I was really excited to try this next product because I absolutely LOVE chocolate! NuGo Bars are a healthier snack bar option loaded with some awesome nutrients and non-GMO ingredients. The best part? These bars contain REAL dark chocolate! And to be honest, I was a little skeptical to try these since I can’t stand the taste of fake chocolate or chalky bars with a bad aftertaste. But, I decided to give the NuGo Bars a shot! NuGo offers a few different lines of products and I had the chance to review their Dark line. I received my bars a little before Christmas which meant that I got an early present! Thanks, Santa! 😉
I received four different flavors: Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Coconut, and Chocolate Pretzel. They also offer a few other flavors from their Dark Chocolate line that I did not try. You can explore those flavors here.
Some quick facts about the Dark line:
- 10g Protein
- Around 14g of sugar
- Around 200 calories
- Contains antioxidants
- Gluten Free
- Vegan
- Real dark chocolate
- Non-GMO
- Certified Kosher
Sounds too good to be true, right? A chocolate snack bar can’t possibly be healthy and taste delicious all at the same time….right?? Well that was my thinking going into this product review.
I was training for a half marathon all while trying to keep up with the kiddos and all of their engagements before the Nugo bar came into my life. So I kept them in my bag so I could be armed when cravings or afternoon hunger struck.
First, I took them along for some runs…
They were a nice snack post-run and they were okay for a little fuel on short runs (3-4 miles). It’s not something I would use as a meal replacement or on really long runs, but it kept me satisfied on the shorter ones.
I also took it to a track workout!
Then, I took them out on a couple of outings with the kiddos…
I brought one to a kid’s birthday party to avoid the temptation of pizza and cake and it totally worked! It kept me away from the junk and I had energy to chase the kids around the birthday venue for a few hours! I took another one on a grocery shopping trip because that’s where a lot of damage can happen. I ate it on the way in to the store and was able to avoid the usual tempting non-healthy snacks.
I also took one along on a trail excursion…
This is the only snack I brought for myself on this 3 mile hike which is pretty gutsy seeing as how if it didn’t work I was gonna be pretty hungry for the hike back to civilization. But, luckily it sustained my energy and kept hunger away until it was time for lunch!
But, there was one negative aspect to these bars…
Kids! My two-year-old also took a liking to these bars and kept stealing them! I guess everyone loves the NuGo bars! 😉
So, how did they really taste? Well I’ve ranked the flavors and here are the results:
In 4th place: Chocolate Coconut – I’m not a huge coconut fan unless it’s an oil or a rum so I didn’t really dig the chocolate/coconut combo
3rd place: Chocolate Chocolate Chip – It tastes just how it sounds – chocolate with chocolate chips. So there was no wow factor for the tastebuds here. Just a basic dark chocolate flavor.
2nd place: Mint Chocolate Chip – This actually tasted pretty similar to the Thin Mint cookies that those Girl Scout dealers sell. It happens to be my favorite Girl Scout cookie so I was a little partial to this one. But if mint isn’t your jam, then I would avoid this flavor.
1st place: Chocolate Pretzel (with sea salt) – I loved the sweet/salty/crunchy combo here and this is the flavor that I would purchase again!
Overall, I really enjoyed the NuGo Dark Nutrition Bars! I’m a pretty experienced consumer in chocolate and I will say that these tasted like the real deal. As for pricing, you can purchase a box of 12 Dark bars on their website for $19.00. This averages out to be about $1.58 per bar which isn’t too bad. You can also look for them in your local stores. Another option is purchasing a sample pack. These run $6-$7 for a pack of 2-3 bars depending on which line you want.
As a bonus – Enjoy 15% off boxes of NuGo Dark with code BIBRAVE1 through Feb 8, 2017.
NuGo also wants to make some changes! If you are interested in telling the FDA to stop deceiving buyers with incorrect dark chocolate food labeling you can sign the petition here —> https://www.change.org/p/dark-chocolate-food-labeling-tell-the-fda-to-stop-the-deception
Join me on #Bibchat on Twitter on Jan. 31st at 6pm PST for your chance to win your own NuGo Bars!
Oh yeah and don’t forget to enjoy the view! 🙂
I’m off to review the next product!
***Disclaimer: I received a free sample box of NuGo Dark Chocolate Bars to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! All opinions are my own!
~SM
The Swag Mama 