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PhD Smart Protein Bar review: I’d recommend these for plant-based diets

PhD Smart Protein Bars pack plenty of high quality whey protein and come in a wide variety of flavors, says nutritionist Rob Hobson.

Some of the best protein bars I’ve tested, PhD Smart Protein Bars are fairly large at 64g, offering a blend of milk protein, collagen hydrolysate and soy protein isolate. There’s a wide range of flavors to choose from, as well as half-sized and vegan versions.

Men’s Fitness verdict

• Nice rich taste
• Good amount of protein
• Not too sweet
• Slightly gritty texture
• High in polyols
• Big 64g bar

How we test the best protein bars

Registered nutritionist (AFN) and sports nutritionist (SENr)  Rob Hobson  only tested chocolate-flavoured bars to provide consistency in his reviews. He judged them on their taste, texture and nutritional effectiveness, as well as cost and availability, and the amount of polyols – a type of sweetener which can upset the gut in high amounts.

PhD Smart Bar benefits

With 20g of protein in each bar, there’s enough here to be effective as a post-workout option or to supply you with a source of protein during the day between meals. This is the biggest bar size on test and contains the most calories with up to 261g per serving depending on the flavor. Bear in mind that’s partly because of the serving size.

PhD bars are low in sugar and sweetened with maltitol (polyol). They contain 20g of polyols, the highest of any of protein bars on test. We’d recommend sticking to just one at a time (or going for the half-sized bars), especially if you are sensitive to polyols, as they can have a laxative effect if eaten in excess.

Flavor and texture

The chocolate brownie flavor bar I tested is coated in dark chocolate with a crispy filling and cocoa nibs. It has a deliciously rich chocolate flavor and a slightly chewy texture. I wasn’t too fond of the cocoa nibs as they can feel a little gritty and get stuck in your teeth. Though that shouldn’t be the case with other flavors that don’t have cocoa nibs.

It doesn’t taste too sweet, unlike some of the other protein bars on test. Overall, the PhD Smart Bar is a rich flavored bar with a good amount of protein. With nine flavors and vegan protein bar alternatives, you’re bound to find one that suits you.

Related content:

• Do you need protein right after a workout?
• How much protein should you have with each meal?
• Are protein bars healthy?

An award-winning, registered nutritionist and sports nutritionist with over 15 years’ experience, Rob runs London-based consultancy RHNutrition, seeing private clients and working with leading brands within the wellness industry. Rob's also a well-known face in the media, and his influence in the industry was acknowledged when he was honored with the HFMA Health Journalist of the Year award in 2022. He's the author of three books: 'The Detox Kitchen Bible', 'The Art of Sleeping', and 'How to Live an Unprocessed Life'.

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PhD Smart Bar Review: Superb taste and excellent value

When it comes to protein bars, the choice is huge and all big sports supplement brands have their own versions. The claims are similar from all – great taste and macros in every bar. Unfortunately, many of them don’t stand up to their claims and lack in one area or another.

It often seems that when we find a protein bar with a solid nutritional value, the taste is a letdown. But all that looks to be over with Smart Bars from PhD. Since discovering these protein bars several months ago, they are now our favourite choice for many reasons including great taste, price and nutritional value. Below you can find our PhD smart Bar review.

Many gym-goers wonder why we like to use protein bars over a whey protein shake. Protein bars provide a quick and convenient way to add protein and carbs into your diet. Unlike shakes, they can easily be thrown into a bag and consumed any time of the day without any preparation.

We often find ourselves consuming a protein bar at some point during the morning to easily boost protein intake.

• 20g Protein per 64g bar
• 9 Great flavours

About PhD Nutrition

Over the last few years, we have become increasing big fans of the full range of products from PhD Nutrition. The brand was launched in 2006 with the mission to change the sports nutrition landscape. Over the last 14 years, this UK based brand has seen massive growth. PhD products are now sold in over 45 countries and recognised as a global sports nutrition brand.

To us, PhD is a premium supplement brand, and with that comes the expectation of quality. Luckily, quality is one of the key drivers behind creating each product. The full range includes whey protein, pre-workout, BCAAs and more. One of the most popular is the brand’s diet whey protein.

This is widely recognised as one of the original and best diet whey formulations. PhD is here for the everyday gym user to help get the most out of every workout and see the results you deserve. The full range of products can be brought directly from the PhD website. They are also widely available from online sports nutrition retailers.

For us, taste and flavours are the most important element in choosing our next protein bar. If we were just looking for nutritional value alone, we would stick with a protein shake. So often, protein bars don’t live up to their claims of great taste. But PhD smart bars really do, offering superb taste across a full range of flavours.

The rounded shape resembles more of a chocolate bar as opposed to a protein bar . We love this as it stops the bar feeling as dense and heavy as some other protein bars. The overall makeup of each bar is the same. The centre is thick and smooth, making it very chewy when consumed.

Following that is a softer layer containing different flavours such as the birthday cake flavouring or caramel. On most bars, the outside contains a crunchy layer which adds to the texture and improves the experience.

A good selection of 9 flavours is available to choose from including cookies and cream, caramel crunch and salted fudge brownie. Our favourite flavours are birthday cake and white chocolate blondie. We don’t see many protein bars come in a white chocolate flavour, and PhD does a great job of it.

For those that cannot decide, a variety box is available, providing the ability to try multiple flavours at the same time. The only drawback we can think of is that we wouldn’t mind them being slightly larger, but that’s just because we enjoy them so much. 

Across the full range of flavours, the macros are pretty good. The protein content is approximately 20g per 64g bar. Some flavours have a slightly higher protein content, for example, the birthday cake flavour contains 21g. This is similar to the amount of protein found in a whey protein shake.

The total calories are average for a protein bar, containing approximately 240 kcal in each bar. Again there is some variation between flavours. Caramel crunch contains 238 calories, while salted fudge brownie contains 232. 

The carbohydrate content is also relatively low with around 23g in each bar. In comparison, Grenade Carb Killa bars contain 20g, but the overall volume of the bar is slightly less at 60g. 11g of fat can be found inside of each bar, with 7g of which being saturates. PhD smart bars are also halal and palm oil-free. The overall nutritional value is impressive, with a solid protein serving and relatively low carbs and fat.

