Snack Review: Gnu Bars

I agreed to review these because I am a sucker for anything with an animal in its name. I have no idea what prompted them to name these bars after large hoofstock - perhaps their herbivorous nature, and, um, very fibrous output was the inspiration? Because the big selling point of the Gnu Bar is, in large type on each wrapper: “Flavor and fiber together at last.”

Now, I was a little concerned about this, actually, when when I also read: “One bar deliciously provides almost 50% of the daily value of fiber.” I mean, these are pretty small. What if I forget and eat three? (And if you think my worries are silly, you might want to read Diana’s review of Fiber One Bars.)

And then I turned the bar over and read the following:

“Visit www.GnuFoods.com - Join the Movement!”

Oh dear. Is that a joke, or is it just me?

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Snack Review: Diana’s Bananas Banana Babies

I would argue that I am a person of refined tastes. I am able to appreciate the perfectly simple pleasure of an unadorned potato chip without extra flavor powders sullying its spudly purity. I scorn fancy ice cream flavors with seventeen kinds of chunks and swirls mixed in. I of course feel this shows my culinary sophistication, rather than being evidence that I have never outgrown the three year old’s dread of having different foods touch on my plate.

One combination that always works for me, though, is banana and chocolate, whether it’s that Starbuck’s Vivanno thingy that they aren’t allowed to call smoothies, or else my own frozen banana concoction – which has taught me the virtues of the frozen banana. So I was attracted to these, although the name Banana Babies seemed a bit gruesome. And they didn’t let me down.

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Snack Review: Kardea Nutrition Bar

OK, so these are all about heart health and “natural cholesterol management.” If you want to know about that, go read their website. My business here is how they taste, because if they don’t taste good, who cares how healthy they are? If I want to eat something healthy that tastes bad, that’s why they invented vegetables and whole grains, thanks very much.

Anyway, I can’t tell you more, because I stopped reading the website myself before it stopped me from trying these at all. For some reason, phrases like “More Viscous Soluble Fiber than Heart Healthy Oatmeal” don’t fill me with anticipation of deliciousness. “Viscous” just isn’t a word that I want anywhere near a description of my snacks, you know?

The manufacturer had kindly sent all four flavors for me to sample. I decided to try the cranberry-almond first because it was post-dinnertime and that flavor sounded most like dessert.

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Snack Recipe: Magic Banana Smoothie

This is not a recipe so much as a secret that I am going to reveal. You really just need to know one thing: frozen banana.

If you freeze a banana and then run it through the blender with some liquid, you get something that’s almost soft ice cream, without any fat or dairy. You can do this with fruit juice, but my favorite kind is banana-chocolate. I have started to make these again regularly since I was reminded of them by the Starbucks smoothies, which bear a rough similarity. (And man, is it cheaper at home!)

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Snack Drink Review: Starbucks Vivanno Smoothies

First let’s get the rant out of the way: why do these need their own cute brand name? Isn’t Starbucks already a brand name?

Now, I’m not a big fan of Starbucks. I don’t like the whole corporate-monolith thing. I don’t like their burnt coffee and their espresso drinks that mostly taste like milk. I’m not saying I don’t go there - they are the only game in town in too many places for that to be possible – but I don’t really like them.

But I do have to say that they do a decent job with chocolate things. Their mochas solve the problem of their lattes having no real flavor – when made well, they’re very good chocolate drinks.

And I wasn’t disappointed in the chocolate-banana smoothie. It was chocolaty and it had just the right hint of banana - not so much that you’d worry about it being too healthy or anything. It had a nice texture, sort of like a milkshake, or like they use a frozen banana, which comes out a lot like ice cream when put through a blender (DO try that at home, by the way. It’s a great thing).

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