If you have spotted these decadent looking bars, don’t miss my Nugo Vegan Protein Bars Review!
I got as many vegan flavors I could find out at the store so I could share my opinions on the taste, price, portion, and nutrition with you!
As a vegan and dietitian, I’ve got lots of thoughts, so keep reading if you are curious about the protein packed options!
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associate affiliate links. This means: if you click on the links and purchase, I earn a commission.
Disclaimer: This review includes information and the authors own personal opinions. It is not personal dietary advice. Talk to your doctor about any health concerns, supplement questions and dietary changes. See our disclaimers for more details.
Spoiler alert! Here are my top two favorite NuGo bar flavors:
What are Nugo Bars?
Nugo bars that are often (but not always) chocolate covered, making them look like a cross between a candy bar and a protein bar!
They are known for:
- Being palm oil free
- Having several gluten free options (Fyi – not all products are gluten free)
- Having several vegan products (over 20 bars)
Their product lines include:
- Nugo Original – high protein bars in a variety of flavors
- Nugo Dark – high protein bars dipped in chocolate
- Nugo Organic – high protein bars taht are made with organic ingredients
- Nugo Slim – Lower sugar, high protein bars
- Nugo Stronger – Very high protein bars ( 23 grams of protein per bar) from milk protein (this comes from cows milk and is not considered vegan).
- Nugo Free – A vegan friendly bar that has no soy, is gluten free, and contains probiotics.
- Nugo Fiber D’Lish – High fiber bars that have a lower in protein content than the other items.
- Nugo Smarte Carb – Low carb, high protein bars.
- Nugo Nut Butter – Bars that feature nuts and have less ingredients than the other bars.
Which Ones are Vegan?
Here’s a list of vegan friendly Nugo Bars:
- Nugo Free Dark Chocolate Crunch
- Nugo Free Dark Chocolate Trail Mix
- Nugo Dark Chocolate Almond
- Nugo Dark Chocolate Pretzel
- Nugo Dark Peanut Buter Cup
- Nugo Dark Chocolate Coconut
- Nugo Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip
- Nugo Dark Mint Chocolate Chip
- Nugo Dark Mocha Chocolate
- Nugo Slim Crunchy Peanut Butter
- Nugo Slim Chocolate Mint
- Nugo Slim Toasted Coconut
- Nugo Slim Expresso
- Nugo Organic Double Dark Chocolate
- Nugo Organic Dark Chocoalte Almond
- Nugo Organic Dark Chocolate Cherry Pomegranate
- Nugo Fiber d’Lish Chocolate Brownie
- Nugo Fiber d’Lish Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- Nugo Fiber d’Lish Cinnamon Raisin
- Nugo Fiber d’Lish Blueberry Cobbler
Several Nugo product lines include dairy and/or honey (aka- not vegan).
The following Nugo Lines don’t have any vegan options:
- Nugo Original
- Nugo Smarte Carb
- Nugo Nut Butter
- Nugo Stronger
As an ethical vegan, I’ll be reviewing some of the vegan flavors of course! Let’s get to it!
Nugo Vegan Protein Bars Review
Taste
- Nugo Slim Chocolate Mint –
Taste Score: 8/10 This smells almost identical to Girl Scoots Thin Mints® (at least- from what I can remember)! I was pleasantly surprised that it also kind of tastes like it too (don’t enjoy Thin Mints ? You probably won’t like these!)!
It is more minty than chocolatey, although the chocolate flavor is definitely there.
While it could have been a bit more chocolatey for my personal taste, I thought it was very tasty for a low sugar bar. The texture was nice and crunchy. - Nugo Slim Crunchy Peanut Butter –
Taste Score: 5/10 I was expecting a strong peanut butter flavor, but I did not get that from this one! It tasted more protein-powdery, and I could tell it was lower in sugar, and while it did have chocolate coating, it didn’t have a strong chocolate flavor.
Like the other slim bar I tried, I did appreciate the crunchy texture. I’m not a fan of those protein bars that are gummy! - Nugo Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip –
Taste Score: 9/10 Out of all the ones I tried, this one was probably my favorite! I’m a big fan of chocolate, and this one had the most chocolately taste and the least ‘protein powder/bar’ flavor! Not only does this one have a chocolate coating, but it also has chocolate chips on the inside.
It tasted kind of like a cross between a granola bar and chocolate covered Rice Krispies Treats™ and had a nice crispy/crunchy texture. - Nugo Chocolate Almond –
Taste Score: 7/10 This one had more of a very sweet almond milk flavor or a strong almond extract flavor. While I enjoy almond milk, I was hoping this bar would have whole almonds in it instead of that flavor. In short, it wasn’t the chocolate covered almond situation that I had hoped for!
