Odwalla Chocolate Chip Peanut

You guys are here again?

The Attraction

Recently, I reviewed Odwalla's Berries GoMega and then compared it against Kind's Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bar. I received some grief about that as some readers felt that it was not a fair comparison because I wasn't comparing like products. Yes, they are both "healthier" snacks, but one is fruit based and the other, chocolate based. OK people, you win. Let's do it again, but this time let's see if Odwalla can step up their snack game and make something I would want to eat on purpose.

The Review:
There are two ways that I could have conducted this test; either review a fruit based product of Kind's or a chocolate based snack of Odwalla's. After some debating (not really), I thought I would go the chocolate route (what a surprise). Actually, I think it was the better way to go as I had some serious doubt as to if Odwalla would be able to produce a snack that I would recommend, even if chocolate was a primary ingredient. If they could not make chocolate and peanut taste good, I don't think they would be able to make anything that would.

Hmm...Could this be better?

I unwrap the chocolate chip peanut bar and take a peer inside. Much like their Berries GoMega, the bar itself looked like it was compressed with oats, bran and other things that are good for you. Granted the physical appearance isn't quite as sexy as the Kind bar, but in the end, this review is really about how the Odwalla bar stands on it's own, not how it compares to other similar products.

I take a bite from the bar and I notice the texture isn't as mealy as their other bar. It's not that the Berries GoMega was dry, but the texture seems different. This go around, the bar was more reminiscent of a drier brownie or cake. When I sink my teeth into a chocolate chip on the same chew, it dawns on me that this bar taste like a chocolate chip cookie. OK, not like the world's most decadent, rich or moist cookie, but like a chocolate chip cookie with maybe a third of the chocolate chips a cookie would have. The peanuts aren't as prominent as I'm accustomed to (perhaps because they are actually peanuts, not peanut butter), but you will harldy notice as you polish off the rest of the bar.

This was a little different

The Sweet:
Comparable in flavor to some "non-healthy" snacks.

The Bitter:
Not a replacement for some of the more high end / decadent snacks.

Conclusion:
Even though I got some grief for comparing two very different types of healthy snacks, I'm glad I did. Odwalla got a chance to redeem itself with their Chocolate Chip Peanut bar and redeem it did. If you are looking to keep on the "healthier" snack side of the pool, this bar is a reminder that although all healthy snack options are not created equal, going to a healthier snack option doesn't necessarily mean a death sentence for your taste buds. In the case of Odwalla's Chocolate Chip Peanut, it actually means a reprieve.

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