One of the things I've always had a struggle with in regards to fitness is protein bars. There's such a wide variety of bars out there - all different brands, different flavours and different styles. You name it, and there is probably some kind of protein bar out there to match.
Any protein bars I've tried in the past have completely flopped for me. From being too chewy to too powdery, there's never been one that I thought actually tasted even slightly decent. Liam actually ordered some 'Cherry and Almond' flavour protein bars online once, and I have to say...well, they did not taste good. They felt a bit too chalky to me, and left a horrible taste in my mouth. Needless to say after that, I was a little bit wary of protein bars for a while!
So after trying some of the supplements and shakes from the Mini V range designed and produced by Vicky Pattison, I figured I may as well give some of the protein bars a try. Afterall, I do have a soft spot for anything chocolate-orange! Anyone that knows me well enough knows that I can pretty much devour a Terry's Chocolate Orange in one go. What can I say? It's natural talent!
'I wanted to create a high protein diet bar but one that was extremely healthy and that was suitable for vegans and vegetarians as well as no dairy, no gluten, no added sugar, non GM and no trans fats. I always wanted to create something that was super yummy and tasty and so chose the Orange Chocolate and also the Vanilla flavours. Mini:Bar is perfect to also have for an in-between snack.'
- Vicky Pattison, Mini V Website.
Now that Liam and I have signed up for a marathon, fitness has become a vital part of our everyday lives. Now instead of getting the bus to and from work, I walk the 2.5 miles down the canal there and back. And on every other day for now, I make it a run to build up my fitness. I know it seems relatively small at the moment, but hey, we've all got to start somewhere right? As I mentioned before, I have pretty much been searching for a decent protein bar for what feels like forever. So when I got the chance to give the 'Mini:Bar*' a try, I practically jumped at the chance. I'd heard good things about these protein bars for a while, and who can resist some chocolatey orange goodness (it can't just be me, right?!).
The bars are a little smaller than any others I've tried and they come in a flat rectangular shape, roughly around the size of the palm of my hand and about 20mm thick. Coming in two different flavours, 'Orange Chocolate Chip' is a dark chocolate coloured bar with chips dotted throughout, whilst the 'Vanilla Chocolate Chip' are a plain white, again with yummy chocolate chips.
'Vanilla Chocolate Chip' is perfect for those days where you need an added boost of protein after a hard workout or session at the gym. It doesn't seem to be as sweet as the other bar, apart from the chocolate chips here and there. Created with almonds and cashew butter, the bar contains 13g of protein in its 50g, and in my opinion is pretty filling. Taste wise I have to say it is seriously delicious and kind of reminds me of milky way chocolate bars, with a slight nutty tone to it.
'Orange Chocolate Chip' has to be the winner here for me, as I seriously can't resist anything with a chocolate orange taste to it. With a gorgeous, sweet orange taste to it, this flavour is now my current go-to protein bar - I no longer have to search around for decent flavours or brands! Like the other flavour it has a generous smatter of chocolate chips throughout, but has cashew nuts instead of almonds, and has a slightly smaller amount of protein with only 12.2g. Taste wise, I'd have to say if I didn't know it was a protein bar, I would genuinely have thought it was just another yummy chocolate snack.
What I absolutely love about these bars and made them appeal to me so much is that they are suitable for pretty much everyone and anyone either following a certain diet or with a food intolerance. With their amazing taste, it's so hard to believe that they are gluten free, dairy free, GM free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians - the only people who will unfortunately miss out are those with a nut allergy. With how the bars tasted when I first tried them, I was in shock that they are actually gluten free - normally I've found that with gluten free alternatives you can generally tell by either taste or texture. However, with these bars, it is generally unnoticeable - win!
Another bonus about these bars is that they're really quite filling, which given their smaller size is a pretty good achievement. Now whenever I go to work, I stick one of these bars in my bag along with a 'Mini:Shake' (review coming soon!) and I'm generally set for the day. With the 'Mini:Bar', I genuinely think Mini V have made themselves a stand out brand in regards to protein bars, as I've always found it hard to find a protein bar that is a) delicious, and b) gluten free. Normally with protein bars the case is that you can only get one or the other, but Mini V have designed a fantastic bar that is suitable for pretty much everyone. Give yourselves a pat on the back guys!
Overall I have to say that Mini V's protein bars have to be my favourite products I've tried from their nutritional range yet. The bars make the perfect mid-day or lunch time snack, and give that added energy boost whilst being filling. I have to say, since trying my very first bar I have been hooked, and I haven't even considered looking about for any others - they'd have to be pretty amazing to beat these protein bars in my opinion!
You can check out and buy the Mini V protein bars individually here, or you can alternatively buy them in bulk in packs of 7 and 14. You can even mix flavours and get the best of both worlds with both flavours!
What protein bars do you use? Do you have any recommendations for me? Or have you tried Mini V's protein bars or other products? Let me know in the comments below!
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*This item was gifted to me by the brand. All opinions are my own.
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