The price can be a mixed bag when it comes to PhD Smart Bars. From the PhD website, the RRP is £29.99 for a box of 12. This is £2.50 per bar. At this price, we find them expensive and not sustainable to be consumed daily.

The good news is that PhD products are widely available from a huge number of sports nutrition retailers, both online and offline. This results in them usually costing much less, with a similar price across most retailers.

At the time of writing, the average price is around £20 for a box of 12. At some retailers, they are available for less including both Discount Supplements and Amazon. We have consistently found Amazon to have Smart Bars available at the lowest price.

Furthermore, the subscribe and save option reduces the cost further and adds the convenience of regularly scheduled deliveries. At £20 or less for 12, we find PhD Smart Bars to be very good value. Yes, there may be cheaper options available, but not with this combination of great taste and macros. In comparison to the popular Grenade Carb Killa bars, the price is very similar, usually slightly less.

For those not sure which flavour to go with, the variety box makes a great start. Included is a mix of all the flavours for you to try yourself before committing to a full box of a single flavour. 

Further thoughts

A protein bar such as the PhD Smart Bar is ideal for those looking for a mid-morning snack that is high in protein and convenient. But we wouldn’t recommend one for after a workout. For this, there are better sources of protein available in the form of whey protein shakes. While less convenient, a shake can provide better macros and be more friendly towards a tight budget.

For those fussy on the type of protein they consume, this protein bar contains mainly milk protein, with some soy and collagen proteins. These are often not favoured in protein supplements. 

Overall, as you can see in this PhD Smart Bar review, we are massively impressed. Protein bars have many benefits . In a market with a lot of big claims without the product to back them up, these do the opposite. The PhD brand is a UK based supplement manufacturer which now produces a huge range of protein supplements. The innovation from all their products including Smart Bars is super exciting. 

The overall taste of every PhD Smart Bar is impressive and really makes them stand out from all of the competition. There are 9 different great tasting flavours to choose from.  Our favourite is the white choc blondie which tastes more like a chocolate bar than a protein bar. 

The shape in these bars is unique in that it stops them feeling heavy and thick, where many other protein bars go wrong. While the RRP price is expensive, they are available from many retailers online for roughly £20. The best value is on Amazon which often has them available for less.  

Without a doubt, we will be buying these protein bars again. 

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Jun 18 PhD Smart Bar: Reviewing Every Flavour of PhD Protein Bar

We review each flavour of the phd smart bar: the high protein, low sugar protein bar, the last time we took on this herculean protein bar challenge, we tried every flavour of grenade carb killa , and it was a mysterious adventure of flavours and textures that left us with some very clear favourites..

This time around, we did not know what to expect, as unlikely their competitors, PhD have not yet made the newsagent and supermarket shelves in the same way. So, with the tasting panel in place, again including our very own 4-year-old Jay Rayner, we set about trying the PhD Smart Bar!

PhD Nutrition Smart Bars: An intro

So PhD has been around for a while, and like most fitness-driven companies, has a roster of influencers and celebrities creating content and wearing PhD clothes and drinking and eating PhD products.

The question is, are their protein bars as good to eat as they look? How do they compare to the other son the market in terms of nutrition, and which ones would suit your palette? Find out with us!

All bars are Palm Oil Free , which is great, and are extremely low sugar.

A note, we are not affiliated with PhD Nutrition and have not been paid by them for this , and it is not an ad.

What flavours are we working with?

Phd smart bar - birthday cake, phd smart bar - salted fudge brownie, phd smart bar - chocolate brownie, phd smart bar - mississippi tough mudder pie, phd smart bar - cookies & cream, phd smart bar - white choc blondie, phd smart bar - choc peanut butter, phd smart bar - dark choc raspberry, phd smart bar - caramel crunch.

Birthday Cake

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 24g Fat: 10g Sugars: 2.2g Calories: 236

So the expectation was high as this was the favourite flavour of both 4 year old and 40 year old in the Grenade bar review. This time, it was not quite as glowing an endorsement.

Very strong Jam taste, “Like a jammy dodger” said 4 year old.

40 year old found it too sickly

It has a very strong taste of concentrated strawberry, but if that’s your thing you may love it

Not the best by any means, and sadly also not near the flavour of its main rival

Salted Fudge Brownie

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 17g Fat: 10g Sugars: 2.1g Calories: 232

The overriding comment on this one always contained the word ‘Fudge’, which is a good start for a Fudge Brownie flavoured bar.

Nice salty taste to accompany the rich fudge

5 x 5 stars from 4 year old boy

A comforting flavour that would work well as a treat, instead of your regular sugar fuelled brownie

If you like fudge, this one is definitely for you

Chocolate Brownie

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 21g Fat: 7.1g Sugars: 0.4g Calories: 237

This tastes just like one of our other favourite ‘healthy’ treats, the Fibre One Chocolate Brownie, which we absolutely love!

Very rich, dark and flavoursome, but possibly eating a whole one would take a lot of effort

It has a very inviting lumpy and bumpy texture which looks unusual

40 year old liked this one, with a big glass of milk, which would be over 30g of Protein in one sitting, so great for bulking!

Virtually SUGAR FREE

Mississippi Tough Mudder Pie

Protein: 21g Carbohydrate: 24g Fat: 6.4g Sugars: 1.1g Calories: 233

Bearing the name of the unbearable Facebook favourite, Tough Mudder, this was actually the first bar we all tasted, and overall the feedback was good!

4 year old was delighted at the smell of the bar, 2 x thumbs up

A bobbly texture was noted by all tasters

A lovely malty flavour was a welcome change to Taster No. 1 - who loves malted stuff

Quite a strong protein aftertaste, and quite dry, but with a warm drink this would be hard to beat

Cookies & Cream

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 23g Fat: 11g Sugars: 1.9g Calories: 241

The visual design of this bar was not lost on the 4 year old, who instantly shouted ‘Oreo’, when he say the packaging. So we were all very excited as we are a family of Oreo munchers. However..

Was very light in appearance and did not taste like Oreo at all, which was a bit of a mind melter

Tasted more like a caramel/malty bar but reminded us of Protein shakes of old

There is a hint of Vanilla and tastes like a vanilla protein shake, so if you like that, it might be worth trying

White Choc Blondie

Protein: 21g Carbohydrate: 24g Fat: 11g Sugars: 2.1g Calories: 241

The lead reviewer was certainly looking forward to this as he has a penchant for white chocolate, reviewer number 2 not so much, 4 year old, yes he looked very excited.

