Originally published at A Green Man Review!

I’m a notorious breakfast-skipper. I tend to glide by the morning, latte in hand, waiting to feel hungry for lunch. I know. Not the best move. But I’m trying to get better, mostly by leaning hard on smoothies in the summer, oatmeal/grits packets in colder months, and various protein and/or fiber bars for fun. I say fun, because bars tend to be little more than candy dressed as health, as any peek at the nutrition labels will tell you. For the most part, I’ve settled on KIND’s Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar, which has a nice balance of protein, fiber, and low saturated fat. So when I heard about the KIND breakfast protein bar? I was excited. Sadly, I shouldn’t have been.

The packs have two bars per serving, which feels like a whole lot to my typically uninterested-in-breakfast stomach. Plus, the two bars hide an unsatisfying truth; at 210 calories per two bars, both bars only provide 3 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. If, like me, you decide on one bar? You can see you’re back at the ol’ candy bar conundrum. (To put this in perspective, one of my favored cherry bars gives you 6 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein in a single bar.) That this bar’s packaging crows “NOW WITH 12 BARS” – while having only six servings – adds insult to injury.

The look of these bars aren’t great. Let’s just say that the lumpy brown texture makes it seem as if it’s already been digested. The overall taste profile is heavy on cinnamon, and light on chocolate. Even though the company touts a “double dose of chocolate” on their website, and the bar itself looks chock full of the stuff when you turn it over to look at the bottom. There’s also a dryness that’s strange; it’s too dry for a “chewy” bar, and not dry enough for a granola-y crunch. It’s there in a no-man’s land of mediocrity, and disappointment.

If I’m treating myself to some barely nutritional fun, I want it to be absolutely delicious from start to finish. KIND often does exactly this. But with this bar? They’ve missed the mark.