Introducing: Battle Oats

Having immersed myself into a health & fitness regime these past few months, I was quite keen to try out some protein bars to see what all the fuss was about. I was recently sent two protein bars from Battle Oats to test out - Cranberry & Blueberry Fusion* and Dark Choc Chip*.

Battle Oats are a new company who produce 100% natural high protein oaty flapjacks. Their bars are free from gluten and are suitable for vegetarians. They use ingredients such as natural butter, coconut oil, gluten-free oats, and isolated soy protein. Each bar contains 22% protein, making it a great choice for refuelling and topping up your energy levels. 

Before I get onto the taste and all that, I'd just like to point out my one little gripe with the packaging. The side of the packet states that "snacking never tasted so awesome" and, personally, I've always had a bit of an issue with energy bars being marketed as snacks. For me, an energy bar, particularly one high in protein, should really only be eaten if there is a need to refuel and/or if you can't get hold of any food such as when you've had a workout, when you're commuting, or even if you're going on a long walk. If you've just been sat down most of the day and fancy a snack, you're better off picking up a piece of fruit and ensuring that you're eating/cooking healthy meals. Otherwise you'll just be overloading on nutrients, which can actually be quite harmful to your body. There IS such a thing as "too much of a good thing". Let's not forget that you'll also be consuming more calories too.

Right, now that I've cleared that up, onto the taste.... As much as I love flapjacks, I often struggle with large flapjacks as it's a bit of an oat overload so I was pleasantly surprised to see that this didn't really resemble a flapjack at all when I looked at it. The taste is oaty but it's been mixed in well and it kind of reminds me of a mix between a flapjack and a cake, and it's a little bit powdery.

The first one I tried was the Cranberry & Blueberry Fusion which I had high hopes for because I love anything fruity, and it definitely didn't disappoint. It had a distinct taste of berries without tasting like I was eating a fruit bar. I actually split this one in half and had the fist half an hour before my workout, then I had the second half straight after my workout. Not sure if it was the bar or the placebo effect but I definitely felt more energised during my workout and it was a great way to refuel too. Plus, it's so tasty!

The second one I tried was the Dark Choc Chip one which I was initially apprehensive about as I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate but I like to try everything so I gave it a go and although I do prefer the Cranberry one, this one wasn't bad either.

I really like the texture of these bars and I hope that Battle Oats make some more flavours in the future, ideally fruity ones! I'm still in two minds about whether I need protein bars in my life but these are tasty enough for me to want to purchase for a pre-workout or post-workout snack.

What are your favourite protein/energy bars?