Dr. Melina Protein Bar, Lemon Raspberry, 1.58-Ounce Bars (Pack of 15)
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List Price: Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Dr. Melina Protein Bar, Lemon Raspberry, 1.58-Ounce Bars (Pack of 15)
Customer Review: Another competitor to the growing "bar" market
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Yes, I've tried just about every protein / food bar out there over the years. Typically when I try one I'll get an entire box (or two) and work on it for 2-4 weeks, eating the bars on a regular basis as a meal substitute or snack. I use bars when I'm on a strick exercise plan or throughout those months where I'm running between meetings at work.
MY FEEDBACK:
- According to the 2007 Consumer Report, the best diet book based on scientific research was Volumetrics. This book basically says to eat items where the calories in the product are close or less than the size of the serving in grams.
For instance if a single serving is 45 grams in weight and 45 calories then you have a ratio of 1.
The books says this is very good and the food will satify you LONGER with less calories, which can better assist with weight loss or easier weight management.
Why do I mention this?
Because this item has the very first ingredient as a high calorie sweetner (Syrup blend). Also there are three other sweetners mentioned (sucrose, maltitol syrup and sucrose again) in the listed ingredients.
Thus the calorie/gram ratio is over a 4 (180 calories to 45 grams), which based on Volumetrics is exactly the kind of food you want to avoid.
- I'm not saying that Volumetrics is the end all, be all of what to eat or not eat, but. . .If I ate one of these bars I found I'm defintely hungry 90 minutes later
- I like the taste. Berry-sweet with a little lemony tang. If lemon is not your thing then pass on this bar. Having a variety of flavors would be preferred, but this one works for me.
- The item is easy to chew. It seems more solid than those rice-cripy treat type of bars that feel hollow and empty. Also its not so overly solid that its like chewing tire rubber like some bars are
- Like most bars, this is kinda dry so keep a tall glass of water handy. It isn't terribly dry like eating jerky or PowerBars, but you will get thirsty.
- In a world where it seems more and more people suffer from allergies with dairy and nuts, this has both ingredients. The packaging at least gives a nice bolded warning to help these types of folks quickly identify possible harmful ingredients.
- 14g of protein per bar. Nice!
- 5g of Fiber per bar. Very nice!
- 180 calories per bar = average with most bars
- If it wasn't for the sugars (10g) this would be a much better product.
- None of the ingredients are organic. . .a trend in today's day & age I'm surprised isn't included here
- Vitamin A and C = 0%. We are in the 21st century and I expect more items to be vitamin enriched. But its not a big deal since I take a Daily and supplements like many people.
- A $1.50 per bar is a bit steep. Especially considering there are many competitor products that are less expensive.
- At least the bottom ingredients are actuall oat fiber and freeze dried raspberry. . . .not some artificial ingredient
OVERALL:
If I found a competitor product on sale at the market with compariable ingredients I'd buy the sale product instead of paying the $1.50 per bar for this one. If nothing was on sale, I could see myself making a 60/40 decision in favor of getting this bar due to the high protein, high fiber and good taste.
Customer Review: Not bad, but not perfect either
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I've never written a review of a food product before so I'm not sure what exactly I should be including. But I'll give it a try.
I've been trying to lose weight for about 6 months or so now and the hardest part for me is eating healthy and not junky foods. I don't do well on a diet since I'm not much of an advance food planner. I'm more of a "what do I have in the freezer I can cook quickly when I get home from work" kind of person. So I thought trying protein bars may help curb the cravings for sweets. (My weakness!)
I've tried several different kinds in the past, even before it became important for me to lose weight, and often times they have a bitter aftertaste or leave a chalky-feeling residue in your mouth. These Dr. Melina's Protein Bars in Lemon Raspberry flavor aren't perfect, but they are loads better than many other kinds I've tried. There is no aftertaste or bad feeling you can't seem to wash away. They are a little dry and you'll likely want to have some water on hand to drink afterwards as a result. The taste is a strong pleasant flavor, though I'd like if I could taste the raspberry a little more. The lemon overpowers the berry flavor.
One thing I was hoping for was that these bars, being high in protein, would help keep me from feeling hungry in between meals. Unfortunately that didn't really work out. I tried eating them as a breakfast or lunch replacement bar and was hungry again in a couple hours. I found they worked better for me when I was having a craving for something sweet, not when I was eating them as a snack to fend off hunger until my next meal, or as a meal itself. As a fill in for a candy bar they worked quite well and I may have to try one of the chocolate flavors which would work even better to fend off the cravings.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2008. All rights reserved.
Customer Review: Good, But Not Great
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
When I first started eating these bars, I really, really liked them. I felt like I was eating a candy bar and had no problem eating them in the morning between breakfast and lunch as a healthy snack to keep me going. After about a week, however, I felt like I couldn't even finish one bar. They started to taste way too sweet for me. Not sweet like candy sweet, but that fake sweet that makes you realize you are eating something imitation. It is hard to describe, but I started feeling a bit nauseous about eating these bars and had to take a break and eat other things for about a month. I found that I am okay with eating these bars if I rotate them in with a selection of other snacks and kind of limit myself to about 1 a week.
So, would I continue ordering these bars? Probably yes. I like the lemon flavor, as it is one of my favorite tastes (lemon cake - yum!), and it is difficult to find bars like this that don't come in a a faux chocolate flavor. I also liked that I felt full for about 3 - 4 hours after I ate the bar and did not think about snacking on anything else after I ate it. I work for a packaging company and am in charge of a potato chip company so I always have samples and rejects in my office. Anything that keeps me from munching my way through a few bags a day is a good thing in my book!
Customer Review: Interesting Flavor
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have to admit to not being a major fan of protein bars in general, but as a Vine participant, I did choose this product to review because my family does enjoy them. I can actually say that I personally was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and texture of the bars! Though the label says lemon and raspberry, the lemon flavor is exceedingly strong and it's difficult to taste the raspberry, though it is subtley there. The texture is good and I didn't feel as though I was eating a dry piece of wood, which has been my experience in the past.
My family is divided over the bars, however; my husband quite likes them and has currently confiscated the rest of the box to take to work for quick snacks. My two daughters, aged eleven and sixteen, did not care for the bars. Neither one likes lemon flavoring that much, which I believe accounts for the lack of favorable response.
If you do indeed like lemon flavoring, and you feel the need to eat protein bars, whether for a snack or as a breakfast substitute, then this product is a good choice for you. Just don't be upset when you expect the two flavors that are billed to balance out; it's definitely a case of the stronger flavor winning.
Customer Review: Pretty Good -- Good Value
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I eat a protein bar every day as a mid morning snack. I used to get Slimfast, but they fired Whoopee Goldberg for speaking her mind, so I boycott them. Then we would buy Genisoy. We loved them and Luna Bars (eventhough we're both guys) and Balance Bars (which can taste a bit like a chocolate vitamin)...but those can get expensive. These days we settle on granola bars without so much High Fructose Corn Syrup in them. I tell you all of that so you know that we have tried a lot of different brands.
Dr Melina's bars are good but not great. For taste, I'd say think of fruit loops--or maybe a store-brand-knock-off. They can be a little grainy, but for the most part the texture is good, interesting to your mouth. You really feel like you have had a snack but they don't break your jaw (try eating a chilled Genisoy bar--ouchies!). You can check the specs for nutrition. They compare favorably. However they DO have palm kernal oil & that's not the healthiest thing you can eat. My partner is a total vegetarian and he appreciated the high protien & low carb.
Bottom line: good value & taste for the price.