Product review and give away: AntiOx chocolate bars

Much as I'm looking forward to sharing travel news, I am also delighted to bring you this Product Talk by Nuffnang post today, courtesy of Nuffnang and AntiOx. 

As most of you know, almost all of my product review posts feature products that I have found and bought myself. Today is slightly different, as the AntiOx products I'm reviewing were sent to me (by the company that owns the brand, Vitality Brands) for free. A significant benefit of this arrangement is that I not only get to review the products, but also host a give away so that you can try them too!

The pack I received (and which you can win!) included three of the AntiOx 40g snack bars, and two of the AntiOx 80g chocolate blocks. I had tried the chocolate blocks before, but the snack bars were new to me. All make use of 70% cocoa, and sugar-free and stevia sweetened dark chocolate.

40g snack bar varieties: Acai, Chia and Quinoa, and Goji.

The brand name stems from the addition of products like goji berries, acai, chia and even quinoa to dark chocolate. The result is something that, according to the company's website, can deliver antioxidants equal to 12 cups of green tea in one 80g block of chocolate. Much as I'd like green tea, I know which I'd take...

I'm not really here to tell you about the antioxidant levels, though, because I'm of the view that chocolate should taste good first and have any purported health benefits second. If you do want to read about the benefits of the ingredients, you can do so on the AntiOx website.

What I like about these products is that they're vegan, taste good, and are less likely to give you a sugar crash than regular commercial chocolate. What is more, the individual snack bars are like a grown up Cherry Ripe bar. Seriously!

40g snack bars unwrapped.

The Acai snack bar has mixed whole grains as the first ingredient contribution (at 33%, and including rolled oats and wholegrain wheat puffs), which isn't necessarily what you expect in a chocolate bar. They contribute to the filling being firm yet chewy, and pair with acai pieces, acai powder, additional mixed berries, vanilla and stevia to make up the filling. The filling is offset by the 70% cocoa chocolate, which makes up one-third of the weight of the bar, and the overall effect is chocolate that is fruity as much as it is cocoa-y. The Acai bar tasted of redcurrant and grape, and a bit like I imagine dark chocolate would be if eaten with a glass of red wine.

From left to right: Goji, Acai, and  Chia and Quinoa snack bars.

The ingredients for the Goji bar and Chia and Quinoa bars were similar, but instead of acai flavours there were goji berries (for the Goji bar) or chia seeds, puffed quinoa and pomegranate juice (for the Chia and Quinoa bar). 

Nutritional information for the Chia and Quinoa snack bar (the other flavours are similar).

Of the three snack bars, the Goji bar was my favourite, and most remiscient of a Cherry Ripe. In fact, I could taste cherries first and foremost, as well as rose undertones and goji berries themselves. It was probably also the softest in texture of the bars, which I liked. In contrast, the Chia and Quinoa bar had the densest interior and seemed more like a muesli bar than a traditional chocolate bar. 

Goji snack bar - my favourite variety.

The chocolate blocks are similar to traditional dark chocolate in their flavours, and if you enjoy 70% cocoa chocolate with fruity notes, you'll probably like these. Like the snack bars, I could taste cherries where theoretically none existed, but I could also taste redcurrants and actual goji berries and perhaps a little raspberry too. In sum, there are berries in this chocolate, and they are good.

All in all, I liked these snack bars and chocolate blocks rather a lot. I don't need them to proclaim their health benefits, but if you like that kind of thing, you might find the claims to be a bonus benefit. If not - rest assured that they taste good, and they add welcome variety to the mainstream vegan chocolates available in Australia.

For your chance to win your own pack (consisting of 6 AntiOx snack bars and 4 AntiOx chocolate blocks!), you simply need to leave a comment below answering Why do you want to try the new AntiOx snack bars and chocolate? 

This competition is open to Australian residents only (sorry non-Australians); you need to be aged 14 or older; and you need to ensure that your comment links to a blog with contact details or that you leave your contact details in your comment. Full terms and conditions can be found here.

The competition is open until Friday 28th June and two winners will be selected based on the most creative comments, as selected by the competition judges (not me). 

For an additional chance to win AntiOx snack bars, visit the AntiOx Facebook page where they are hosting a Winter Snack Bar Giveaway.

Many thanks to Nuffnang and AntiOx for sending me my sample!

Update July 2013 - Congratulations to Jan Sprouts n Squats and Hotly Spiced on being selected as the two winners!

For an additional review of the AntiOx Goji chocolate (under its previous branding), see Hannah's review post here. She tasted Cherry Ripes too!

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