NEW! Nakd Peanut Delight & Carrot Cake (ASDA)

If you follow me on Instagram you'll already know that Nakd bars are one of my diet staples, and are regularly taken to work for a mid morning snack. I love them because they're bold in flavour, despite being relatively saintly. I've learned that heating the bars for 20 seconds in the microwave somehow further unlocks their boldness further and turns them squidgy at the same time -double bonus. So, it's needless to say that addition of not one, but THREE new Nakd bars got me more than a little excited. The line up now includes carrot cake, peanut delight and an apricot crunch bar. I found the first two in ASDA for 75p each, but I'm yet to spot the apricot flavour -have you seen it yet?

Peanut Delight
Out of the newbie trio, Peanut Delight was -of course- the bar I was most excited to try. I'm pretty much fuelled by peanut butter these days, and love the peanut trek bar, so I expected this bar to become my new favourite Nakd.

"Go nuts for peanuts with our splendid new Peanut Delight bar, packed with all the goodness you’ve come to know and love from Nākd.  Perfect as a pick-me up between meals or just when you feel like treating yourself, this lovely bar has a deep, rich peanut taste from chunky peanut pieces and of course, they’re smooshed together with delicious dates. Made with nothing but natural ingredients, this guilt-free delight is sure to satisfy any snack-hankerings."

Get in my belly. Now.

Somehow the bar looked different to what I expected, I thought that it would just be a mini Trek, but instead it was dark and glossy with a strong date scent.  

Taste-wise it was disappointing. I regularly stuff dates with peanut butter as one of my favourite healthy evening snacks (utterly delicious if you've never tried it) and therefore usually love the combination. Nakd seem to have got the proportions all wrong though: there's far too much date and not nearly enough peanut. In fact the only nod to peanuts were the occasional soggy chopped nut that cropped up every now and then. The resulting flavour lands the bar a long way into the sweet camp, and I found it to be longing for a good sprinkling of salt -and preferably a coating of peanut butter too. Not even warming it through could save it. I'm afraid it's not one I'll buy again.

3/10

Carrot Cake
I've mentioned a good few times over these past few months that I'm partial to a good slice of carrot cake. I was a bit dubious about this carrot cake flavoured raw, vegan and gluten free bar. After all surely nothing could compare to an indulgent homemade affair, adorned with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.

"Feeling the need for something desserty without the guilt? Presenting a special guest treat, this is a crave-busting carrot cake bar that tastes just like the real thing, but with the added bonus of being super-healthy too! This Carrot Cake bar is unique and special which is why it’ll only be around for a short time, it’s bound to be snapped up quick so you’ll want to get involved as soon as you can to avoid disappointment! With the warming spice of cinnamon accompanied by soft walnuts, raisins and dates this one really takes the cake."

Can you see the flecks of carrot dotted about the bar? I could smell the cinnamon the moment I peeled back the wrapper..

Hurrah Nakd! This is what I've come to expect from you! The bar was soft and chewy, whilst packing some serious punch. They have worked their magic and absolutely nailed the flavours of one of my favourite cakes. Moveover Rhubarb & Custard, the new Carrot Cake bar might just have claimed the top spot. I microwaved the second half of my bar and found -for the first time ever- that it wasn't any better warm... which makes it perfect for eating on the go. I'm gutted that this is a limited edition flavour, so I'll be sure to stock up whilst they're still around!

10/10

Have you tried any of the new bars yet? Are you in agreement with me and Kev (find his review of both bars here) or do you like the Peanut Delight bar like the lovely Erin (read her review here).

Nakd Caffé Mocha

As you might have gathered if you've read my previous posts, I've recently fallen in love with cold press snack bars, such as Nakd, Trek, and the cheap (but very tasty) Tesco Banana Bliss. I'm starting to get alarmingly excited by trying flavours I've not seen before; so when I popped into an odd little independent Health Food shop and spotted the Nakd Caffé Mocha, I ignored the fact it was more than double the price that they're currently on offer in ASDA for, and snapped it up.