We ALL agreed, it tasted like Mini-milks, which are popular with 2/3 so that’s totally fine

Very creamy and sweet, a real treat

A hint of marshmallow about it

Overall good reviews all round

Choc Peanut Butter

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate : 23g Fat : 6.8g Sugars : 1.9g Calories : 239

The favourite in the early betting, peanut flavour snacks are held in high esteem here at The Sporting Blog, so there was no suprise when this one got the team excited.

Voted as tasting like Reese’s Pieces, this was definitely a winner

very peanutty, and if you like peanut butter and chocolate you cannot go wrong

5 stars, 5 fingers, 5 everything, this was the crowd favourite by a long way

Dark Choc Raspberry

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate : 22g Fat : 11g Sugars : 0.4g Calories : 237

There was a general nervousness around this bar, since the Grenade version was NOT popular. So we went in with trepidation…

Smells very much like a Turkish Delight chocolate bar

Tastes a bit like a Turkish delight chocolate bar also

A much more subtle taste than the Grenade version

Freeze dried raspberry taste is pretty strong if you get a little bit of it, so Raspberry fans will be pleased

Caramel Crunch

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate : 22g Fat : 11g Sugars : 0.6g Calories : 238

So this one was a bit disappointing, based on the name, all of us were ready for a crunch and a sweet taste sensation.

Sadly a bit bland

Tasted like one of those pink wafer things from the 80s

Not really a taste of caramel in our opinion

Couldn’t eat a whole one as the protein taste was very strong

PhD Nutrition Smart Bar - In conclusion

Well, we liked some and didn’t like others. To fit 20g of Protein in a bar it will always have to be quite big, quite chalky, and not that easy to eat. However they have done a good job of keeping the sugar low, and the taste decent.

Why not try them for yourself and let us know what you think.

Check out The Sporting Blog on Social Media for more interesting stuff you didn’t know you needed to know!

And please check out the sporting blog podcast.

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PhD Nutrition   Reviews

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Reviews 4.6.

12,758 total

Most relevant

One may not achieve their goal

Initially I lost about 12 lbs but I have plateaued at between 212 and 213 lbs following their plan to the letter. Very disappointing . I am answering their reply wherein they deny they don't have a diet plan. That is actually not the case. They instructed me to restrict certain foods and limit the amount of those permitted. If that isn't a diet plan I don't what is. As I wrote previously, I haven't given up and as of 10-22-2024 I have shed another 2 lbs.

Date of experience : October 18, 2024

Reply from PhD Nutrition

Hi there, Thanks for leaving your feedback. Unfortunately we do not have any kind of diet plans, nor do we present or offer diet plans on our website. Any information shared is only recommended to you, not instructed. We do apologise if our product is not showing the desired effects however, supplements can take some time to kick in. Could we kindly ask that you get in touch at [email protected] so we can answer any further questions you may have, as we would also like to understand your review fully. Many thanks! Kind regards Team PhD

First time supplement users

As first time supplement users we weren't sure what to expect but a couple of months into using their whey protein powders I can vouch for the great flavours. We started with Vanilla but now also have Belgian chocolate and Salted Caramel on the go. We also really like the flexible scheduled ordering system and speedy delivery

Date of experience : October 11, 2024

Superb Customer Services

Had a slight issue with a package I received. Contacted Beth at customer services and with 30mins we had the whole thing resolved.! Superb customer services by Beth a real credit to the team and a role model for "Customer Services". Many thanks A+++++

Beth, Customer Services provided a personal, very polite, friendly & prompt support to an issue with my order. Beth put in extra time & effort to help. Very grateful. Thank you.

Date of experience : October 17, 2024

Really great vegan protein shakes

Really great vegan protein shakes. Always have good offers and delivery is always really fast.

Date of experience : October 16, 2024

Best Diet Whey on the market

I’ve used PHD Nutrition for years, and their Diet Whey protein products are hands down the best I’ve tried, both for flavour and fitting into a nutrition plan. Their customer service has always been fantastic, and I’m sure I’ll continue to be a customer for years to come!

Persistently out of stock of many…

Persistently out of stock of many flavours. Usually the cheapest ones, so you see a low price advertised on the site but when you click on it, you can’t order it.

Date of experience : October 01, 2024

Hello, Thank you for getting in touch. A member of our team will be in touch shortly to follow this up for you! Kind regards Team PhD

Brilliant service from Beth in customer services.

Sorted an issue with Beth in customer service. I bought a discontinued box of smart bars Via Amazon that didn't taste right. Amazon wouldn't accept return but Beth went above and beyond by sending me an alternative flavour, chocolate mocha and they are lovely. Didn't expect this level of customer service and they must be commended.

Date of experience : October 07, 2024

Great Customer Service

I have been using PhD diet whey protein powder for years and finally decided to create a subscription earlier this year. My subscription was due imminently, but I received an email from PhD customer services advising there was an issue with my payment method. I'm not sure why, but it seemed to be a problem with my card issuer. I changed my payment details to another bank & all was OK. Beth kept me updated, and she was incredibly helpful & friendly. I also highly recommend Vanilla Creme diet whey protein powder! It's delicious as a shake, in porridge, overnight oats and yoghurt to make a thick & creamy dessert!

Date of experience : September 23, 2024

Had an issue with one of my bags of…

Had an issue with one of my bags of super greens, sent an email with a picture once received. Jonathan got back to me first thing and had the issue resolved and another item sent out straight away. Great response time and handled extremely well.

Many times the variety of the product…

Many times the variety of the product is very limited. Most of the times Out of Stock is the status.

Date of experience : October 13, 2024

Hi Oliver, Thanks for your feedback. We do apologise if some products are out of stock. Please know that we are doing all we can to ensure product availability is present throughout the website. We will pass your feedback onto our internal team regarding this issue too. Many thanks. Kind regards Team PhD

happy with ordered products (bar & whey)

fast delivery, as usual. keep up the great service & quality.

