Halo Bars

A new product on the vegan scene is Halo by Pro Bar.  It was the talk of VegNews when it came out and I've been tempted a couple of times to order it from Vegan Essentials.  Since the site recommends you choose the more expensive 2-day shipping or buy a cold pack for shipping, however, I never bothered to add one to my order.  

Last week I was in REI buying a new umbrella for Brian (now that some lucky German is enjoying Brian's last one) and before getting into line I made a quick stop over at the food bar area to see if there was anything new.  It was my lucky day because there, on the top shelf, were Halo bars!  Four boxes!  Every flavor!  It was quite exciting.  (Don't worry, although it sounds like I was actually jumping up and down by myself in REI, I was only jumping on the inside.)  I grabbed one of each, plus 2 chocolate chip cookie dough Larabars, and went to pay.  At the counter, the employee reminded me that the bars are all 10% off if you buy 12.  "Even these?" I asked incredulously, gesturing to the Halo bars.  If he wondered what was so special about these magical bars that I feared weren't part of the deal, he didn't let on.  (Was he the same guy who didn't flinch when I asked if the utility knife Brian was buying would be sharp enough to cut off his own arm?)  So although I wanted to try the Halo bars before buying more, I was suckered into buying one more of each.  And 2 more chocolate chip cookie dough Larabars.

As I mentioned, they come in 4 flavors - Honey Graham, S'mores, Rocky Road, and Nutty Marshmallow.  You see, the big draw is that three of them have marshmallows (somewhat less elusive to vegans than they used to be but still not mainstream) and the other one is honey graham, though it contains no actual honey.  Are you jumping up and down yet with excitement?  If so, cool it.  They were not as delicious as I had expected.  You see, I was slightly misled by Vegan Essentials and their warnings about the chocolate melting in the heat.  I thought they'd be covered in chocolate, or at least drizzled in chocolate, so I was expecting more of a candy bar than a healthy snack bar.  That colored my first Halo bar experience.  Once I got over the fact that they were not candy bars, however, I found I liked them well enough to eat at least the ones I bought.  I tried all 4 flavors so I can give you a review for each. 

Nutty Marshmallow - I loved the combination of peanut butter and marshmallow!  It was simple and sweet.  The flax seeds were noticeable and went well with the other ingredients.  This was by far my favorite.

Rocky Road - This is the Nutty Marshmallow with the addition of chocolate chips.  I'm not always a chocolate fan but there were just enough chips to make it taste good but not overpower the other flavors.  Yum!

S'mores - Just okay.  I guess I just expected a little more out of it.  I'm pretty sure this is the Honey Graham with marshmallow and chocolate added to the mix.  Since I didn't like that one, it's not a surprise I didn't care for this one, either.

Honey Graham - I didn't think this one had any flavor!  Of course, this is the first one I ate and maybe when I try it a second time (knowing what to expect), I'll like it better.

To show actual size, I placed the Halo bar on a 6x6-inch napkin.  So yeah, pretty small.

The nice thing about Halo bars is that they are low in calories and sugar and contain certified organic ingredients.  They have flax seeds and hemp seeds, both of which I loved in snack bars.  They aren't very big, though, and are a little pricey.  However, for being organic, they surely aren't the most expensive bars out there.  Would I buy them again?  Maybe the Nutty Marshmallow or Rocky Road for a marshmallow-y little treat.  Would I buy them in mass quantities from REI or pay extra to have Vegan Essentials ship them to me?  No.  Will I eat the others that are sitting in my cupboard.  Most definitely!


Have you tried Halo bars?  What's your favorite healthy snack bar?