Banana and chocolate chip is one of my favorite flavor combinations, so I was excited when these Kashi Soft n’ Chewy Bar samples arrived at my doorstep. I’ve had several Kashi products in the past and like that they are one of the fewer brands of “good-for-you” foods that are widely available in my rural community.
Each Kashi Soft n’ Chewy Bar in the banana chocolate chip flavor provides a ½ serving of fruit and a ½ serving of veggies. The banana provides the fruit, obviously. The veggie, however, comes from the addition of pumpkin puree.
Each bar has 140 calories, 3 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 9 grams of whole grains. The bars contain no high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners.
I had hoped that my son would like these bars because I’m always looking for healthier snack options for him. Unfortunately, he didn’t care for them at all. I suspect that’s because I have a fabulous banana bread recipe I often make that is much sweeter than these bars and that’s what he automatically associates with the banana and chocolate chip combination.
On the other hand, I thought they were really good. They’re very moist and the pumpkin puree, while not overwhelming, gives them a unique flavor that I thought was a nice chance of pace from a more traditional type of banana bread. It’s almost like a slight molasses taste, which makes me think of enjoying gingerbread cookies at Christmas time.
Since I struggle to find ways to get enough veggies into my own diet and admit to too many lunches that consist of a candy bar and a Diet Coke, I’ll be picking up a few boxes of these bars to have on hand for myself.
photo credit: Kashi
