Built Bar Protein Bar Product Review
Disclaimer: I received Built Bars to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) at BibRave.com/BibRavePro, and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!
When I first started running again over 10 years ago, I started with local 5Ks, then 10Ks and eventually decided to run my first half marathon. This was a big deal since the most I ever raced in high school was 3 miles. But now that I had to pay to run in races, the prices for half marathons were not much more than the cost of registering for a 5K or 10K, it just seemed like the better value. So I started training for my first half marathon, but I had no idea where to start. So I reached out to some seasoned long-distance runners and got a training plan customized for my personal running goal (sub 1:30). And while I did pretty well sticking to the training plan, I did not reach my goal but was close at 1:38. Two reasons that happened was that the pace was just too fast for me to sustain for 13.1 miles and the heat really got to me. I remember needing to get water at every water stop about halfway through. But they say once you are that thirsty, it is too late and you won’t recover.
My next half marathon was a little over two months later and instead of using a training plan, I just maintained my fitness level by running every day, which was hard because it was during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s and it rained several days but I kept running. On race morning, I recall driving to the race and eating half a granola bar. I started the race with a pacer, but they kept slowing down on the downhills while I used gravity to my advantage. After around mile 7 or so, I decided to just go off on my own and pick up the pace. I usually start races too fast and end up being very tired for the rest of the race. But since I ran at a controlled pace with the pacer the first half of the race, I felt like I had a lot of energy left, so I was able to run quite aggressively, surging to catch up to runners and then passing them to the next person. I ended up finishing the race at a surprising time of 1:28, which I was super proud of. It was and still is my fastest half marathon time. Even to this day, I try to stick with that same routine and breakfast when I have a big race to run.
Since that race, I have had the opportunity to try many different granola and nutrition bars, some better than others. I am currently testing out the Built Bar, which is a sweet protein and energy bar, that tastes more like candy than a nutrition bar. They come in several different flavors, I haven’t tried all of them yet but really enjoy the Peanut Butter flavor. The thing that takes time to get used to is the texture as it is not like a normal protein bar, it is very chewy, kind of like a caramel or nougat consistency. But I have been told that putting them in the freezer will keep them hard and taste even better!
Here are the different flavors that I received to test and review.
- Double Chocolate Mousse
- Orange Chocolate Creme
- Raspberry Chocolate Creme
- Salted Caramel Chocolate
- Vanilla Chocolate Creme
- Banana Chocolate Creme
- Mint Brownie Delite
- Black Cherry Chocolate Creme
Some info from their website:
THE SCIENCE BEHIND BUILT BAR
There are currently many nutrition and protein bars available to the consumer. However, to paraphrase a statement made to me by a US Olympic athlete, they all taste about the same, like nut flavored cardboard. He confessed that, regardless of this, he continued to eat such bars. A primary objective in designing Built Bar was to make a bar that was high in protein, low in carbohydrates, had clean ingredients and would actually taste good.
If you’re interested in trying out the Built Bar, visit their website and order some today. Use the coupon code BUILTNOW for 20% off your order too!