Date of experience : October 09, 2024

My favourite protein powder

Very very fast delivery and a great product

Date of experience : October 15, 2024

Complete meal (banana)

I purchased the banana complete meal. Which after mixing with a banana/raspberries/blueberries and milk I found that the drink tasted good and was very filling. I would thoroughly recommend this product👍.

Date of experience : September 18, 2024

Straightforward and easy to use

Date of experience : October 08, 2024

The fact that the issue I raised in…

The fact that the issue I raised in regards with my initial order was resolved promptly, and I was able to receive a replacement one within two days. Big shout out to the customer service foe their professionalism. As for the product, great one as always.

Date of experience : September 15, 2024

They’ve changed the recipe - not great.

I order PhD Belgian Chocolate diet whey every 2/3 months and have done for years. The new delivery has clearly changed recipe and it’s not great. If all of the four bags are the same I may look at changing my allegiance. Sorry, but it was fine before. UPDATE - PhD have been in touch and have replace the offending product. Great Service! Thank you!!

Hi Mark, Thanks for your feedback. We haven't changed our Diet Whey formula for Belgian Chocolate. I do apologise for your experience, a member of our team will be in touch shortly to follow this up with you. Kind regards Team PhD

Pre-Workout arrived damaged

Ordered some pre workout which the seal had come loose on and the contents had spoiled. Sent an email with some photos attached to the customer service team and Beth replied extremely quickly and advised she had passed it onto the QA team to look into and a replacement had been requested. Extremely efficient and lovely experience!

Date of experience : September 05, 2024

Items always delivered quickly

Items always delivered quickly, such an easy experience, have repeatedly used for the last 3 years

Date of experience : September 26, 2024

missing shaker

missing shaker "charged" product, completely damaged pot no return from you really disappointed

Date of experience : September 21, 2024

Hello Thank you for getting in touch. We are very sorry to hear that you didn't receive your free gift. A member of our team will be in touch shortly to follow this up for you! Kind regards Team PhD

Review: PHD Smart Bars

In a market now saturated with great-tasting protein bars which can hardly be distinguished from actual chocolate bars, perhaps it’s to be expected that nutritional values might slip. Is it too much to ask that a protein bar tastes good and does good?

Enter UK brand PHD’s Smart Bar range. Having long associated PHD with their old (before the re-vamp) ‘Diet Whey’ bars – all as bland, powdery and stiff as the last – I was reluctant to believe their claims about this new ‘delicious’ range. But, credit where credit is due, someone at PHD deserves a raise because these bars really are impressive.

The range boasts a minimum of 20g protein, all are low in sugar (under 2g) and all come palm oil free. Calories range from 237-241, and carbs around 22-24g. The only downside perhaps is the use of collagen and soy proteins, but it’s worth noting that milk is still the primary protein source.

At time of writing Smart Bars are available in eight flavours, and you’re about to hear my thoughts on all of them…

• Chocolate Brownie
• Cookies & Cream
• Caramel Crunch
• Choc Peanut Butter
• Dark Choc Raspberry
• Salted Fudge Brownie
• White Choc Blondie
• Birthday Cake

Chocolate Brownie 7/10

Among the most basic protein bar flavours, you really cannot go wrong with ‘Chocolate Brownie’, however you want to spin it.

The Smart Bar range all share the same basic layout – a chewy core, gooey caramel layer and plenty of crispies, all coated in a thick layer of chocolate.

The centre reminds of slightly hard nougat, with a chew that might leave some complaining of jaw ache. There’s enough caramel to lend a sticky feel to the bar, and the crispies work well here to give a satisfying crunch. The chocolate coating is the real highlight here – it’s thick, creamy and perfectly sweet. Overall, PHD have nailed the blend of textures here – chewy, gooey, crunchy and creamy.

The core has a light cocoa flavour, enhanced by all the other chocolate-y elements. Although the flavour is delicate when you first take a bite, it really intensifies as you chew (presumably as the chocolate layer melts) and you’re left with a deeper, darker chocolate taste.

If you’re a chocolate lover and you’re getting bored of the classic barely-there chocolate flavour of other bars, then this is one for you. I’ve given it a 7 because it’s not their best (or most interesting) flavour, but it is good and it’s certainly up there with other brands’ classics.

Caramel Crunch 5/10

After being impressed by the Chocolate Brownie flavour, I have to say I was a little underwhelmed by the ‘Caramel Crunch’.

The core has almost no flavour at all. Texture-wise it’s the same as the Chocolate Brownie, only perhaps slightly doughier. The caramel layer is nice and gooey, complimenting the bite of the core and lending that much-needed caramel taste, and the crispies do put the ‘crunch’ in ‘Caramel Crunch’.

To their credit, PHD have avoided falling into the trap of making this bar overly sweet. The dark chocolate layer has the perfect bitterness, and cracks satisfyingly when you take a bite. I suppose the mild core works to make it less sweet too, but blandness shouldn’t be the way to do this.

I wish they’d packed more caramel flavour into the core, and perhaps a hint of salt would have made the whole thing more interesting. Don’t get me wrong it’s not bad, it’s just nothing to write home about. A subtle caramel flavour means this isn’t one for hard-core caramel fans – if you need a caramel fix there are other options out there (see here , for example).

Cookies & Cream 6/10

I’ll roast my right foot if you can give me a brand that doesn’t boast a cookies & cream flavour, and I’ll happily eat said foot if that brand actually delivers on both elements.

The ‘cream’ element comes from the core. It has a sweet, milky sort of flavour which is in danger of being overall tasteless. The caramel layer rescues it somewhat, and the crispies are there for the crunch, but it is a little bland nevertheless.

I guess the ‘cookie’ element comes from the crispies and the thick milk chocolate coating, which is lovely and creamy, but it’s not exactly obvious.

Of course it’s not wholly unimpressive – it still tastes good and the mixing of textures is on point, but it seems PHD have fallen prey to a classic cookies & cream cock-up. There’s just undeniably more cream than cookie here, if there’s any cookie at all.

Choc Peanut Butter 5/10

Again, show me a brand that hasn’t exploited the lure of peanut butter in one way or another. It’s an absolute classic.

Looking back, I should have spotted a red flag when I opened the bar, expecting to get a nice whiff of peanut butter, only to find that it smelt faintly of cocoa and not much else.

I did notice there was more caramel than usual here, obvious since it had exploded from one end of the bar, bonding it to the wrapper.

