Let me preface this review by saying I am not a big fan of mint, except when combined with chocolate and in limited quantities. Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream or an Andes thin mint candy now and then are few and far between, but when I couldn’t get a hold of the Quest nutrition, Mint Chocolate Chunk bar due to high demand and limited quantity I decided to pick up the Power Crunch Mint Chocolate Bar and give it a go.
The first thing I noticed about the bar was the smell; it had a strong, minty, smell not overly excessive but pronounced. The next thing I noticed was it’s appearance, unlike many protein bars out there Power Crunch is just that crunchy, it has a wafer like texture similar to that of a Kit Kat or those wafer cookies many of us ate as children. The layers are covered in a thin layer of chocolate and no trace or color of mint is present.
The bar itself is has a strong mint flavor but a dry sandpaper like texture. As far as the nutritious nature of the bar, for one bar it packs 205 calories, 13 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs and 13 grams of Protein, for those on a low –carb diet this is a good option for pre-or post workout snack on the go. The price for the Power Crunch bar is also reasonable you can find them on sale at retailers like GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe for $1.99. In comparison is Quest Nutrition’s newest and long awaited flavor Double Chocolate Chunk.
Quest Nutrition’s reputation for making quality protein bars with good flavor and balanced in carbs and protein is evident, however, I think there marketing tactics and sales approach leave much to be desire. They seem to take forever to get their products into stores, yet splatter and inundate social media with ads for their products which I think in turn alienates customers versus creating further demand for the product and although Quest does offer their newest products online once their “ Unveiled” I find it pointless to order a product you’ve never tried online and pay shipping especially for one bar, it’s crazy and I won’t do it. I ‘ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but I think Quest should create combo boxes such as a Chocolate Lover’s box, that includes, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, Double Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Mint Chocolate Chunk, as well as another box with fruit based creations, such as Strawberry Cheesecake, Banana Nut, Peanut Butter and Jelly, etc. However, I digress; rant over back to my review.
Quest’s Mint Chocolate Chunk protein bar comes in at 190 calories, 9 grams of fat 21 carb and 20 Protein. Although higher in carbs and protein it is a great option as a post workout snack and trumps Power crunch on calorie and fat content as well as flavor.
The texture and flavor of Quest’s bar is typical of Quest, soft, chewy almost soft cookie like texture and you can see as well as smell the ingredients in the bar. The bar had a good balance of mint and chocolate chunks, and a subtle mint flavor though I would have liked a bit more but it did taste like a Girl Scout thin mint cookie and was of the quality, texture and flavor expected of a company like Quest. Of all the flavors I’ve tried Thus far, from Quest this is definitely part of my top 5. The price however like many of the Quest products is a bit pricey $2.50 per bar. Although both bars are equally good and it really depends on your personal preference and price point for this battle my vote goes to Quest. I’d love to know your thoughts and what you think? What are some of your favorites? Leave a comment below.
The Perfect Fit 