KIND bars have been slowly stealing the race when it comes to granola bars all over university campuses, and they've made it to our windy town of Storrs at UConn.
When hunting down granola bars in the grocery store, it's usually because you're trying to be KIND to your body.
Now that we've got the pun out of the way, let's get down to business. Our Spoon University chapter here at UConn had the pleasure of meeting the UConn KIND representative.
We decided to have a fun bonding experience by trying out different KIND bars.
Although we'll be giving our thoughts and opinions, we won't actually be rating them. If you're specifically looking for a rating on KIND bars, check this article out.
Based on our thoughts, we'll be renaming eight KIND bars that we tried out. Here's what we came up with:
The "I'm Trying to be Healthy Knock-Off" Bar (Popped Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt)
This is the bar for those trying to take that first small step to healthy eating, and later realizing how tough it actually is.
The texture had some mixed reviews from us; some enjoyed it while others really weren't sure what to think of it. You can definitely expect a grainy taste from the popcorn along with a hit of quinoa to remind you you're aiming for healthy habits in your food choices.
Despite the texture, it's definitely a great study snack to nibble on between pages of reading. Best way to describe it: a knock-off chewy bar. Our only suggestion, KIND Snacks; it needs more chocolate.
The Booty Call Bar: Always There When You Need It (Popped Salted Caramel)
The bar in the yellow-stripped wrapping; not our top choice but that phone number probably won't be leaving our contact list any time soon. Most of us agreed we probably wouldn't go for this one in the grocery aisle, but we wouldn't say no if it was offered.
This light and airy bar gives off a simple taste that leaves you satisfied but not exactly excited. You can definitely taste the popcorn and quinoa in it, and it has a very grainy and dry texture. It also leaves a bit of an aftertaste in your mouth.
It's the bar we would definitely eat if given but probably wouldn't ask for seconds.
The Sunday Brunch Bar (Vanilla Blueberry)
Add a nice, sweet touch to Sunday brunch with the vanilla blueberry bar. Sitting up there among our favorites, this bar gives off a sweet (and a bit artificial) blueberry flavor. It's strong so you can't miss it.
Although some thought it had a "weird film taste", most agreed this was a good breakfast bar for when you're sitting down and enjoying some time with your meal.
Next time you're having brunch, grab some tea and this bar to make it just that much better.
The Salty Basic B*tch (Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt)
First she's sweet, then she's salty. This KIND bar is filled with so many flavors from the nuttiness embedded in each crunch to the strong maple smell and taste to the sunflower, nature-like flavor.
It reminded some of us of pumpkin spice which can add a bit of that basic lifestyle you want outside of the pumpkin spice season.
With a lingering aftertaste of multiple flavors, we wondered if there were possibly too many flavors. In the end, we decided this is the bar where each flavor constantly asks for your attention like a salty basic b*tch.
The Morning After Bar (Dark Chocolate Almond Mint)
There's no getting past the mint flavor in this bar. As the real name suggests, the bar is a savory mix of chocolate and mint. Although some of us found this bar to be ideal for evenings, it reminded others of having just brushed our teeth and eating a granola bar right after.
The nutty taste blends the two strong flavors together. Some people loved it and some people hated it, so give it a try to see if it's a good combination or not. With that said, we all did love the packaging and thought it was the prettiest of those we'd seen.
The Tailgate Bar (Honey Roasted Nuts and Sea Salt)
It's time to add another snack to the tailgate snack list. This bar reminded us of a snack we'd eat a baseball game like roasted peanuts.
The red packaging was misleading to most of us: we were expecting something fruity like a red berry and found something salty instead.
Despite the misleading red color, the bar sends a sweet honey taste fighting with the salty and nutty that sends taste buds ablaze. With the salty taste, it's probably best paired with some fruit to balance it all out.
The Wifey Bar (Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt)
What you see is what you get with the Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt bar: chocolate goodness melted on almonds with a pinch of sea salt that leaves your mouth watery for more.
Like the perfect wife, this bar gives you no surprises and keeps you happy. Enjoy wifey's company with some coffee or espresso to create an all-together great experience.
Unsurprising to us, our KIND bar rep told us this was actually the best selling bar, and now we know why.
The "Does This Count as a Serving of Fruit?" Bar (Blueberry Vanilla and Cashew)
Healthy eating may be hard for those who aren't a big fan of fruit. If that's the case, this is the perfect bar to simulate a fruity experience and satisfy the fruit-portion of the diet.
Filled with an artificial sweet taste, this chewy bar offers something soft and sweet for anyone's sweet tooth. Despite the artificial taste, these KIND bars are actually very healthy, so there's no need to think the brain needs to be tricked into loving fruit. Just reach for this KIND bar instead.
After all was tasted and done, we decided to see which was the favorite among the group, and it actually came to a three-way tie between: Vanilla Blueberry, Dark Chocolate Almond Mint, and Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt.
Just goes to show there's a KIND bar flavor for everyone out there.