’d say it’s the best peanut butter flavored energy bar I know of.

Chocolate Charger - Chocolate Charger tastes an awful lot like, um, chocolate. It actually tastes more like real chocolate, unlike those chocolate flavored bars that have that “artificial chocolate flavoring” taste.

I’m not a big fan of chocolate energy bars, but this one still tasted good. It’s probably the only chocolate energy bar I’ve ever liked (as opposed to others I’ve “tolerated.”)

Berry Bliss - Berry Bliss (pictured, right) has that well-known mixed berry flavor, complimented with a white yogurt coating. The flavor is comparable to a mixed berry smoothie. It’s very refreshing and makes a great choice if you’re getting sick of conventional chocolate and/or peanut butter energy bars.

Lemon Lift - Lemon Lift is another yogurt covered, fruity bar. It actually tastes like lemon. It’s not quite what I expected though, because it also contains dried cranberries, which really enhanced the flavor. So it turned out pretty good, and refreshing - definitely a unique flavor among energy bars.

That uniqueness could keep me coming back for more! (I like lemon though. If you don’t like lemon, this probably isn’t the flavor for you!)

Mint Mania - Mint Mania (pictured, left) tastes like a bar of crushed up Thin Mints cookies! It actually looks like crushed up Thin Mints, too, which is pretty cool. The texture isn’t quite the same as real Thin Mints, but the taste is really close, so this is a good one to try.

I mean, who doesn’t love those minty cookies the Girl Scouts sell every year?

Overall, the taste and texture of the SoLo bars are both great! The texture is pretty chewy, making them fun to eat, and it also feels like you’re eating something, so that’s satisfying. And all the flavors are pretty good, so surely one would work for you.

I can easily see why SoLo bars were preferred in taste tests with Powerbars and Clif bars. (A study shown on the SoLo website shows 88% of testers preferred Solo over Powerbar.)

SoLo bars definitely have taste competition, though. I’m sure those results would be a bit closer to 50/50 if you compared SoLo to the Larabar, Cheetah Bar, or Detour bars, or even to the newer PowerBar Energize bar with fruit flavors.

So I can’t declare SoLo a clear winner, but they do taste great, and they’re possibly the best bar I’ve had. It’s just that Detour bars taste exactly like some candy bars, which is awesome, and some other bars are good in their own ways.

In the end, it’s us, the endurance athletes, who reap the rewards of this taste competition. Now we actually have the option to vary our energy bar selection, because so many of them are starting to taste better!

SoLo Bar Nutrition Facts and Ingredients

I scanned the ingredients list for each bar and didn’t find anything that scared me. Sure, each bar contains sugar and fractionated palm kernel oil, but that’s what you’ll find in most energy bars, and they weren’t main ingredients, anyway.

Some good finds were whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, soynut butter, brown rice syrup, fruit puree blend, SoLo fiber blend, and a vitamin and mineral blend.

That gives each bar 200 calories, about 25g carbohydrates, 7g fat, and 11g protein. That is a well-rounded blend for most people. I’d look for more carbs and less fat in an energy bar to use while riding, but the SoLo bar would be just right for a pre-ride snack or for someone on the go.

SoLo Bars for Racing?

Would I use a SoLo Bar during a bike race? Probably not, for two reasons…

For one, the bar is somewhat high in fat and quite low in carbs. When I’m riding intensely, I want a lot of carbs, and I don’t want much fat or fiber which could slow digestion and give me a “weighed down” feeling. (SoLo bars only have about 25g carbs, while PowerBars offer 45g. Almost double!)

The second reason is more for riding in general - the SoLo bars’ chocolate coating will melt and get messy. The bars actually deform quite a bit when they get warm, and even the yogurt coating gets a little sticky.

I did eat a couple of these on moderate rides, though, and it worked out just fine. They gave me energy with no spike or crash (although I can’t recall a real energy crash that I can blame on a PowerBar.) The only downside I noticed, aside from the messy chocolate, is that the bar was a little too chewy, making it harder to swallow when you are focusing on riding and using your energy just to keep breathing!

Don’t get me wrong, the texture is great for times when you can take small bites, relax, and enjoy the flavor, but not so good for high-pressure situations where you need quick fuel.

My final verdict is…

These bars taste great and they’re on the healthier side of the energy bar spectrum. At $1.37 each when purchased by the dozen, the price is not cheap, but it’s on par with other energy bars. I will surely consume SoLo bars again in the future. (Most likely Peanut Power and Lemon Lift.)

I highly doubt I’d use them during a race (I rarely eat bars during a race anyways,) but they’ll be a great option for use during my longer, easier paced training rides. They will be great for pre-ride or pre-race snacks, too.

Official website: www.solo-gi.com

Buy online: Solo-GI.com and Amazon.com

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In the sea of lesser-known flavored waters, a company needs a good hook to get me to buy. Or, I could just happen to find large cases of them on clearance sale, prompting me to buy. That was the case with iQ H2O, a flavored water with added vitamins.

