Flavors Tried: Blueberry, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Chocolate Sea Salt
Price: $27.99 for box of 12
Nutrition: 200 Calories, 8g Fat, 23g Carbs (5g Fiber 14g Sugar), 12g Protein
By this point, everyone is familiar with RXBar. You see the package with the ingredients listed in big bold letters right on the front, and you know exactly what it is.
As a long-time player in the protein bar market, RXBar has always intrigued me with its commitment to minimalism. However, until now, I haven’t been brave enough to try them.
I’m all for minimal ingredients, but based on the main ingredients of dates and egg whites, I know that I need to temper expectations a bit in the flavor department.
For this review, I chose three flavors: Blueberry, Peanut Butter Chocolate, and Chocolate Sea Salt. RXBar offers other flavors, but I figured these 3 would give me a solid picture of the brand as a whole.
Nutritionally, each bar contains roughly 200 calories and 12 grams of protein. Those macros aren’t insanely impressive, but they’re becoming quite common for protein bars. Ingredients-wise, I won’t bother breaking them down, because they are all listed right on the front of the package for ya!
Flavor Review: Blueberry
Diving into the Blueberry flavor, I was hopeful for, well, blueberry.
Instead, the experience was way more almond than it was blueberry. The bar’s chewiness, a result of the date & egg white base, was intense, and its stickiness was somewhat off-putting. Almond pieces in the bar did add a nice textural contrast, but the overall flavor profile was overwhelmed by the egg whites and almonds.
The blueberry notes were there thanks to pieces of dried blueberries, but they played a background role, not quite living up to the expectation of a blueberry-focused experience.
Flavor Review: Peanut Butter Chocolate
Next was the Peanut Butter Chocolate, a flavor combination that’s hard to get wrong.
Initially, the peanut butter flavor was promising, but it quickly succumbed to an overpowering saltiness. The second the salt hits your tongue, it is the only thing you taste in this bar.
I put this bar away and gave it a second chance after a week, hoping my palate might have gotten it wrong the first time around, but the saltiness remained.
The balance between peanut butter, chocolate, and salt is a delicate one, and unfortunately, this bar tipped too far on the salty side.
You can taste peanut butter and chocolate in this bar, and had it not been for the saltiness, maybe this one would be much better.
Flavor Review: Chocolate Sea Salt
The Chocolate Sea Salt flavor stood out among the three.
It maintained the chewy, sticky texture characteristic of RXBar, but the flavor balance was significantly more successful.
The dark chocolate taste of this one is rich and satisfying, leaning more towards the bitter side than the sweet side. But that bitterness is complemented very well by the right amount of sea salt.
This bar offers a more balanced and enjoyable experience than the others, especially for those who prefer darker chocolate flavors. If you prefer milk chocolate, this one won’t be for you, but the bitter dark chocolate with the sea salt works great here.
RXBar: Overall Thoughts
RXBar offers a unique protein bar experience with its minimal ingredient approach.
The texture, consistently chewy and sticky across all flavors, might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Its definitely not the texture I’m looking for in a protein bar (to put it into perspective, they are much sticker than Quest Bars).
Flavor-wise, while the Chocolate Sea Salt shines, the Blueberry and Peanut Butter Chocolate flavors don’t quite hit the mark for me.
RXBar’s commitment to simplicity and natural ingredients is notable and certainly appealing to those with specific dietary needs. However, for those who prioritize flavor and texture in their protein bars, there are more satisfying options available.
RXBar fits a very particular niche, and while it won’t be my go-to snack, I can see the appeal for those seeking a straightforward, minimal-ingredient protein bar.
