Tested: Kashi GO LEAN Crunchy Bar

After eating numerous boxes of Kashi TLC cereal and crackers, plus the GO LEAN cereal, and even some TLC granola bars, I missed out on the Kashi GO LEAN bars. I finally grabbed a few last week, though.

As with virtually all the Kashi products I’ve had, these did not disappoint! This GO LEAN crunchy bar, packed with protein and fiber, had a pleasing taste and texture. Just what I’d expect from Kashi.

Now let’s take a closer look at this “Chocolate Peanut” concoction…

We might as well get the boring stuff out of the way first, so here’s a look at the ingredients for those of you who (like me) like to read every single one:

Brown Rice Syrup, Soy Protein Isolate, Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals, Crystalline Fructose, Oat Fiber, Kashi Seven Whole Grains and Sesame® Blend (Stone Ground Whole: Hard Red Winter Wheat, Oats, Rye, Barley, Triticale, Long Grain Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Peanuts, Rice Flour, Natural Peanut Butter, Mechanically Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Corn Grits, Rice Starch, Brown Rice Flour, Wheat Bran, Chicory Root Fiber, Vegetable Glycerin, Cocoa, Nonfat Milk, Corn Bran, Salt, Chocolate Liquor, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Magnesium Oxide, Soy Lecithin, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E), Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Fumarate (Iron), Annatto (Color), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid and Vitamin B12.

Those all-natural ingredients add up to a healthy bar with lots of fiber and protein (but not too much.) Along with the 180 calories in each bar, you also get 5g fat, 9g protein, 6g fiber, and 30g carbohydrates.

The fat, protein, and fiber content is a tad high for use during intense cycling (and the carb count is a tad low,) but it’s a good bar for a snack or maybe as a pre-ride meal. I say that because this bar has a new formula that was reformulated for “optimized glycemic response.” That means it’s low on the Glycemic Index, so it won’t spike your blood sugar too much, making it safe to eat while you’re not working out.

But would you want to eat it? I say “yes.”

This GO LEAN bar is a big square, full of rice crisps, bits of peanut butter, and small chocolate chunks. It tastes kind of like a Rice Krispies square, but it’s crunchier and offers more flavors.

So it is “Crunchy,” but it’s not hard like their TLC granola bars. I call it “soft and crunchy.” It’s actually chewy and crunchy, if you can imagine that. Basically it’s like a chewy granola bar with more crunchy stuff in it.

The only minor problem is how the chocolate coating on the bottom will melt and get nasty if you carry this in a jersey pocket while cycling. However, there was not enough chocolate on there that it was truly bothersome. (Tip: place the bar in your jersey pocket so the chocolate side faces away from your body, which will help stop it from melting.)

Kashi GO LEAN Bar - While Riding

I did a 65 mile road ride the other day, and I carried two of these bars plus an oatmeal raisin Peak Bar. I ate a GO LEAN bar first, and later I had the Peak bar.

I must say, the Peak Bar was way better! It had a better taste and texture, and it’s softer so it was easier to chew while riding. Afterwards, I didn’t even bother to eat the second Kashi bar.

So this isn’t something I plan to carry while riding.

My final verdict is…

The Kashi GO LEAN crunchy bar tastes good, uses healthy ingredients, and is packed with protein and fiber. It’s a good choice for a quick “on the go” snack, and it’s not too bad for eating while riding, but I’d only recommend this as a healthy snack.

Since it’s good and healthy I’ll certainly eat them on occasion, although I’ll probably stick with other bars for my on-bike food needs.

Official website: kashi.com (the Kashi GO LEAN crunchy bar)

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