Tested: Peak Bar ‘Breakfast To Go’ Bar

Many years ago when I first started consuming the delicacies known as energy bars, there was this one giant bar called the Peak Bar. It was big, extremely high in calories, and expensive. I don’t know what happened between then and now, but I just finished a box of Peak Bar “Breakfast to Go” bars.

While I’m only 99% positive the bar I remember was actually called a Peak Bar, I’m 100% positive that this Peak Bar is something different, or at least a new formula.

The Peak Bar of years past was huge, and the calorie count was a whopping 300 or 350. The new “Breakfast to Go” bar contains only 180 calories, but it still tastes good, so I’m not complaining.

Peak Bar Ingredients and Nutrition Facts

Let’s start by looking at the ingredients…

Ingredients: Organic steel cut oats, organic whole grain wheat flour, organic honey, organic raisin juice, organic malted barley extract, organic raisins, organic whole grain barley flakes, oat bran, soy protein isolate, organic egg whites, organic fig paste, organic dates, organic cane sugar, organic molasses, orange juice, Fruitrim (fruit juice, grain dextrins), corn starch, citrus fiber, citric acid, salt, cinnamon, calcium carbonate, vanilla, natural flavors, baking soda, lecithin.

So far, so good. I see lots of healthy, natural ingredients. Each bar contains 35g carbohydrates, 6g protein, and 1g fat, for a total of 180 calories. The extremely low amount of fat is very surprising!

But that’s not all, look at these nutrients:

Vitamin A 20% - Vitamin C 120% - Calcium 30% - Iron 30% (plus other vitamins and minerals, but there are a lot of them and the names are long and complex!)

That’s how it gets the “Breakfast to Go” name. It has the same calcium as a glass of milk, the same vitamin C as a glass of orange juice, the protein of an egg, and the fiber of a bowl of oatmeal. All in this little bar!

(I would advise getting a little more fat if you were looking for a breakfast replacement, but the low-fat formula is great for fueling intense rides.)

Taste, Texture, and Other Thoughts

This thing is best described as a brick. Instead of being long and thin like a typical bar, it’s short and thick! And it’s dense, just like a brick!

But don’t fret, it tastes great! I had the oatmeal raisin, which is one of my favorite flavors, and it didn’t disappoint me. It has the flavor of a big, home-made oatmeal cookie from a bake sale. Unfortunately it doesn’t quite duplicate the warm, soft texture when you bite into it… But if you keep it in your pocket for a while or microwave it, it comes pretty close (at least in energy bar terms.)

Sitting in your jersey pocket on a warm day does make the Peak Bar nice and soft and chewy. It’s actually better that way, like a warm bowl of oatmeal. The only problem is the cinnamon icing starts to melt - although if you keep the wrapper on while eating, and don’t touch the actual bar, you will be fine.

That’s still much better than any chocolate coated bar, because those turn into a big mess no matter what.

Peak Bars are available at their site - “Breakfast to Go” bars are 8 for $9, which is about average.

My final verdict is…

I like these bars. The price isn’t bad, and the taste is good. It might take some getting used to because the shape and texture are a bit different than other energy bars, but I like it.

I will continue to use these in my energy bar rotation. If you like new flavors and textures, you should try these, too.

Official site: peakbar.com

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