Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Head to Head: Twisted vs Take 5

TwistedSometimes I wonder if these energy bars are really better than plain old candy bars. Back in the depression candy bars were meal replacements. Many were packed with nuts and over two ounces, which made them a pretty cheap source of satisfying calories at a nickle.

Of course the object these days is not the maximum number of calories per ounce, but how good the nutrition profile is.

Take 5When I want a little lasting energy & snack, I usually reach for some sort of nutty bar, as they tend to have a good amount of protein. Payday bars are always dependable. But I’m also a fan of Lara Bars, which are basically mashed up almonds and dates with a few spices thrown in. At about twice the price though, I often grab the Payday ... and I don’t feel that bad about it.

TwistedAt the 7-11 I spied this little bar in a red metallic wrapper. It’s called Twisted, a “four layered protein bar” features pretzels, caramel, peanuts, nougat and a chocolate coating.

This sounded familiar. In fact, it looked familiar ... very familiar. The Take 5 features pretzels, caramel, peanuts, peanut butter and milk chocolate. Wow, not much difference there ... even in the ordering of the elements.

The price?

Well, Twisted was $1.29 and a Take 5 is $.89 at the 7-11.

The taste?

Take 5I’ve reviewed the Take 5 before and I stand by it. It’s a good bar with a lot of variety of texture in it, not too sweet and because it’s in two pieces, it’s easy to have a little now, have a little later.

The Twisted bar is merely a Tiger’s Milk bar covered in weak chocolate with a pretzel thrown in. It smells like baby formula. It seriously tasted like I was chomping on vitamin leather or something. I often enjoy things that are rather unpalatable, just because I’m fascinated by all the different flavors there are and maybe catty things I can say about it. I didn’t enjoy this, even for the prospect of reviewing it. Luckily the two piece format of the Take 5 meant that I had a palate cleansing second piece at hand.

So you might feel like you’re doing the right thing when you eat this lower calorie version of a Take 5, but you’re certainly not going to enjoy it.

I have to admit that it’s probably unfair to match a candy bar with an energy bar ... but hey, that’s the breaks. They started it by packaging it to look an awful lot like the Take 5.

For some other balanced reviews of snack bars, check out I Ate a Pie’s special roundup from earlier this year.

Nutrition versus Taste
Bar Twisted Take 5
Size 1.62 ounces 1.5 ounces
Fat Grams 6 g (9%) 10 g (15%)
Sodium 150 mg (6%) 180 mg (8%)
Protein 15 g (30%) 4 g
Carbs 21 g (7%) 26 g (95)
Calories 190 210
Brand Premier Nutrition Hershey
Dietary Status none Kosher
Rating 2 out of 10 9 out of 10

POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:17 pm Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. It sounds yummy at the moment

    Comment by Alyssa on 6/20/07 at 3:52 pm #
  2. Hmm…I’m not sure if the amped up protein is worth the sacrifice of taste.  And for those who care, at least the Take 5 is kosher.

    Think I’ll stick with the original.  Thanks for the review.

    Comment by Desert Songbird on 6/20/07 at 5:43 pm #
  3. I think for the most part the take 5 would taste better. For a snack though the twisted would make a good snack

    Comment by Alyssa on 6/21/07 at 6:08 am #
  4. I love Take 5, it’s my fav candy bar these days. I love the salty pretzels and the carmel yummy

    Comment by Amy on 6/21/07 at 12:23 pm #
  5. I love take 5’s but I’m not sure if I would like the twisted bar. Maybe if I see it some time I will pick one up and taste it.

    Comment by Diva on 6/21/07 at 12:28 pm #
  6. I want Take 5! I’m sure that I’ll love it!

    Comment by $ha on 6/21/07 at 2:24 pm #
  7. I agree; you are often as well off treating yourself to a candy bar than downing one of those medicinal-tasting energy bars.  Many protein bars and granola bars contain partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup anyway.  I’d rather get my dose of that from a Take 5.  The only ‘healthy’ bars I eat are Kashi granola bars and Larabars.  I do love Larabars!

    Comment by Alicia on 6/22/07 at 3:49 am #
  8. Comparing a candy bar to a nutrition bar is crazy. Twisted bars are a great snack for those who need the protein but still want something a little sweet. I think Twisted bars are great and enjoy them very much. The reason it does not taste like a candy bar is because there are other ingredients in them that make them a “health bar” and not a “candy bar”. People who consume protein bars and shakes on a daily basis love Twisted bars. I don’t think this was a fair comparison.

    Comment by Fit Girl on 10/19/07 at 3:47 am #
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