That same chewy core, gooey caramel, crispies and thick chocolate coating that cracks when you take a bite…but no peanut butter. Seriously, the flavour was almost non-existent. It’s the same problem as the Caramel Crunch – there’s just no flavour. If I really concentrated I got a hint of PB but, if I’m honest, I really wasn’t looking for a mindful snack.

It’s not bad. Like the rest of the range, the four layers work really well together and the bar is obviously good quality, but if you promise peanut butter then please kindly follow through.

It’s a shame really. If PHD had packed the core with more of a PB flavour and replaced the crispies with peanut pieces as other brands have been known to do (see here , and here ) then this could have been a really banging bar. But, alas, t’was not so.

Dark Choc Raspberry – 10/10

I’ve said it once but I’ll say it again – I hate fruit and chocolate. Chocolate coated strawberries are the devil’s food, get your cherries OUT of my brownie, and there’s a special place reserved in hell for all those who enjoy black forest gateau.

BUT, there are exceptions. And this is one.

A chewy chocolate core coated in raspberry caramel, sprinkled with crispies and covered in a thick layer of rich dark chocolate. It’s perfect.

Once again the chew from the core nicely contrasts the gooey caramel and creamy chocolate coating, and the crispies add a wonderful crunch. The dark chocolate is slightly bitter, working beautifully with the zingy sweetness of the raspberry layer, and I love how it cracks when you take a bite.

Honestly it’s up there on par with Grenade’s recent offering of the same flavour. Amazing.

Salted Fudge Brownie 10/10

We love an unusual flavour! Plus, sea salt brownies are arguably the classiest type of brownie, so I went in expecting big things.

Reader, I was not disappointed. The centre is slightly softer than other flavours but milky and sweet, similar to the Choc Peanut Butter flavour (I’m not mad – there’s no peanut butter). As usual, the crispies add the crunch and the thick milk chocolate coating is creamy and cracks when you take a bite.

Whilst the rest of the bar is pretty great, hands down the star of the show is the salted fudge layer. It’s sticky and gooey like the caramel in the other bars but it has the perfect hint of salt, making the whole bar really taste like salted fudge. It’s truly gorgeous.

PHD have nailed the flavour here. The blend of salty and sweet is sophisticated and luxurious, the chocolate is excellent quality, and the softer centre makes the blend of textures even better than before.

This is a really solid choice for those who love chocolate but, like most of us, are sick of your bog-standard ‘chocolate brownie’ flavour.

White Choc Blondie 10/10

Whilst I know I’m an edge-piece person, for me it’s a tough choice between a brownie and a blondie. Call me a cynic, but as it’s not a flavour that you often come across in a protein bar, I did have my suspicions the ‘Blondie’ element was a bit of a sales gimmick…

…and I was right. I hate to be a know-it-all ( read: I love it when I’m right ), but this is just a white chocolate bar, very similar in fact to Grenade’s White Chocolate Cookie .

The core is milky sweet, like that of the Cookies & Cream flavour, with a hint of vanilla and much softer than previous bars. Whilst older flavours give your jaw more of a work-out, the newer ones are more nougat-y in texture and I definitely prefer it.

There’s plenty of caramel which makes the bar feel wonderfully sticky, and the cocoa crispies as usual add a nice crunch. With the cocoa crispies, I can see another dimension where this was marketed as the ‘Cookies & Cream’ flavour and, to be honest, it would be a better attempt than the current offering.

The white chocolate coating is the star of the show here. It’s thick, sweet and creamy, adding a really luxurious feel to this flavour.

Even though I feel misled by the promise of a blondie, I’m more than satisfied with this from PHD. Besides, I don’t know how they’d even deliver on the blondie flavour…

It’s a fantastic bar – one of my favourites ever.

Birthday Cake 8/10

So I’ve been quite very generous with the 10/10s so far, but the newer flavours have really smashed it. PHD have set a high bar for their newest release, in celebration of their second birthday – is this bar worth celebrating?

Birthday Cake has proved a difficult enemy to conquer, with most bars not getting it quite right – it’s too sweet, it’s just your average white chocolate bar with a few sprinkles chucked on or the ‘jam’ flavour just isn’t there.

PHD have brought the party with some extra multicoloured hundreds and thousands sprinkled on top, but in my opinion sprinkles are more of an annoyance than a feature. They might add some sense of texture, but they don’t add flavour and they have a knack of going everywhere .

The bar’s core is soft, chewy and lightly flavoured with vanilla. The raspberry caramel is similar to the Dark Choc Raspberry flavour – sweet but perfectly zingy. The cocoa crispies add crunch but little to no flavour, and the white chocolate coating is, as we’ve come to expect, thick and luxuriously creamy.

The raspberry flavour is really nice here, and the slight tang works well with the sweetness of the white chocolate. It’s not exactly birthday cake, but with this flavour I don’t know what I expect – it is a protein bar after all.

I think I prefer Grenade’s offering , but this one definitely isn’t bad if you’re a birthday cake fiend.

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Best Muscle And Fitness Supplements 2022

The best supplements, honestly reviewed, by us, for you…, phd nutrition smart bar review-today’s tastiest high protein, low carb bar, our posts may contain affiliate links and if you buy something through one of those links, we could earn a small commission from the vendor which goes towards the upkeep of this site and won’t cost you a penny more..

In this review we will cover the key features of these hugely popular high protein, low sugar snack bars and take each one in turn and explain in more detail what each one means for you.

So, if you’re looking for a great-tasting and convenient protein bar which will give you that extra hit of protein right when you need it without messing up your macros, be sure to read the full review.

If you don’t have time to read the full review and just want to grab a box of Smart Bars and go, no problem. You can do that right here …

Click here to compare prices on eBay…

If you do have a few minutes, we’ll start by having a look at the key features of the PhD Nutrition Smart Bar, and then we’ll get straight into the full review.

 The PhD Nutrition Smart Bar Review…

Key product features:.

• Great tasting, triple layered bar
• High Protein- 20g protein per bar
• Low Carbs and Low Sugar- 0.4-1.9g of sugar per bar
• Palm oil free
• Convenient healthy on the go snack

The Smart Bars themselves are made up of three different layers.

First there’s the main layer which is a slab of nougat like chocolate peanut butter.

