January 18, 2012

Siesta Carob Bars - Sugar Free, Tasty & Naturally Caffeine Free


I’ve spoken about Carob before and how it isn’t chocolate but it is commonly used as a chocolate substitute even though it doesn’t really taste the same and should really be in a category of its own. That’s not to say that it isn’t delicious in its own right but for some people it can be a bit of an acquired taste.

My point for bringing all of this up is that carob is a wonderful filling food that can really lend a helping hand getting over cravings, especially during the most difficult time of news years resolutions and getting back to healthy living! A lot of carob products have sugar added to make it sweeter (despite it being naturally sweeter than chocolate) but somehow Siesta’s bar (photographed above) is completely Sugar Free and still manages to taste really enjoyable, well at least to me, a seasoned carob advocate. For years I’ve been eating the Mint flavoured Siesta bar with great satisfaction but for some reason I’ve been reluctant to try the orange flavour. I just kept imagining that it would taste like pure unsweetened carob powder which isn’t exactly my cup of tea but boy was I surprised - Not only is it good but it’s equal to the mint bar! Happy Days :)

- Dairy Free
- Gluten Free
- Wheat Free
- Sugar Free
- Caffeine Free
- Chocolate Free
- Nut Free (note: “produced in a nut free environment, however we cannot guarantee that it does not contain nut traces”)
- GMO Free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian

The only downfall is that Siesta contains Soya, which makes it less allergen friendly but if you don’t have a Soya intolerance dig in. Also, if you are weight conscious take note of the fat content before you get too hooked.
p.s. Carob is rich in vitamin B1 and Niacin and contains vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and the trace minerals Iron, Manganese, Chromium, Copper, and Nickel. Carob is approximately 8% protein and is a good source of fibre, which is how John the Baptist managed to live on it in the dessert for all that time I guess. This nutritional information was taken from www.gilead.net. If you're still not convinced see the rest of the post here for all the benefits of carob in relation to chocolate.

Ingredients: Carob powder, Non-hydrogenated vegetable fat, Soya Powder, Emulsifier - Lecithin, Orange Oil Flavouring 0.3%

Food Allergy Warning: Contains Soya. Produced in a nut free environment, however we cannot guarantee that it does not contain nut traces.

Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 2458kJ/559.6kcal
Protein 13.3g
Carbohydrate 17.97g
Fat 44.3g

No comments: