Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

For decades now energy bars have come in two distinct formats. The candy format and the dirt format. Invariably, an energy bar is either going to taste like you're eating an Oreo cookie or is going to give someone a realistic view of the way dirt happens to taste. 

An energy bar or protein bar company will usually try to make its bars taste like candy by filling them with the nutritional equivalent of a bag of M&Ms or they will try and try to get people to eat their sawdust-inspired concoctions withe promise of "oh, but they're so healthy for you!"

How can someone expect to get healthier if they're eating something that's covered in a pound of chocolate? And who cares if something is healthy for you if it tastes like you're eating the softly woven strands of a pair of muddied shoelaces?

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Unfortunately, it's often absolutely impossible to determine whether an energy bar is actually going to taste good (like candy) or if it's going to be hard to get through the whole thing without tossing it out. At the grocery store, there have got to be at least fifty different brands of health food style bars out there that promise everything from a "low glycemic index" to a high protein jolt of energy.

For the Think Thin brand of energy bars, they have all the markings of a regular candy bar (they're usually covered in what appears to be a candy or chocolate coating) and yet the bars are usually stamped with keywords like "high protein" and "natural," which are definitely supposed to inspire confidence in whoever tries the bars.

But it's hard to actually believe an energy bar is healthy when the whole thing is covered in a layer of chocolate (as the Brownie Crunch variety is). And one of the interesting things about this particular company and their "health" bars is that they suggest on the front that the bar has zero grams of sugar and yet on the ingredients for the bar, there is 20g of "sugar alcohol" listed.

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Most people will never have heard of sugar alcohols before, so here's a rundown: it's essentially a "hydrogenated form of carbohydrate," and this means that it's often something that is used to reduce the intensity of fake sweeteners. The Think Thin people are (likely) utilizing sugar alcohols so as to provide sweetness in their protein bars without causing a spike in that person's blood sugar.

So, given the fact that these bars actually taste good and seem to be a great choice for a boost of protein in the middle of the day or perhaps before a large workout, the fact that they have this "sugar alcohol" as part of their ingredients is something that you might have to consider as sugar alcohols do impact the blood sugar somewhat so if you're sensitive to sugar, don't pop too many of these things.

And really, you shouldn't have to as they are nicely filling and are probably a much better way to pass the day or prepare for a workout than eating an actual candy bar. This variety does indeed taste like a brownie and has the nice bonus of a chocolate shell around its exterior. As a protein bar (and something that is advertised as a healthy option), these bars are quite good and are worth a try if you're looking for a gluten-free energy bar option.

Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Think Thin Browning Crunch High Protein Bar Report Card

The Good Stuff:

This thing tastes like a brownie and it's got the advertised protein in it. As protein bars are notoriously low on taste or are often just a candy bar disguised by some clever marketing, the Think Thin people seem to have pulled only a minor amount of tomfoolery with the fact that they print "zero sugar" on the front of the bar yet there is a level of sugar alcohols in the bar. Fake sugar, but a type of sweetener nevertheless.

What Could be Improved:

The bar is quite dense and although that's almost to be expected with protein bars, this variety could benefit from a less compact nature. It tastes good, so it's definitely worth a try, but it is a little dense sort of beast (and it'll probably make you thirsty as well so have a glass of water nearby!).