This is surrounded by crunchy, crispy, flaky bits which add to the overall texture of the bar.

On top of this there is a third layer of delicious gooey caramel, and then the whole thing has a generous coating of milk chocolate.

Each bar also contains 20 g of protein.

This is slightly less than the Quest Protein Bars which contain 21 g, and the Grenade Carb Killa bars which have over 23 g.

The protein in Smart Bars is a blend made up of  milk protein, collagen hydrolysate, and soya protein isolate.

Milk Protein is an excellent source of calcium, high in  branch chain amino acids and low in fat.

Collagen hydrolysate supports joint and connective tissue health and it also helps the body’s natural ability to heal and repair muscle tissues broken down during workouts .

Soya protein isolate contains more arginine than whey protein and is essential for muscle growth.

P hD Nutrition Smart Bars are also pretty low in fat and carbs, however they do contain slightly more than Carb Killa Bars, and Quest bars.

Thankfully these bars don’t contain any palm oil, which is high in unhealthy saturated fat.

And obviously, with them being a bar you don’t have to prepare them in any way, you just take them with you and enjoy them on the go…

Click here to check them out for yourself over on Amazon…

What About The Taste And Texture…

These bars taste great!

In fact, they’re very tasty indeed considering the low sugar content.

Probably even better than the popular ones in your local sweet shop.

They actually taste like a really indulgent chocolate bar, sweet, but not too sweet.

They have the kind of taste you just want to hold in your mouth and never swallow.

Texture wise, Smart Bars are firm yet soft when you bite into them. Definitely not dry and crumbly.

 They have a soft, crunchy and chewy texture about them, not too chewy, melt in your mouth kind of chewy.

And when the different layers merge together in your mouth you know you’re onto something special.

What Others Are Saying…

With a further 16% of them giving it 4 stars…

And only 8% of them rating it a 1 star product.

Going by these figures it’s pretty clear that the vast majority of people who have actually tried these bars, are very happy with them.

Click here to see all the latest reviews being left for these bars on Amazon…

Best Time To Use Them…

The manufacturers haven’t recommended when to use Smart Bars.

What they have said is that being a grab and go snack, you can enjoy this bar anywhere at any time.

And due to the fact it is highly convenient you can take it with you anywhere, whether it’s on a leisurely walk, as a post-workout snack or when you’re away on holiday.

You can even use it as toppings for home-made recipes too such as; pancakes, overnight oats etc.

Price And Value For Money…

At the time of writing you can pick up a 12 pack of 64 g PhD Nutrition Smart Bar for £18.95.

This works out at around £1.57 per bar.

This is the same price you would currently pay for a 12 pack of Carb Killa Bars . ..

And much less than you would pay for a 12 pack of Quest Protein Bars .

Click here to check them out for yourself on Amazon…

Best Place To Buy Your PhD Smart Bars…

To get the best deal we highly recommend the following…

First head over to Amazon and check out the product listing in full, paying particular attention to the customer reviews and the customer answered questions as they will give you a really good insight into just how these protein bars are performing for real people, just like you, in the real world.

Amazon is also our first port of call as they usually have the best prices, along with some pretty good deals and discounts every now and then too.

Once you’re satisfied that these PhD Smart Bars are the ones for you, we then recommend heading over to eBay to see if you can get a better deal there…

It does sometimes happen and so it’s well with spending a couple of minutes to check it out, just be sure to factor in any additional delivery charges that may apply as they can mean the difference between a great deal and a not-so-great one…

Vendors on Amazon and eBay also deliver pretty quickly, however, we found Amazon to have the edge here, especially if you take out a Free Prime trial, plus they also make returning any items you are not entirely satisfied with really easy too.

Final Verdict…Are They Worth It?

The short answer is…YES!…THEY’RE WORTH IT!

At the end of the day, you’re getting way more than just an amazing-tasting triple-layered treat.

This PhD Nutrition Smart Bar is also packed with 20 g of quality proteins, low in carbs, sugar and fat,  and it’s free from palm oil.

They keep you feeling fuller between meals so you’re less likely to snack, but don’t be surprised if you start thinking about snacking on them.

If you’re looking for a healthy, high protein, low carb bar that you can eat on the run whatever else you may be doing, that also tastes like an indulgent chocolate bar, we highly recommend you try these.

Best Alternatives…

These are our top picks of the best alternatives to PhD Nutrition Smart Bars…

• High protein bar-over 23 g of protein
• Can be eaten any time of the day – from a delicious snack between meals, to a post workout treat that is high in protein and low in sugar. Low carbs and high protein
• Informed choice approved and accredited
• Contains only 1.5 g of sugar and 1.5 g of high impact carbs
• GMO free, no hydrogenated oils . Read more→

• High Quality Protein Bar
• Very Low Carbs
• Cheat Clean Treat
• No Sugar or Sugar Alcohols Used
• Simply Delicious. Read more→

And that brings us to the end of this PhD Nutrition Smart Bar review.

We hope it’s given you all the information you need to decide if these high-protein bars will make a welcome addition to your existing nutrition and workout plan .

As you’ve read, they are incredibly convenient and versatile and a great choice for a pre-workout boost, a post-workout snack, or as an in-between meals treat for meeting your daily protein requirements.

Oh yes, and they taste great too.

So, all that remains for us to d now is to thank you for taking the time to read this review, and to wish you every success on your muscle and fitness journey.

Thanks again, we really do appreciate you and look forward to seeing you in the next one soon…

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Reviews 4.6.

12,758 total

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One may not achieve their goal

Initially I lost about 12 lbs but I have plateaued at between 212 and 213 lbs following their plan to the letter. Very disappointing . I am answering their reply wherein they deny they don't have a diet plan. That is actually not the case. They instructed me to restrict certain foods and limit the amount of those permitted. If that isn't a diet plan I don't what is. As I wrote previously, I haven't given up and as of 10-22-2024 I have shed another 2 lbs.

Date of experience : 18 October 2024

Reply from PhD Nutrition

Hi there, Thanks for leaving your feedback. Unfortunately we do not have any kind of diet plans, nor do we present or offer diet plans on our website. Any information shared is only recommended to you, not instructed. We do apologise if our product is not showing the desired effects however, supplements can take some time to kick in. Could we kindly ask that you get in touch at [email protected] so we can answer any further questions you may have, as we would also like to understand your review fully. Many thanks! Kind regards Team PhD

First time supplement users

As first time supplement users we weren't sure what to expect but a couple of months into using their whey protein powders I can vouch for the great flavours. We started with Vanilla but now also have Belgian chocolate and Salted Caramel on the go. We also really like the flexible scheduled ordering system and speedy delivery

Date of experience : 11 October 2024

Superb Customer Services

Had a slight issue with a package I received. Contacted Beth at customer services and with 30mins we had the whole thing resolved.! Superb customer services by Beth a real credit to the team and a role model for "Customer Services". Many thanks A+++++

Beth, Customer Services provided a personal, very polite, friendly & prompt support to an issue with my order. Beth put in extra time & effort to help. Very grateful. Thank you.

Date of experience : 17 October 2024

Really great vegan protein shakes

Really great vegan protein shakes. Always have good offers and delivery is always really fast.

Date of experience : 16 October 2024

Best Diet Whey on the market

I’ve used PHD Nutrition for years, and their Diet Whey protein products are hands down the best I’ve tried, both for flavour and fitting into a nutrition plan. Their customer service has always been fantastic, and I’m sure I’ll continue to be a customer for years to come!

Persistently out of stock of many…

Persistently out of stock of many flavours. Usually the cheapest ones, so you see a low price advertised on the site but when you click on it, you can’t order it.

Date of experience : 01 October 2024

Hello, Thank you for getting in touch. A member of our team will be in touch shortly to follow this up for you! Kind regards Team PhD

Brilliant service from Beth in customer services.

Sorted an issue with Beth in customer service. I bought a discontinued box of smart bars Via Amazon that didn't taste right. Amazon wouldn't accept return but Beth went above and beyond by sending me an alternative flavour, chocolate mocha and they are lovely. Didn't expect this level of customer service and they must be commended.

Date of experience : 07 October 2024

Great Customer Service

I have been using PhD diet whey protein powder for years and finally decided to create a subscription earlier this year. My subscription was due imminently, but I received an email from PhD customer services advising there was an issue with my payment method. I'm not sure why, but it seemed to be a problem with my card issuer. I changed my payment details to another bank & all was OK. Beth kept me updated, and she was incredibly helpful & friendly. I also highly recommend Vanilla Creme diet whey protein powder! It's delicious as a shake, in porridge, overnight oats and yoghurt to make a thick & creamy dessert!

Date of experience : 23 September 2024

Had an issue with one of my bags of…

Had an issue with one of my bags of super greens, sent an email with a picture once received. Jonathan got back to me first thing and had the issue resolved and another item sent out straight away. Great response time and handled extremely well.

Many times the variety of the product…

Many times the variety of the product is very limited. Most of the times Out of Stock is the status.

Date of experience : 13 October 2024

Hi Oliver, Thanks for your feedback. We do apologise if some products are out of stock. Please know that we are doing all we can to ensure product availability is present throughout the website. We will pass your feedback onto our internal team regarding this issue too. Many thanks. Kind regards Team PhD

happy with ordered products (bar & whey)

fast delivery, as usual. keep up the great service & quality.

Date of experience : 09 October 2024

My favourite protein powder

Very very fast delivery and a great product

Date of experience : 15 October 2024

Complete meal (banana)

I purchased the banana complete meal. Which after mixing with a banana/raspberries/blueberries and milk I found that the drink tasted good and was very filling. I would thoroughly recommend this product👍.

Date of experience : 18 September 2024

Straightforward and easy to use

Date of experience : 08 October 2024

The fact that the issue I raised in…

The fact that the issue I raised in regards with my initial order was resolved promptly, and I was able to receive a replacement one within two days. Big shout out to the customer service foe their professionalism. As for the product, great one as always.

Date of experience : 15 September 2024

They’ve changed the recipe - not great.

I order PhD Belgian Chocolate diet whey every 2/3 months and have done for years. The new delivery has clearly changed recipe and it’s not great. If all of the four bags are the same I may look at changing my allegiance. Sorry, but it was fine before. UPDATE - PhD have been in touch and have replace the offending product. Great Service! Thank you!!

Hi Mark, Thanks for your feedback. We haven't changed our Diet Whey formula for Belgian Chocolate. I do apologise for your experience, a member of our team will be in touch shortly to follow this up with you. Kind regards Team PhD

Pre-Workout arrived damaged

Ordered some pre workout which the seal had come loose on and the contents had spoiled. Sent an email with some photos attached to the customer service team and Beth replied extremely quickly and advised she had passed it onto the QA team to look into and a replacement had been requested. Extremely efficient and lovely experience!

Date of experience : 05 September 2024

Items always delivered quickly

Items always delivered quickly, such an easy experience, have repeatedly used for the last 3 years

Date of experience : 26 September 2024

missing shaker

missing shaker "charged" product, completely damaged pot no return from you really disappointed

Date of experience : 21 September 2024

Hello Thank you for getting in touch. We are very sorry to hear that you didn't receive your free gift. A member of our team will be in touch shortly to follow this up for you! Kind regards Team PhD

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Jun 18 PhD Smart Bar: Reviewing Every Flavour of PhD Protein Bar

We review each flavour of the phd smart bar: the high protein, low sugar protein bar, the last time we took on this herculean protein bar challenge, we tried every flavour of grenade carb killa , and it was a mysterious adventure of flavours and textures that left us with some very clear favourites..

This time around, we did not know what to expect, as unlikely their competitors, PhD have not yet made the newsagent and supermarket shelves in the same way. So, with the tasting panel in place, again including our very own 4-year-old Jay Rayner, we set about trying the PhD Smart Bar!

PhD Nutrition Smart Bars: An intro

So PhD has been around for a while, and like most fitness-driven companies, has a roster of influencers and celebrities creating content and wearing PhD clothes and drinking and eating PhD products.

The question is, are their protein bars as good to eat as they look? How do they compare to the other son the market in terms of nutrition, and which ones would suit your palette? Find out with us!

All bars are Palm Oil Free , which is great, and are extremely low sugar.

A note, we are not affiliated with PhD Nutrition and have not been paid by them for this , and it is not an ad.

What flavours are we working with?

