Disclaimer:
This post reflects my personal opinion about this product and is not sponsored or affiliated by the company Barebells Functional Foods.
This post reflects my personal opinion about this product and is not sponsored or affiliated by the company Barebells Functional Foods.
Barebells Functional Foods is a company from Sweden that creates a variety of protein-filled snacks ranging from protein bars, milkshakes and spreads. As a regular consumer of protein bars, I’m always on the lookout for new brands and this particular brand caught my eye with their vintage looking packaging and the flavour option of hazelnut and nougat. Although there weren’t many reviews on the certain product, their description reeled me in and I was sold when they compared their bar to my all-time favourite guilty pleasures, the classic Ferrero Rocher.
Barebells’ Hazelnut & Nougat Bar delivers a super-soft nougat, caramel-infused centre, all coated in dreamy, smooth milk chocolate and crunchy, indulgent roasted hazelnut nibs. Yep, you might well ask the question, ‘is there protein in this?!’ (they’re THAT good!).
In the Hazelnut Nougat Barebells flavour, you can expect a sweet milk chocolate outer layer, the usual impressively smooth centre, little crunchy Rocher-style Hazelnut pieces and a sweet caramel layer…and all for just 205 calories, a whole 20g of protein and just 1.9g of sugar! ” – Barebells Functional Foods
Continue reading to read my review of Barebell’s Hazelnut and Nougat protein bar and to see if it lives up to its claims.
Nutritional Information
Each 55g bar is milk protein based and provides 20g of protein, 2g of sugar, 14g of carbohydrates, 9.4g of fat and 4.2g of fibre. It is not gluten, nut or egg free, and contains sweeteners.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Bar
(55g)
Servings Per Container 12
Amount/Serving
Calories 205
%Daily Value*
Total Fat 9.4g
12%
Saturated Fat 4.1g
21%
Trans Fat 0g
Sodium 100mg
4%
Total Carbohydrate
14g
5%
Dietary Fiber 4.2g
14%
Total Sugars 1.9g
Incl. <1g Added Sugars
0%
Protein 20g40%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
-
20gProtein
-
14gNet Carbs
-
1.9Sugar
-
9.4Fat
-
4.2gFiber
INGREDIENTS
Milk protein, humectant (glycerol), sweetener (maltitol), collagen peptides, isomalto-oligosaccharide, hazelnuts (7.5%), water, cocoa butter, milk powder, cocoa mass, palm fat, cocoa powder, flavouring, emulsifier (soy lecithin), sweetener (sucralose, acesulfame K)
ALLERGENS
May contain traces of egg, gluten, peanuts and other nuts. Contains sweeteners and naturally occurring sugars. Excessive consumption may have laxative effects.
Review and Concerns
I would compare this bar to Ferrero Rocher’s long lost relative with a questionable present. This protein bar surprisingly did remind me of a Ferrero Rocher type chocolate (so kudos to Barebell on that win) with its texture and presentation of chopped hazelnuts and chocolate coating covering the bar. It has a good balance of sweetness, moisture, crunch and chewiness, although as a whole, the bar leans more on the chewier and gooey side.Compared to other bars that I’ve tried from popular brands such as Vega, One, Clif and Simply Protein, I noticed that this particular brand triggered and amplified sugar cravings that made me want to consume more than just one bar in a sitting. This was a relatively different response from my usual protein bar consumption and experience since I usually feel satisfied after having one bar so I decided to look more into the ingredients that may have triggered this response. One ingredient that stood out was Acesulfame Potassium, (also known as Ace-K, Acesulfame K or E950 [in Europe] ) which is a man-made, calorie-free sugar substitute commonly found in soft drinks, frozen desserts, baked goods and tabletop sweeteners. (1)
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Acesulfame is up to 200 times sweeter than table sugar. (2) Studies on lab animals such as mice have shown that long-term and chronic use of Ace-K, had unfavourable effects on these mice and has caused thyroid damage, brain function irregularities and cancer.
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