Posts Tagged ‘Simple Square’

Protein Bar Review #21: Simple Squares Coffee Nuts and Honey Snack Bar

Posted: August 13, 2015 in Bike Culture, Burning Man, Cooking, Science
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Post 21 - Simple Squares Coffee

Brand: Simple Squares

Product: Coffee Nuts & Honey Organic Snack Bar

Weight: 1.6oz / 45g

Cost: $2.49/per from manufacturer

Stats

Calories: 230

Total Fat: 17g, Sat. Fat 5g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 95mg

Total Carb: 16g

Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 10g

Protein: 6g

Protein per ounce: 3.75g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.41

Carb to Protein Ratio: 2.6-1

Vit A: 0% DV

Vit C: 0% DV

Calcium: 4% DV

Iron: 10% DV

Organic, gluten free, wheat free, kosher, no refined sugars, soy and dairy free.

Not made in a gluten free facility.

Flavor:

It would seem I spoke too soon when I said the Daily Mocha Mantra bar, from my first post, was the only one made with real organic coffee; now that I have had the coffee Simple Square I know my error. It would seem there are two made with coffee (if any of you readers know of another one let me know). The flavor was similar to the ginger Simple Square, but with hints of coffee instead of ginger. It was not nearly as tasty as the coconut Simple Square I started with, but hey, it had coffee in it so that’s pretty cool, right? The mouth feel of all of these Simple Squares is the same, as the ingredients are virtually identical in all of their products. Simple Square created one template to rule them all, and then made a bunch of flavors to apply to that template. The nutrient content is not very good and the protein ratio is also lacking, the major win for this bar is that it is made with coffee and is still kosher.

Another win for the entire Simple Square family of products is that they have nothing in them to melt in high heat situations, making them all great for Burning Man. I picked up a few Simple Squares and other bars that seem Burn-friendly to bring out with me this year to test them first-hand in the desert heat.

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Protein Bar Review #11: Simple Squares Ginger Coconut Honey Snack Bar

Posted: June 30, 2015 in Bike Culture, Burning Man, Cooking, Science
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Post 11 - Simple Square Ginger

Brand: Simple Squares

Product: Nuts, Ginger, and Honey Organic Snack Bar

Weight: 1.6oz / 45g

Cost: $2.49/per from manufacturer

Stats

Calories: 230

Total Fat: 17g, Sat. Fat 5g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 95mg

Total Carb: 16g

Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 10g

Protein: 6g

Protein per ounce: 3.75g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.41

Carb to Protein Ratio: 2.6-1

Vit A: 0% DV

Vit C: 0% DV

Calcium: 4% DV

Iron: 10% DV

Organic, gluten free, kosher, no refined sugars, soy and dairy free.

Not made in a gluten free facility.

Flavor:

It’s been a couple weeks since I last reviewed a Simple Square so it is time for another go, this time with the ginger flavor. The ginger one is just like the coconut Simple Square, but with added ginger which, as a fan of ginger, I thought I would like but I actually found it kind of off-putting. I love the Simple Square for it’s simplicity, even though this one is slightly less simple with seven ingredients. The flavor wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good, it was best described as mediocre. Maybe I had my standards set too high after the coconut Simple Square, but this one was a real let down, especially compared to the Squarebar. I would say the major selling point here is that it is kosher, which I imagine is a huge win for people who keep a kosher diet but I don’t so it’s not relevant to me.

Just like the last Simple Square reviewed, this one has nothing to get melted in high heat situations, which makes it great for Burning Man. Personally, I would still opt for the coconut one over this ginger one.

Protein Bar Review #3: Simple Squares Coconut

Posted: June 12, 2015 in Bike Culture, Burning Man, Cooking, Science
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Post 3 - Simple Square

Brand: Simple Squares

Product: Coconut, Nuts, and Honey Organic Snack Bar

Weight: 1.6oz / 45g

Cost: $2.49/per from manufacturer

Stats

Calories: 230

Total Fat: 17g, Sat. Fat 5g

Cholesterol: 0g

Sodium: 95mg

Total Carb: 16g

Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 10g

Protein: 6g

Protein per ounce: 3.75g

Protein, Cost per gram: $0.41

Carb to Protein Ratio: 2.6-1

Vit A: 0% DV

Vit C: 0% DV

Calcium: 4% DV

Iron: 10% DV

Organic, gluten free, no refined sugars, soy and dairy free.

Not made in a gluten free facility.

Flavor:

While this is labeled as a “snack” bar not a protein bar like the others I am reviewing, it still packs roughly the same protein per ounce into the bar. I love the simple square for it’s simplicity, only 6 ingredients and they are all things your grandma would recognize. Not only was it simple it was also delicious! It didn’t have any of the chalky powdery feeling that many protein bars do, this tasted and mouth-felt like eating a hand full of granola slicked with honey and vanilla. It didn’t taste like a candy bar the way the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle bar did but it was quite tasty.

I’ve been giving these posts a Burning Man tag because protein bars are a must-have out there on the Playa. That said, it is a very bad idea to bring chocolate out there because it melts. This Simple Square has nothing in it to get melty in the ridiculous heat of the desert sun, making it the best bar I have reviewed so far to bring out to the Burn.