Phd smart bar - birthday cake, phd smart bar - salted fudge brownie, phd smart bar - chocolate brownie, phd smart bar - mississippi tough mudder pie, phd smart bar - cookies & cream, phd smart bar - white choc blondie, phd smart bar - choc peanut butter, phd smart bar - dark choc raspberry, phd smart bar - caramel crunch.

Birthday Cake

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 24g Fat: 10g Sugars: 2.2g Calories: 236

So the expectation was high as this was the favourite flavour of both 4 year old and 40 year old in the Grenade bar review. This time, it was not quite as glowing an endorsement.

Very strong Jam taste, “Like a jammy dodger” said 4 year old.

40 year old found it too sickly

It has a very strong taste of concentrated strawberry, but if that’s your thing you may love it

Not the best by any means, and sadly also not near the flavour of its main rival

Salted Fudge Brownie

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 17g Fat: 10g Sugars: 2.1g Calories: 232

The overriding comment on this one always contained the word ‘Fudge’, which is a good start for a Fudge Brownie flavoured bar.

Nice salty taste to accompany the rich fudge

5 x 5 stars from 4 year old boy

A comforting flavour that would work well as a treat, instead of your regular sugar fuelled brownie

If you like fudge, this one is definitely for you

Chocolate Brownie

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 21g Fat: 7.1g Sugars: 0.4g Calories: 237

This tastes just like one of our other favourite ‘healthy’ treats, the Fibre One Chocolate Brownie, which we absolutely love!

Very rich, dark and flavoursome, but possibly eating a whole one would take a lot of effort

It has a very inviting lumpy and bumpy texture which looks unusual

40 year old liked this one, with a big glass of milk, which would be over 30g of Protein in one sitting, so great for bulking!

Virtually SUGAR FREE

Mississippi Tough Mudder Pie

Protein: 21g Carbohydrate: 24g Fat: 6.4g Sugars: 1.1g Calories: 233

Bearing the name of the unbearable Facebook favourite, Tough Mudder, this was actually the first bar we all tasted, and overall the feedback was good!

4 year old was delighted at the smell of the bar, 2 x thumbs up

A bobbly texture was noted by all tasters

A lovely malty flavour was a welcome change to Taster No. 1 - who loves malted stuff

Quite a strong protein aftertaste, and quite dry, but with a warm drink this would be hard to beat

Cookies & Cream

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 23g Fat: 11g Sugars: 1.9g Calories: 241

The visual design of this bar was not lost on the 4 year old, who instantly shouted ‘Oreo’, when he say the packaging. So we were all very excited as we are a family of Oreo munchers. However..

Was very light in appearance and did not taste like Oreo at all, which was a bit of a mind melter

Tasted more like a caramel/malty bar but reminded us of Protein shakes of old

There is a hint of Vanilla and tastes like a vanilla protein shake, so if you like that, it might be worth trying

White Choc Blondie

Protein: 21g Carbohydrate: 24g Fat: 11g Sugars: 2.1g Calories: 241

The lead reviewer was certainly looking forward to this as he has a penchant for white chocolate, reviewer number 2 not so much, 4 year old, yes he looked very excited.

We ALL agreed, it tasted like Mini-milks, which are popular with 2/3 so that’s totally fine

Very creamy and sweet, a real treat

A hint of marshmallow about it

Overall good reviews all round

Choc Peanut Butter

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate : 23g Fat : 6.8g Sugars : 1.9g Calories : 239

The favourite in the early betting, peanut flavour snacks are held in high esteem here at The Sporting Blog, so there was no suprise when this one got the team excited.

Voted as tasting like Reese’s Pieces, this was definitely a winner

very peanutty, and if you like peanut butter and chocolate you cannot go wrong

5 stars, 5 fingers, 5 everything, this was the crowd favourite by a long way

Dark Choc Raspberry

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate : 22g Fat : 11g Sugars : 0.4g Calories : 237

There was a general nervousness around this bar, since the Grenade version was NOT popular. So we went in with trepidation…

Smells very much like a Turkish Delight chocolate bar

Tastes a bit like a Turkish delight chocolate bar also

A much more subtle taste than the Grenade version

Freeze dried raspberry taste is pretty strong if you get a little bit of it, so Raspberry fans will be pleased

Caramel Crunch

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate : 22g Fat : 11g Sugars : 0.6g Calories : 238

So this one was a bit disappointing, based on the name, all of us were ready for a crunch and a sweet taste sensation.

Sadly a bit bland

Tasted like one of those pink wafer things from the 80s

Not really a taste of caramel in our opinion

Couldn’t eat a whole one as the protein taste was very strong

PhD Nutrition Smart Bar - In conclusion

Well, we liked some and didn’t like others. To fit 20g of Protein in a bar it will always have to be quite big, quite chalky, and not that easy to eat. However they have done a good job of keeping the sugar low, and the taste decent.

Why not try them for yourself and let us know what you think.

Check out The Sporting Blog on Social Media for more interesting stuff you didn’t know you needed to know!

And please check out the sporting blog podcast.

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PhD Smart Bar-High Protein Low Sugar Bar, Birthday Cake, 64 g, Pack of 12

Birthday Cake

( $5.30 / Count )

chocolate_peanut_butter

( $4.20 / count )

About this item

• High Protein Content: Contains 20g of protein per bar for muscle recovery and growth.
• Low Sugar Formula: Only 2g of sugar per bar, ideal for diabetics and those watching their sugar intake.
• Birthday Cake Flavor: Sweet and delicious birthday cake flavor that satisfies your sweet tooth.
• Travel-Friendly Packaging: 12 bars in resealable box for easy portability and storage.
• Trusted PhD Brand: Made by PhD Nutrition, a leading sports nutrition brand.

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Product details

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.48 x 0.57 x 0.3 inches; 1.81 Pounds
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 130235
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Q4K5VCR
• #4,401 in Candy & Chocolate Bars

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Disclaimer : While we work to ensure that product information is correct, on occasion manufacturers may alter their ingredient lists. Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and/or different information than that shown on our Web site. We recommend that you do not solely rely on the information presented and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. For additional information about a product, please contact the manufacturer. Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a physician, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. You should not use this information as self-diagnosis or for treating a health problem or disease. Contact your health-care provider immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Amazon.com assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products.

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