And, I think the almond flavor was just too strong and overpowered the chocolate too. Again, chocolate lover here! So this one was just ok. Like the other Nugo Dark bars I tried, the texture was crispy and crunchy, which is a nice change from gummy protein bars. - Nugo Dark Chocolate Pretzel –
Taste Score: 7/10 Like the almond one, I was expecting this one to have some pretzel pieces in it (who doesn’t love chocolate covered pretzels?)!
While it did have a pleasant sweet and salty flavor, I did notice protein flavor, maybe slightly more than the chocolate almond one.
Want to see me taste testing these? Check out my YouTube video below!
Price
Here’s how much I bought each flavor for at Whole Foods (in USD):
- Nugo Slim Chocolate Mint: $1.69
- Nugo Slim Crunchy Peanut Butter: 1.69
- Nugo Dark Chocolate Pretzel: $1.89
- Nugo Dark Chocolate Almond: $1.79
- Nugo Dark Chocolate Chip: $1.89
Compared to some other vegan bars, like Clif Bar, these may be slightly cheaper.
For example, the Chocolate Brownie Clif bar sells for about $1.99 USD per bar at Whole Foods.
And the Go Macro Simple Splendor Bar goes fro about $2.99 USD per bar at Whole Foods!
Portion
I think that these bars are satisfyingly sized!
The picture above is of one of the Nugo Dark flavors.
I felt like the portion was what you might expect from a typical protein bar of that size.
Nutrition
Here are some of the nutrition facts as taken from the back of the Slim Chocolate Mint and Chocolate Pretzel packages I bought (picture above).
Slim Chocolate Mint:
- Calories: 170
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams
- Sodium: 220 milligrams
- Carbohyrdates: 18 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Added Sugars: 3 grams
- Protein : 17 grams
Nugo: Chocolate pretzel:
- Calories: 200
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 grams
- Sodium: 330 milligrams
- Carbohydrates: 25 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Added Sugars: 14 grams
- Protein: 12 grams
What makes the slim bar more ‘slim’ is that it has a slightly less calories and carbohydrates than the dark bar example.
If you are looking for more fiber and protein, the slim over double the fiber, and 5 more grams of protein per bar.
The slim also has considerably less sugar added sugar, which is a plus.
Both contain a notable amount of saturated fat and sodium. Excessive intake of either is not recommended for heart health.
Interestingly though, the bars are palm oil free, and it’s likely that much of the saturated fat comes from the dark chocolate and cocoa butter (see the ingredients from the Nugo Chocolate Pretzel bar below.
Some research suggests that the stearic acid in cocoa butter (the isolated fat in chocolate) may actully have more of a neutral effect on the ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL – low density lipoproteins), when compared to saturated fat from other sources, like palmitic acid (1).
To learn more about vegan fats, check out my article here!
One more thing I thought was neat about the chocolate is that it is Food Empowerment Project recommended.
This organization looks into chocolate sourcing from different companies to find out if they are getting chocolate from areas where unfair labor practices are more common.
I personally try to check this list when I buy chocolate – because sourcing is important to me. If you want to learn more, you can read about social justice issues with chocolate sourcing here!
Would I Buy Them Again?
I would buy the Nugo Slim Chocolate Mint or Nugo Dark Chocolate Chocolate chip again, hand down!
Might buy the others again (but probably not the Slim Crunchy Peanut Butter), but those two were my favorite!
I love to have a high protein option on hand, especially for times when I’m out and not sure what vegan options will be available.
These are both convenient and make a delicious way to tide me over! Here’s my two favorite flavors again:
And here is a quick pros and cons list (again, these are just my personal opinions!).
Pros
- Lots of tasty options!
- Texture is crunchy and/or crispy (depending on the line) – not gummy like several other protein bars
- I appreciate that they are Food Empowerment Project recommended (Fyi- check current listing for up to date info)
Cons
- Many varieties (but not all) are high in added sugars
- Decent amount of sodium and saturated fat
- Some flavors do not live up to their names
Do you have a favorite Nugo bar flavor? Or are you all about the variety packs? Let me know in the comments!
If you are enjoying these vegan food reviews, check out some of my other ones like:
–Lenny and Larry’s Protein Bar Review
–Lenny and Larry’s Cookies Review
–Sweet Earth Products Review
–Vegan Poptarts Review
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I ate these ALL the time in college! They were one of my go-to options because they were so easy to find. I loved the Dark Chocolate pretzel!
Nugo Dark Chocolate Chip is something I will definitely try. Vegan x protein. What more could I want!
I think I need more protein in my diet, and Im actively looking for good protein and fiber bars. I`ll check out these ones. Thank you for recommendation.