Feb 7, 2009

Review - thinkThin Brownie Crunch Bar

I just recently discovered thinkThin protein bars after reading a press release from thinkproducts about the launch of thinkThin bites. I was happy to see thinkThin bars at Whole Foods yesterday and eager to try one. The wrapper clearly says gluten free, but I hadn't noticed them before. I spent ten minutes deciding which flavor to try and eventually decided on the Brownie Crunch Bar.

Here is some information from their website about the all natural thinkThin bars.
Gluten Free
20g Protein
0g Sugar
No Cholesterol
Fortified with 18 Essential Vitamins & Minerals
No Transfat


The Brownie Crunch bar was good. It is shaped like a candy bar - a rich brownie coated in chocolate. There are only a few almonds. The almonds are very tiny, so I hardly tasted them. It is hard to believe that this bar has 20g of protein and 0g of sugar and tastes like a candy bar! I did not think thin when I ate this. I was impressed with this statement in the story on their website.

"thinkproducts puts its money where its food is: the company donates up to $250,000 per year to the following organizations that are working to find a cure for many of today's epidemics - The California Diabetes Foundation; The University of Southern California Childhood Obesity Research Center; Autism Research Institute in San Diego, California; The William K. Warren Celiac Center at the University of California; and the Susan G. Komen Fund for Breast Cancer Research."

The thinkThin protein bars come in a variety of flavors, which I look forward to trying. They also have other types of bars, including thinkOrganic, thinkGreen, thinkThin Pink, and thinkFruit. Some of these other bars are not high in protein, but they are healthy.
Warning: These bars contain maltitol, which causes intestinal discomfort in some people. You can learn more about maltitol in this article on about.com. Maltitol: Just Say No Why Maltitol is Often More Trouble Than It's Worth

Update - March 1, 2009 - I recently tried two more Brownie Crunch bars (different dates) and they had a weird, almost metallic taste. My daughter thought so too. The first one I ate and based the review on did not taste this way. Has anyone else experienced this?

Update - 2010 - I tried other ThinkThin flavors and couldn't finish the bars because of the metallic taste that comes from maltitol.

Update - 2011 - NuGo Nutrition Debuts the First Almost Sugar-Free Protein Bar Without Maltitol or Artificial Sweeteners at Expo East. NuGo Slim is high in protein and fiber, certified gluten-free, coated in real dark chocolate, and tastes delicious!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Helloooo GF Optimist!
Oh wow, I'm so excited to discover this website! I found it by leaving a comment on Shauna's latest post on Gluten-Free Girl. I was so excited to see "marylandceliac" in the list of comments. I live in Maryland, too. I'm in Columbia.

On Jan 5th, I finally (after thinking about it for about 8 years) made the commitment to go 100% GF. I don't have Celiac disease, but I do have a gluten intolerance. It's always been managed with digestive enzymes. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis, so I've always wanted to take the plunge and do 100% GF to see if it made a difference in how I felt. So the time came that I felt that I was ready to do the work. And it's been so much easier than I ever imagined! I just feel very committed to this way of eating, finally! I'm looking at it as a fun new adventure, trying new foods and new products. I'm still learning. I did print out a long list off of the internet of what to avoid. I run to that list ALOT!

I'm looking forward to navigating around your site and clicking on the links you have. My adventure continues!

Thanks for listening. Good luck with your healthful journey!

Meredith
mrw1123@verizon.net

marylandceliac said...

Hi Meredith! You will find lots of useful links in the newly diagnosed and Celiac sections on the left. Roots in Clarksville and Olney carries tons of gluten free foods - more than Whole Foods! I also have a link for the DC Celiac support group, so be sure to join. It is for anyone who eats gluten free. There is also a Baltimore group - http://www.marylandceliacs.org/. I love P.F. Chang's and Outback! I will send you an email in case you have any questions. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

thank you for your comment! I hope that my blog proves helpful... I am definitely going to link to yours right now!
Stephen
glutenfreewayla.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I recently discovered these at trader joe's. I wanted to like it but I tried a brownie bar and a creamy peanut bar and they both tasted metallic! Ewwww

Dr. Linda Travelute said...

Hey, if you don't like em, don't eat em!