REVIEW: Detour Bars

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by a representative from Detour on Instagram. They asked if I wanted to give their products a try and let me friends, family and followers know my thoughts. I am always down to try new things (especially when they are free, #RealTalk), so I said "YES PLEASE".

Last week I came home to a package on my doorstep. I was pretty excited to find out what was inside. It was recently my birthday (remember... the whole premise behind my #Carlees31 project was I was turning 31 ;)), so I wasn't sure if it was a late present or what.

With tomorrow being the 20th Anniversary of the movie
Seven, I just HAD TO use the quote, right?!

I opened the cooler to find a box from Detour (I'm telling you, my Fibro Fog has been pretty bad lately and I totally forgot they were shipping me some bars to try). The box contained six bars - three from their SMART line and three from their SIMPLE line.

Walt was rather disappointed when he found out none of the gifts were for him...

Let me stop you right there to address the packaging. First, as I am sure you are well aware (because I complain about it fairly frequently), we have been in the middle of quite a few heat waves here in Southern California. To send a package of protein bars in a mini cooler, especially with the crazy temperatures we have been having, is an AMAZING idea. Some of the bars, specifically the SIMPLE bars, are covered in chocolate, which melts, so to package them with that in mind is pretty great thinking. BUT (and this is a BIG BUTT BUT), I felt as though it was pretty irresponsible. The six bars could have easily fit into a mid-sized padded envelope. Sure, the chocolate may have melted, but the environment would have been MUCH BETTER OFF without the extra supplies (especially Styrofoam which makes me cringe). Thankfully my hubby was able to recycle the cooler at a local Waste To Waves event he was doing art at this past weekend, so I feel better about it, but still would probably opt out of that in the future if I had the choice.

Anyway, onto the meat veggies of the post - THE REVIEW!

Let's start off with the SIMPLE bars. I was sent three different flavors - Salted Carmel Cookie Dough, Chocolate Chip Carmel and Carmel Peanut. The bars I received were the "snack size", which have 10 grams of protein in them (they also have "regular sized" bars, which have 20 grams of whey protein in them).

I had the Carmel Peanut bar during a cross-training workout. I stopped about 15 miles into my bike ride (when my hunger was at its peak) and was able to enjoy the bar at the beach. I did carry it in my SPIbelt while riding, so it was a little melt-y, but it reminded me of a small (and healthy) Snickers bar. It was definitely my favorite flavor of the three.

And the views weren't anything to scoff at either, right?!

As many of you know, RUNGER is REAL! The other day, while working, I was hit with an afternoon hunger that I had to associate with my morning run. Since it was pretty close to dinner, I didn't want a huge snack, so the Salted Carmel Cookie Dough bar was perfect. I appreciated the chocolate chip chunks in it (rather than some protein bars which have a single consistency), and like the other bars in the SIMPLE line, contained whey protein, a healthy dose of fiber, nothing artificial, no GMO's, was low in sugar and is gluten free!

The Chocolate Chip Carmel bar helped me get through a recent strength-training workout. I was able to eat the bar prior to my workout, which helped keep me satisfied until afterwards when I could eat a hearty breakfast. This bar was a little too chocolate-y for my taste (I actually don't really like chocolate), but the carmel was a nice touch.

I was pretty pumped for the SMART line of bars. They are whole grain oatmeal bars and all sounded delicious! I was sent three different flavors (although they have five flavors in total) - Coconut Almond, Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry.

As I suspected, they are all scrum-didily-umpcious! The Coconut Almond bar was my FAVORITE, but who can go wrong with that combo?! As with the snack sized SIMPLE bars, the SMART bars also had 10 grams of whey protein packed in them. They are sweetened with Stevia and are just the perfect mix of healthy and yummy! (Apparently so good that I forgot to take a picture of it... Must have scarfed it down too quickly... #Oops #BadBlogger)

The Blueberry bar was a close second. I love that it had chunks of organic blueberries throughout it... And that Greek Yogurt Drizzle... YUM! Looking at the bar, I was worried it would be very dry and bland, but I was pleasantly surprised with the consistency and flavor. It was an easy snack to throw in my purse and eat while on the go.

If you like apple pie, you are definitely going to like the Apple Cinnamon bar. Although I prefer my fruit fresh and not made into pies, I knew the flavor profile was spot on within the first bite. I grabbed this bar before going to work last week so that I wouldn't want to snack on unhealthy options throughout my shift. Mission accomplished!

I have to be honest, before being contacted by Detour on Instagram I hadn't heard of them or noticed their products in any of my local retailers. The SMART bars were definitely my favorite, but with a price tag of $14.85 for 9 bars, I think I would probably stick with my current granola bar options. I do know that there are a lot of folks that are gluten intolerant (I am not sure what the cost/ taste options are in that specific market), so if that is the category you find yourself in, maybe these would be an amazing option for you.

Have you ever tried Detour bars before?