Welcome to my new blog post section Joey Tries! In this section of my blog I will be reviewing various products that I’ve either purchased myself or been asked to try by the manufacturer or organization. I promise to always tell you whether I was sent the sample, or purchased it myself. Many of the food related items may also be gluten-free – and I’ll tell you that as well.
This week I will be reviewing barkTHINS. I received a coupon for this product through Influenster as part of their “sunshine box.”
Shorty Hulk took the coupon to our local Harris Teeter, and one 4.7 oz bag cost $3.99. Our coupon covered the cost of the whole thing, and I brought it to the office for my 3 co-workers to try with me.
As you can see from the picture, we tried the Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt. The label clearly tells you that it is a non-GMO food with fair trade certified ingredients. For Allergy interested friends, this snack contains tree nuts and soy – and because it is made in the same machine as other snacks, it could contain traces of peanuts, wheat, milk and eggs. The thing I liked best about the ingredients list is that I could pronounce everything listed except for the Soy Lecithin – so I didn’t feel like I was putting a bunch of extra chemicals in my mouth.
Of course, the picture on the front never looks exactly like the contents inside – in this case, you just need to know that the “bark” is all different sizes – big pieces to little pieces – so if you are counting points or calories, you have to go by ounces and not pieces. One serving is 220 calories, so there are definitely lower calorie snacks out there. But due to the richness of the chocolate, we actually felt like you could have half a serving and get your sweets fix.
The taste is a classic contrast of dark and sweet chocolate with the saltiness of the almonds and sea salt. The texture is smooth and although it is a kind of “brittle” you don’t feel like you are going to break your teeth biting in to it. It has a nice balance between the sweet and salt, and no lingering aftertaste. The package is resealable so you can store it for later, but since the packaging is a bag and not a box, sticking it in a backpack or purse could mean that it would get crushed in to smaller pieces if you took it on a trip.
My co-worker B called it “yummy” and “satisfying” for her. My boss D came back looking for another sample, and A (our health nut) said she would definitely consider it for a treat if she was looking for something fun. The bag was gone by day 2, and I only think it lasted that long because they were polite and also could not find where I hid the bag.
barkTHINS currently comes in 7 different varieties:
Joey’s Ruling: Definitely would buy again if I had a coupon or if it was on sale. Very interested in trying the other flavors. Good alternative to a candy bar or bag of cookies for that sweet craving.