Pulsin power packed snack bars (a review)

Pulsin power packed snack bars. That’s quite a mouthful for a post header isn’t it!
It goes some way to describing the virtues of a great new range of snack bars we’ve discovered from Pulsin and Beond though. If you’re looking for a healthy, nutritious post-workout/after school/mid-afternoon slump snack there is something to suit everyone, even baby Luca.

When I say new I actually mean ”new to us” as Pulsin have been around for 10 years making snack bars that contain 100% natural ingredients and no refined sugar. Three University friends started experimenting with recipes for high energy protein balls and 15 years later their current range now includes Raw Chocolate Brownies, kids’ Fruit Oat bars, organic Beond fruit bars, Protein Boosters and a variety of protein powders. All Pulsin products have been designed with guilt-free snacking in mind and maintain energy levels througout the day. Pulsin bars are gluten free and vegan so it’s no wonder they’ve been winning awards since 2010 and are currently in the running for the occolade of Best Vegan Snacks at the VegfestUKAwards2017 (vote here until 1 October).
We first came across Pulsin’s Beond bars in Roots Coffee and Community, our favourite local cafe. Alongside the beautiful home-made cakes and delicious sugar laden brownies sit the Beond Organic fruit and nut bars. We do sometimes indulge in baked yummies but E always knows that if he wants an extra treat for the walk home he’ll receive a no to everything except a Beond fruit bar. When I looked more closely at the wrapper I was intrigued to see Pulsin and Beond is a Gloucester based company. So I contacted them to see if Chief Taster E could review their bars seeing as we’re practically neighbours {wink}. ”Of course, what would you like” came the reply and before we knew it an assortment of snack bars arrived at our door.

Porridge Oat fruit bars

E couldn’t believe it when I said yes to trying one of the Pulsin porridge oat bars straight after breakfast and before school. Especially as he’d chosen the Orange Choc chip bar (”can I really have chocolate at breakfast?’) he asked aghast. I explained it was a ok because Pulsin use no-added sugar chocolate chips and that a porridge oat bar was really like having a healthy, power packed second breakfast. As he ran off to call for his best friend on the way to school he did seem to have an added spring in his step!

What’s more 17 month old L was delighted (if not a little confused at first) when I allowed him to have a bar of his own. Pulsin porridge oat bars have 30% less sugar and double the fibre of other oat bars. They were nice and crumbly too so no worries about chokey oat bites for toddlers.

Raw chocolate brownies

”Can I have another Pulsin bar as my after school snack?’‘ E asked eagerly. He chose a Peanut choc chip brownie bar and stopped several times on the walk to school to check it was still in my pocket for later. The Pulsin brownies are pretty hearty for a 5 year old’s tum so E didn’t mind giving L a couple of nibbles. They tasted sweet and crumbly and treat-like despite all their healthy ingredients. The inventing of these vegan brownies is a complete mystery to me as they are free from gluten, dairy, soya, refined sugars and non GM yet taste great (contrary to any attempts I might make to re-create them).

The real measure of how nice the Raw Chocolate Brownies are is in getting my husband G to sample them. He generally rolls his eyes at my efforts in the kitchen to ”make cakes without any of the stuff cakes should have in them”. His verdict on the Pulsin brownies? – ”pretty nice, I like that slightly bitter dark chocolate taste. When brownies are really sweet I just want to keep eating them.  I felt satisfied after eating this.”.

Protein Booster bars

Of the three kinds of Pulsin bars we tried the Protein Boosters are my personal favourite. Partly because I know they’re so good for me as an after swim snack choice and as a low carb/high protein option when I’m feeling that mid afternoon slump. But mostly because I like their sweet, fudgy texture and flavour (Mint choc chip being my all time fave). Interestingly enough G was not so keen on the fudgy texture and described them as ”a bit powdery”. I put this down to his hungry scoffing of a whole bar post badminton training whereas E (who also loves them) and I prefer to chop the bar into nibble sized squares to share (sucking and savouring or chewing hungrily depending on how we’re feeling!). Anyway the couple of Protein Boosters we had were scoffed so quickly I don’t even have photographic evidence of us eating them. I do have this pic instagrammed from the pool after my visit on Tuesday though.

I was curious to see how the Pulsin Protein Boosters compared with other protein bars I’ve tried. They’re definitely a great choice for me after my weekly gym/swim trip and putting this little chart together is helpful for seeing just how sabotaging squares of my favourite mint chocolate are (albeit 72% dark chocolate) for curbing the carbs and keeping within a daily calorie range.  I’ve been keeping a food log using an app called Myfitnesspal and found it extremely helping for making me more aware of the nutrient levels of the food I eat.   I’ve finally shifted some of my post-baby weight just by starting the day with a protein rich egg based breakfast and not snacking in the evening.

I’m really interested in Pulsin’s range of protein powders too as I’m trying to eat a lower carb diet and increase my plant based protein intake. There are some gorgeous recipe ideas on their website which is helpfully broken down into vegetarian/vegan/snack/lunch/dinner options. Even if you’re not looking to order something the Pulsin website is well worth a browse.  I have pea protein powder and no-added sugar chocolate drops on my new recipes wish list and these simple chickpea and beetroot burgers are top of my recipes-to-try list as I usually have most of these ingredients in the house.  Hoorah for forthcoming food experiments.  I’ll keep you posted on how they turn out!

Disclosure: I received free samples of the Pulsin bars to review. I was not required to right a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own (with a little help from E and G)