Tested: Bear Naked Peak Protein Granola

Recently I reviewed the Peanut Butter & Jelly flavor of Bear Naked Granola, and I loved it so much, I bought a bunch more. This time I also grabbed some of the Peak Protein variety, so we can take a look at that today…

The first thing you have to wonder is, “what does ‘peak protein’ taste like? Is that the actual flavor?”

I wondered that myself, and now I can tell you. The answer is, “it tastes like you would expect peak protein to taste.” Good answer, huh?

Taste and Texture

To elaborate a bit more, it’s a mix of oats, whole grains, some cranberries, and sunflower seeds. It’s a great taste, but to actually give you some idea of the taste, I’d call it “nutty.” As in, it tastes like a mix of seeds and nuts (which makes sense, because those are two good sources of protein.)

As for the texture, it has the good, hearty texture you’d expect from an all-natural granola. However, it’s really soft at the same time, which makes for a great overall experience.

Just like the other Bear Naked granolas, it’s great for eating straight out of the bag. Peak Protein is especially good because it’s noticeably softer than usual, so there’s no need for milk.

Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Bear Naked granolas offer natural, healthy ingredients. Peak Protein is no exception.

Ingredients: Whole grain oats, Honey, soy flakes, canola oil, Sweetened dried cranberries (cranberries, sugar, glycerin, sunflower oil), soy protein isolate, Dry roasted sunflower seeds, whole grain crisp rice (whole grain rice, barley malt), Ground flax seed, cinnamon, natural flavors

In a 1/4 cup serving, you get 140 calories, 7g fat, 6g sugar, and 5g protein.

Five grams of protein in a small serving is pretty good for a cereal, but it’s kind of funny in this case. See, the regular Peanut Butter & Jelly Bear Naked granola had 4g protein per serving. For a flavor to qualify as “Peak Protein” I would expect at least 8g protein per serving. One extra gram doesn’t seem like that big of deal.

That said, this Peak Protein granola is a neat idea for a vegetarian looking to get more protein. When I was weight lifting last winter, I’d have a small bag of this after my evening workout. (A bag had 700 calories and 25g protein.)

It’s not the easiest food for loading up on protein though. Some protein bars will have 25-35g protein in a single bar. This granola is most likely healthier and better tasting than most protein bars, but it just doesn’t have enough protein per serving if you’re really loading up on protein.

My final verdict is…

This is a tasty, healthy granola, and it contains quite a bit of protein. It’s not protein-dense like a real protein bar, so it’s not a product for bodybuilders, but it should work well for a cyclist (especially a vegetarian cyclist.)

Try it, you’ll probably like it. (Just be ready to spend your money, it’s one of the more expensive granolas out there.)

Official website: bearnaked.com

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