What really caught my attention though, was the “green apple” flavor. Green apple flavors aren’t that common, and I remember having an amazing green apple soda from Jones Soda, so I figured this would be worth a shot.

What sealed the deal is the fact that this water contained no artificial sweeteners. I always peruse the labels to make sure sucralose and/or aspartame aren’t hiding in there, and this iQ water contained crystalline fructose (which is made from corn rather than fruit, so it’s not that good, but I’d still choose it over the other two sweeteners I mentioned.)

So let’s delve into the nutrition aspect…

This is mainly just flavored water with added sugar and vitamins. I’m not a fan of crystalline fructose (which is being used more commonly these days since it seems healthier than high fructose corn syrup,) although the total of 18g sugar per 16oz bottle isn’t terribly bad. Plus, some of that sugar would be from the apple juice concentrate, so there are maybe 12g crystalline fructose?

The calorie count of 80 calories per bottle isn’t too bad, either.

The saving grace for this iQ water is the vitamin content:

Vitamin A - 10% DV
Vitamin B6 - 50% DV
Vitamin B12 - 50% DV
Vitamin C - 50% DV
Vitamin E - 10% DV
Calcium - 4% DV
Niacin (Vit B3) - 50% DV
Riboflavin (Vit B2) - 50% DV
Pantothenic Acid (Vit B5) - 50% DV

Look at that, it’s a good source of B vitamins! I’d say that makes it, at worst, a 50/50 blend of healthy and unhealthy.

This iQ water also tastes pretty good. To sum it up, it’s water with extra flavor. It’s not as good as Jones Soda, and it’s not as strong, sweet, or smooth as a tasty drink like Gatorade Tiger. But it is more appealing and enjoyable than either Sobe Lifewater or Aquafina Alive (in my opinion.)

My final verdict is…

I enjoy the flavor, and it contains some added vitamins. If it had organic cane sugar or stevia as a sweetener, instead of the crystalline fructose, and maybe some more Vitamin C, I’d be sold.

I’m not sure on the retail price, but I picked this up by the case at a mere 35 cents per bottle, so I’d gladly buy more at that price.

Official website: www.IQbeverage.com

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Honest Tea doesn’t really stand out on the convenience store shelves, which are cluttered with jumbo-size Rockstar and Monster energy drinks, plus a few juice drinks in bright, colorful bottles that are more sugar than anything else.

But Honest Tea does stand out once you compare ingredients. It is one of the few drinks out there that has health benefits and contains a minimal amount of sugar. Out of all their flavors, my favorite is the Pomegranate White Tea With Acai.

This is “a delicious, lightly sweetened blend of antioxidant-rich organic white tea, pomegranate and Brazilian Açaí.”

Your sense of smell is treated to a pleasant aroma, which is more like the fruit than tea. But the taste is the perfect combination of white tea and berry flavors. It actually tastes a lot like white tea I would brew from tea leaves at home, which is a good thing.

The slight pomegranate flavor is kind of like how you can get white tea with peach, pear, plum, and other flavors, except this time you’re tasting white tea with pomegranate and the acai. (I’ve had a few of those antioxidant drinks based on acai berry juice, so I think I know the acai taste… although it’s similar to pomegranate anyway…)

Overall, it’s very nice how that works out. With some pre-brewed teas, the fruit flavor is nonexistent, or it overpowers the tea. Honest Tea gets it right.

Honest has the perfect sweetness, too. This tea is sweet enough that it’s really good, but not overpowering. Any sweeter and it would taste like the crap other companies pass off as tea.

Being organic and natural, it’s just about as healthy as what you’d brew yourself. (Honest Tea white teas have 70-95mg of the antioxidant EGCG per bottle.) It uses organic cane sugar so it could possibly have more sugar and calories than how you’d drink tea normally (if you drink tea without sugar, that is,) but for most people this will probably be just right. Convenient, too.

I enjoy drinking this white tea, and I might even buy it sometimes when I’m on the run. What I don’t like though is anything that comes in 20oz plastic bottles. What a waste of plastic…

Sure it’s recyclable, but that requires that your city or town has facilities for that. My hometown only has recycling facilities for paper, aluminum, and glass, so plastic usually gets thrown out and ends up in a landfill…

So mostly I brew my own tea, and only buy these drinks if they’re on clearance sale or if there is no bulk alternative.

My final verdict is…

This is pretty good stuff, so if you like good tea, you should like this. I won’t be drinking it much, though, because I prefer to brew my own green and white teas at home. (Brewing your own tea is cheaper, fresher, and doesn’t waste little plastic bottles.)

So I will stick with just a few Honest Ades and teas on occasion and focus on brewing my own tea. But for tea drinkers who want real tea and prefer the convenience of a bottle, I can’t think of a better choice than Honest Tea.

Official website: honesttea.com (White Tea w/ Acai page)

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