It’s the last WAEI (oh wait, that’s the worst acronym EVER) of the year, so I figured I’d take a recent request – the Oatmega Bar.
Oatmega bars are new to me; in fact I had to look up the company and the product as I’d never heard of either. They are apparently a new granola-protein bar hybrid touting non-GMO status and general good health for the consumer. So, would I eat it?
The good:
- there are 14g of protein per 190-calorie bar, which is decent compared to some other bars (but still not great since two eggs gives you basically the same amount with zero carbs and only 140 calories)
- super high in fiber – 7g, nearly 30% of your recommended daily intake
- although there is sugar, it’s only 5g (less than most servings of breakfast cereal), and the chocolate in the bar is unsweetened
The bad:
- that darn sugar strikes again – this time in the form of “organic brown rice syrup.” Why, oh why can’t we find products that rely on the natural sweetness of its ingredients (in this case, peanut butter and chocolate) and not additives?
- a few “mystery ingredients” here – sunflower lecithin, vegetable glycerin, and tapioca starch, to name a few – but mostly binders rather than harmful chemicals
- this is splitting hairs, but I am always baffled about the use of whey protein in an otherwise gluten-free bar; you could easily make the bar dairy-free as well by subbing in a vegan protein (but again, that doesn’t make the bar bad per se)
The verdict:
- ok, by now you’ve probably figured out that I am not a fan of processed food in general, but if I were to recommend a bar, this one isn’t bad at all. The ingredients are whole and organic, the bar is non-GMO, and the gluten-free factor doesn’t hurt at all.
- would I still recommend eating two hard-boiled eggs to get your protein without a drop of sugar, salt, or carbs? Of course. And do I always recommend that my clients who absolutely must rely on bars make their own healthy versions at home? Yes, yes I do.
So that’s it for this week’s product, readers – the Oamega survives (mostly) unscathed.
What would you like to see me break down next week? Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page!
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