Zpoc taste test

There are lots of meal choices when it comes to stocking up your Bag Out Bag. MREs, freeze dried meals or even your own dehydrated meals. However if you want to keep it light and simple then food bars are an option. No cooking, just open and eat. Easy to squeeze into your pack and lots of options available. So I though a taste test was in order.

From left to right; Clif Bar, Mr Rimsky's Zombie Bar, Mother Earth, Blue Dinosaur Paleo Bar




 

Clif Bar - Chocolate chip

These get lots of raves overseas so was keen to try one. Visually not what I expected and it reminded me of something from the cat's kitty litter tray. Texture wise it was moist and chewy with very little crumbling. It was sweet but not too much. It certainly did not taste like a chocolate chip biscuit and there was an 'earthy cereal' type flavour that I suspect was due to to ingredients like rice syrup, soy protein, soybean and malt barley.


Price       $3.95
Serving   68g
Energy    1,050Kj (1,544 Kj/100g) 
Sugar      23g (34g/100g)

Texture   moist and chewy
Flavour   very pleasant

Verdict   Clif bars are marketed as a 'formulated supplementary food' so great choice for a survival situation. Best texture, good taste and enjoyable eating.

Mr Rimsky's Zombie Bar  - Dark chocolate and chili

Food bars are a multi million dollar market so naturally I want a slice too. This is a variation of the old US D ration and mainly consists of chocolate. Texture was a bit crumbly but with a nice mouthfeel as the chocolate melts in your mouth. There is a powdery effect due to the oat flour but it wasn't gritty or off putting. The sweetest of all the bars although the use of dark chocolate does tone it down a bit.


Price       no idea
Serving   about 100g
Energy    2,100Kj (2,100Kj/100g?) 
Sugar      Too much
Texture   soft and bit crumbly
Flavour   sweet with tangy chili aftertaste

Verdict   Shows promise. Can be made into a a hot chocolate beverage. Chili boosts the metabolism so probably not a great choice in a survival situation. A chocoholics delight.

Mother Earth baked oat slices - Golden oats

Walk into any supermarket and there are a staggering number of bars and biscuits on offer. Buying some of these mass produced bars makes good sense as they tend to be the cheapest option. I do find these to be overly sweet and not as healthy as other specialty food bars. I grabbed the golden oats variety in the hope it provides a more sustained release of energy. Comparing the nutritional labels this bar had the lowest amount of sugar.

Price       pack of 6 for about $4.50
Energy    772Kj (1930Kj/100g)
Sugar      9g (22.4g/100g)
Serving   size 40g
Texture   Crumbly with that dry and baked feel
Flavour   Bit plain with an oaty taste

Verdict    A cheaper and still healthy option. Made from whole grain cereals and oats and has the lowest sugar content of all the bars. 
 

Blue Dinosaur Paleo Bar  - Cacao mint

Another bar that gets good reviews. The first thing I noticed opening the packet was the minty smell. Definite the standout bar when it comes to taste although the dates give it a certain underlying flavour. Being based on the Paleo diet the ingredients are simple and unrefined. This bar has only five ingredients; coconut, three and half dates, cacao, coconut oil and peppermint oil. Not very sweet, a bit dry and crumbly. 

Price       $4.95 (but you can buy boxes online)
Energy    932Kj (2070Kj/100g)
Sugar      15g (35g/100g)
Serving   size 45g
Texture   soft and bit crumbly
Flavour   best flavour but reminded me of toothpaste

Verdict    A good bar and probably the tastiest. They are smaller than Clif Bars but look to be more energy dense, meaning more energy per gram weight overall.

Note: Due to concerns over nut allergies none of the bars I selected contained tree nuts. This restricted what flavours I could pick. For example the Cacao mint was the only Blue Dinosaur Paleo Bar I could find without nuts.