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Welcome to the Ways of Wellness blog! My name is Jon Steuart and I am a physical fitness and nutrition enthusiast. While all of the contents/opinions herein are based on my personal experiences and research over many years, and not any formal education, I am absolutely confident that there will be something for everybody who is interested in improving their physical and mental well-being. Please feel free to leave your comments and questions.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Supplement Reviews - iSatori Eat-Smart Bar, Chocolate Peanut Caramel Crunch


This product review will cover a few different aspects of this protein bar. First, I will review the taste/texture. Next, I will provide my general thoughts about the bar eating experience. Finally, I will provide my review of the bar's ingredients and nutritional aspects.

Taste / Texture
The first thing I noticed about this bar was its appealing look. It was shaped similar to a traditional rice krispie bar (rectangular) while a bit flatter. The rice krispie looking bottom is covered with a tasty looking chocolate shell on top. The body of the bar was crunchy and the chocolate top layer was chewy. I really enjoyed this contrast. While I didn't get an overly distinguish peanut flavor, I definitely tasted a subtle, "natural" peanut flavor. Overall, the flavor and texture of this bar were both a major plus for this bar, as the majority of protein bars that I have previously eaten all follow a similar mold: chocolate exterior, standard candy bar shape, and an overly chewy interior - Not the Eat-Smart Bar!

Eating Experience
In general, I really enjoyed eating this bar. The chewy/crunchy texture and good flavors made this bar taste like a treat - I found myself wanting more. The natural, nutty flavor was quite unique and one that I could enjoy over and over again. The bar melted similar to that of other chocolate-based protein bars (enough to leave a little chocolate residue on your hands if you were to hold the bar in your hand while eating the entire thing). Probably one of the most important aspects of a protein bar for me is whether or not it will give me a nice, full feeling (as I general use protein bars as meal replacements). This bar did provide the fullness that I would like for a bar to provide, as it held me over for about three hours.

Ingredients / Nutrition
Now, on to the ingredient aspects of the bar. I noted that the proteins listed were Isolate/Concentrate/Hydrolosate (I liked these and their order). Often times protein bars will contain the cheaper proteins (if not exclusively, certainly first on the protein line up), but it was nice to see this bar list a superior protein first (Isolate) and follow up the Concentrate with another superior protein like Hydrolosate. I also liked the vitamin/mineral blend that was included and the fact that the nutritional profile also listed out the vitamin/mineral content. One downside to the nutritional aspect of this bar was that it included soy as an ingredient which, in some studies, can supposedly impact testosterone negatively (albeit in very large quantities).

Nutritional Panel:
  • Calories - 330
  • Total Fat - 12 g
    • Saturated Fat - 5 g
    • Trans Fat - 0 g
  • Cholesterol - 5 mg
  • Sodium - 310 mg
  • Potassium - 280 mg
  • Total Carbohydrate - 33 g
    • Dietary Fiber - 5 g
    • Sugars - 15 g
    • Sugar Alcohol - 6 g
  • Protein - 27g
  • Vitamin A - 0%
  • Vitamin C - 0%
  • Calcium - 20%
  • Iron - 20%
  • Vitamin E - 50%
  • Thiamin - 6%
  • Riboflavin - 10%
  • Niacin - 15%
  • Vitamin B6 - 30%
  • Folate - 30%
  • Vitamin B12 - 25%
  • Biotin - 10%
  • Pantothenic Acid - 10%
  • Phosphorus - 25%
  • Magnesium - 6%
  • Zinc - 10%
  • Selenium - 4%
  • Copper - 20%
  • Manganese - 15%
In conclusion, this bar is one that ranks toward the front of the pack when compared to other protein bars that contain similar ingredients and macro nutrients. The flavor and texture of this bar were definite strong points and the natural nuttiness that the bar provided makes this bar a bit unique in that regard. The satiating effects that it provided are what I look for in a protein bar. Therefore, if one were looking for a protein bar to include in their dietary regimen, the iSatori Eat-Smart Bar definitely has my stamp of approval. Buy iSatori Eat-Smart Bars

4 comments:

  1. How is it on cost?

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  2. They are actually very fairly priced at $1.49 each at bodybuilding.com. Really, that is even cheaper than many of the more generic protein bars that you will find at a local gas station or grocery store.

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  3. This is really good information. This is looking like good product. I am impressed with your detail information about it and I will recommend anyone who have interested in this kind of nutritional packages. Thanks for provide this information.

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  4. I am glad that you like the information in my review. I really did like this bar and it is well priced. I don't eat protein bars TOO often, but they do make for a nice, quick snack.

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