The Caffé Mocha bar is just as saintly as the other Nakd Bars, consisting purely of Dates, Cashews, Raisins, Cocoa and natural flavourings. It also contains one of your five a day, and is suitable for anyone who's Vegan, Coeliac, or Lactose intolerant.

As you can see, the cashews are clearly visible once the bar is broken. I've learnt from experience that Nakd bars are lovely warmed in the microwave for twenty seconds, giving them a comforting gooey-ness. I did nibble the end before heating, and it was tasty cold (but better warm). Both the coffee and the chocolate flavours were well represented within the bar, although its far less sweet than many of the other bars within the range.

I enjoyed the bar, but it comes way down my list of favourite cold-press snacks (perhaps an indication of why it's a less widely available flavour). I missed the usual Nakd sweetness, so I'd choose the Rhubarb & Custard over the Caffé Mocha Nakd bar every time.

6/10

NEW Tesco Banana Bliss Bars

As I mentioned when I reviewed the Nakd Christmas Pud bars last month, I'm having a bit of a passionate affair with their range. I've since tried the Cocoa & Strawberry Crunch bars, which are so tasty! The only problem is... I'm a bit skint. So love them as I do, I have to limit the amount of bars I buy. 

Tesco may have solved my problem however, because they've released two new cold pressed fruit bars: Banana Bliss and Berry Blast. Priced at £1.19 for four bars they undercut Nakd's approximate 75p a bar RRP by about two thirds! Similar to Nakd's Crunch range they are also high in protein and are wheat & dairy free 

Cold pressed fruit and nut bar with dates, soy protein crispies, raisins, cashew nuts and banana.

As I'm sure you'll agree though, price isn't everything, and if they taste pants then what's the point? Nakd's banana bar is my favourite of their Crunch range, so I decided to try Tesco's version. 

The bars are a similar colour, but Tesco's is more rectangular in shape. Consistency wise, I found Tesco's to be slightly more crunchy (you can see the soy crispies in the photo below) which I preferred.The flavour was indistinguishly different to Nak'd's bars, with a strong and natural banana taste. 

Nak'd I love you, but Tesco- you've got me hook, line and sinker. If you're a regular consumer of Nak'ds range I urge you to give these supermarket brand version a go! 

8/10

Nakd Christmas Pud Bar

Today's review is of another festive product first released last year that I didn't get round to trying. I didn't think it would be my cup of tea, and I feared the horrible brown rice syrup that seems to be present in a lot of healthier snack bars. The only reason I even contemplated buying them was due to Erin's blog post about the Christmas Pud bars (we seem to have similar tastes and she thinks that they are pretty damn tasty).

I tried a few different outlets but had no luck, so I ended up buying a couple of different bars instead. First I tried the Banana Crunch Bar... then the Banana Bread bar... and I really enjoyed them both! So, long story short, in the space of a week I've fallen slightly in love with the Nakd bar range. Yesterday I received a Twitter tip off that Sainsbury's might be a good bet, which was a good hint because I finally tracked them down, hurrah.

The bars are 35g each and are attractively packaged in a festive green wrapper, complete with Christmas hat. I love Nakd's attention to detail- especially the tiny little 'Hi Mum!' hidden under the seal. The Christmas Pud bars' only ingredients are dates, cashews, raisins and natural flavouring "smooshed together," which means they are Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free, count towards one of your five a day, and are totally Vegan friendly.

Unwrapping the bar, I was greeted by a strong festive aroma. It was well spiced, and the tones of cinnamon and nutmeg were particularly pungent. Texture-wise the bar was dense and chewy, which meant that it's quite satisfying to eat for such a small snack. Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of Christmas Pudding because it's so heavy and cloying -particularly after a main meal-  but this little bar has all of the flavour without any of the stodge.

Well played Nakd!

8/10