Jigsaw Health Bars
We were very pleased when Jigsaw offered to send us some bars to test and review. Finding energy bars that are wheat &/or gluten free is a really difficult task, so we were very keen to try these bars out.
Plus we were interested in finding out how they stacked up against TORQ bars and CLIF Luna bars, both of which we have reviewed in the past.
The Jigsaw bars come in 2 flavours:
- Chocolate
- Coconut-Almond
And here's a bit of the science - Jigsaw quote: "Benefit from heart-healthy, pure omega-3s and powerful immune-boosting glyconutrients blended into our delicious antioxidant-rich chocolate bar or luscious coconut almond bar."
The testers for this product review were all people who take part in energetic sports, and hence need refuelling with energy supplements during exercise and afterwards. Six testers and four opinions so far, so we certainly got a diverse review for the Jigsaw bars.
Tester 1: Helen, Canada, runner, skier (downhill & cross-country),
hiker, swimmer
Bars tested: Chocolate & Coconut-Almond
If I'm buying a sport nutrition bar then one of the things I look for is value for money. I like to feel that I'm buying more than just crispy rice in a fancy packet with an inflated price. So the Jigsaw bars appeal to me because they have a solidity that indicates more than just trapped air in the packet, and they come in Chocolate flavour, a biggggggggg bonus. A far as I'm concerned if it's wheat free and it tastes of Chocolate it already has a head start on my vote.
I really liked the texture of these bars, they were firm and chewy, which I found ideally suited me when eating them during sports related activities.
The taste of the Chocolate bar was good, and I enjoyed eating it. The Coconut-Almond bar left a powdery feeling on my teeth that I didn't like, but the bonus was that I cleaned my teeth to get rid of the taste, so not all bad.
I found that eating a ¼ bar was a good amount to enable me to keep going without getting that "I've overeaten" feeling that makes continuing with sports activity a bit less pleasant for a while until it's digested. Eating a ½ bar kept me at my desk and away from the snackbox all morning, the only activity being talking and bashing away at my laptop.
I think the price is a little high at US$2.97 each.
So overall I really like the Chocolate version and would definitely buy it again, but I wouldn't buy the Coconut-Almond unless there was no other choice.
for the Chocolate Jigsaw bar.
for the Coconut-Almond Jigsaw
bar.
Tester 2: Tom, Canada, backcountry skier, runner, cyclist, hiker
Bars tested: Chocolate & Coconut-Almond
Tom tested his Coconut-Almond bar on a particularly arduous hike. To give it his best attention he saved it for almost the very end of the day when he was feeling at his most energy depleted. The good news is that it restored his energy levels and enabled him to complete his hike relatively comfortably. So he felt that the bar definitely provided a much needed energy boost.
The texture was an issue, as he didn't like the grainy texture. The Chocolate flavour bar which he'd also tried previously he felt was a bit too sickly and gooey tasting.
But in his very wide experience of using sports bars over the years he said that none ever get everything right, but the Jigsaw bars did provide the energy boost he needed, they just didn't satisfy the taste and texture needs.
for the energy giving
properties of the bars, not the taste.
Tester 3: Lucille, Colorado & Canada, cross-country skier, hiker,
cyclist
Bars tested: Chocolate & Coconut-Almond
Although Lucille ate the bars as a non-sport related snack she reported to us that they did help her to replenish her energy and also relieved hunger. She also ate a whole bar at once, rather than spacing it out a bit.
Her favourite flavour was the Chocolate, with no comments made about the Coconut-Almond. One of our questions was 'did you like the texture of the bars?'. Her response was "not offensive as some bars but a little grainy".
Finally on price Lucille thought that US$2.97 each was a bit pricey, and certainly wouldn't buy them at the SRP price of US$3.49.
for the Chocolate Jigsaw bar.
Tester 4: Nigel, Canada, cyclist, skier (downhill &
cross-country), hiker, swimmer
Bars tested: Chocolate & Coconut-Almond
"Did I try the Coconut bar?" "Okay, I liked the Chocolate one".
for the Chocolate Jigsaw bar.
So overall our testers felt that the Jigsaw bars definitely did provide much needed energy during activities, but no-one liked the taste of the Coconut-Almond, with the majority preferring the Chocolate flavour bar. The texture was also a big issue, with only one tester liking it's grainy nature.
Our testing panel is made up of people with wheat allergies and also people who can eat wheat as part of their normal diet.
nutritional information:
Typical values per 50g bar - Chocolate:
Energy - 180 kcal
Protein - 12g
Carbohydrate - 24g
Fibre - 2g
Sugars - 0g
Fat (total) - 7g
Fat (Omega-3) - 50mg
Fat (EPA) - 30mg
Fat (DHA) - 20mg
Fat (saturates) - 3g
Fat (trans) - 0g
Cholesterol - 5mg
Sodium - 75mg
allergy advice:
No gluten, lactose, soy protein or casein.
allergy alert:
The bars do contain almonds, fish gelatin, soybean oil, & milk
products.
Made in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, soy, dairy, & eggs.
Typical values per 50g bar - Coconut-Almond:
Energy - 190 kcal
Protein - 12g
Carbohydrate - 23g
Fibre - 3g
Sugars - 1g
Fat (total) - 8g
Fat (Omega-3) - 50mg
Fat (EPA) - 30mg
Fat (DHA) - 20mg
Fat (saturates) - 4g
Fat (trans) - 0g
Cholesterol - 5mg
Sodium - 65mg
allergy advice:
No gluten, lactose, soy protein or casein.
allergy alert:
The bars do contain almonds, fish gelatin, soybean oil, & milk
products.
Made in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, soy, dairy, & eggs.