I always keep a protein bar in my purse in case hunger strikes while I’m running around. I picked up a few of the new FitJoy protein bars while I was at Vitamin Shoppe this week. While I find that many of the protein bars on the market today are filled with very questionable ingredients, FitJoy bars are gluten-free, GMO-free and do not contain artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. Each bar has around 220 calories, 13g of fiber and pack 20g of protein, making them a great, filling snack. The bars come in 6 different flavors, and I purchased the 4 flavors that most appealed to me.
Here is a run down of the FitJoy flavors I tried:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – FitJoy’s take on this classic flavor is subtle, but solid. The texture of this bar is very “doughy” with chocolate chips throughout. It’s not overly sweet and doesn’t have an artificial-tasting cookie dough flavor like some other bars I’ve tried. I give this flavor an 8/10.
Chocolate Iced Brownie – While I love chocolate, when it comes to protein bars, it usually isn’t the first flavor I’ll gravitate towards, but even so, I really enjoyed this flavor. It had a similar texture to the cookie dough, and if you’re a chocoholic, this will be a winner for you. I give this flavor a 7.5/10.
Chocolate Peanut Butter – Being a lover of all things peanut butter, I had high expectations for this flavor and was sure that it would be my favorite of the bunch. It has a chocolate fudge-like layer on top with peanut pieces sprinkled on it. Sadly, I found it to have a fake peanut butter taste to me (think powdered peanut butter, like PB2) and the chocolate was overpowering, so the peanut butter flavor I was hoping for didn’t come through enough. I give this flavor a 6.5/10.
Mint Chocolate Crisp – This bar has a crispier texture than the first few bars I tried, which I liked. I am a fan of peppermint + chocolate, but this bar has more of a menthol minty flavor, which I still liked. I give this flavor a 7/10.
The two flavors I passed on trying were the Frosted Cinnamon Roll and French Vanilla Almond. If anyone has tried these, I’d love to know what you thought!
Overall, I did like them! Compared to Quest bars, they are softer and chewier. The bars have some “whey protein crisps” scattered throughout which added some crispiness, but they don’t have the chunks of goodies (chocolate chunks, pieces of dried fruit, graham cracker bits, etc.) that Quest bars have. (Side note: I’m comparing them to Quest bars because they seem to be one of the most popular protein bars that many have tried. While I am a fan of some Quest Bar flavors, I find their new formula to be a bit “artificial tasting,” so I haven’t been having them as much. Plus, nothing can take the place of real food. ☺)
EDITED TO ADD: I just tried one of FitJoy’s seasonal flavors, Winter Peppermint Bark.
I’m a fan of mint chocolate everything, so I had to give this flavor a shot. The texture of this bar is great! It is crispier and less chewy than some of the original flavors and has a strong peppermint flavor, so if you are a mint lover, I’d give it a try!
Be well,
Tina
