Home > Categories > Food > Cereal/Muesli products > Cec's Smart Bar (no fruit) review
So popular has our Cec's Homestyle GLUTEN FREE Muesli been, that we thought it would be Smart to design a bar delivering the same sensational experience, only in the convenience of a bar!
Filled with nuts, seeds, honey, the 'super grain' Quinoa and NO FRUIT, this bar is a taste sensation without artificial flavours, colours or chemical binders... NO NEED.
Just read the nutritional story on the rear of the pack to see just how Smart we have been in designing a bar with 'homestyle' principles, AND made right here in New Zealand... Smart.
(minimum online order 4 bars)
Product reviews...
Being fortunate enough to be a reviewer for these - I was VERY impressed when not one, but two turned up for me to try - meaning that I got to actually try a WHOLE bar myself without having to share with my three children or husband!!
First things first - the packaging. The window at the front the packet is great - I love being able to actually see what I am buying and potentially eating - great selling point, I feel. I could instantly see what the bar was actually like, not have to read the ingredients and try and visualise! The colour of the packet is simple and appealing - great work! The packet was easy to open - with a simple tear and had a seal, in case you did not manage to eat it all in one go (did not happen to me!!) This feature would definitely come in handy when it is a snack on the go.
Reading the ingredients - these bars are like "old school" museli bars - nothing in them that is artificial or non nutritional. This is great not only for me - doing clean eating, but for my children, whom I like to feed in the same way. The ingredients are simple and filling - and did I mention YUM!!!
The taste of the bar - and probably the most important thing - it is DELICIOUS! I thought looking at it, it might be quite sweet - but was pleasantly surprised - it was just right - slight sweetness with the honey, but not over bearing. I loved the combination of seeds, nuts and grains - giving it a slight crunch - and being delicious.
The bar is definitely something I would consider for a snack for both myself and my three children. Unfortunately it has nuts, so at the school my daughter attends it can not be taken , but it would be the perfect brain food, that a lot of school do now. I will be buying these as they make a great, filling, nutritional snack.
Thank you to both Cec's and KIWIreviews for having me as a taste tester!!
What first appealed to me with the Cec's muesli bar was it had no fruit, fruit is my least favourite part of any muesli bar. The fact it no artificial flavours, colours or chemical binders was another big selling point for me.
When the bar arrived I couldn't wait to jump in and taste it. The clear window showing off the bar made it look so appealing. For once something that looked yummy actually tasted it too. Straight away it reminded me of a tasty home made bar. The honey gave it the right amount of sweetness and it had the right mix of nuts and grains .I also loved the texture of the bar a lot of muesli bars can be hard and cardboard like, Cec's is anything but making it really easy to eat. I haven't tried the Cec's muesli yet but after tasting the bar I'm keen to try more of their goods.
The other thing I really liked was the resealable packet it came in. There is nothing worse than starting a bar not finishing it throwing it back in the bag only to discover it later crumbled everywhere! Resealing the packet meant no waste. I can see these becoming a regular in our household for sure.
The window at the front of package is helpful as it means that the product requires no illustration to show what is in it. Such illustrations are usually not a perfect indication of what is really in the package. Straight away, I could see that the bar looked appealing to me. The seeds, oats and nuts grabbed my attention.
The colour scheme on the pack is simple - just orange, brown and white. Simple is good and it allows the food to speak for itself. I like it.
I love the fact that there are no artificial flavours or colours. My preference for food products are ones that are actually FOOD. By looking at the list of ingredients, I could just about recreate the bars in my kitchen at home. For me this is a really good sign.
The pack was easy to get into as it has "tear here" marks. It also has a zip lock at the top so that you can eat some now and some later. This is fantastic as a mum, as I often find half eaten food items in my hand bag (either because I have run out of time to eat it or the kids have only wanted half of something).
The other day, I was running late to get out and I didn't have time to make sandwiches for lunch. I picked up one of the Cec's Smart Bars and went on my way. I found that I was quite satisfied after eating it and I didn't feel that I was missing out by not having the sandwiches. I doubt I would make a habit of having the bar in place of lunch but It certainly was handy and sorted me out without having to resort to junk food.
With regards to the actual taste of the bar - I really enjoyed it. The honey in it gave me a sweet taste that I often desire and it was great to know that I was eating something with good nutrition in it as well.
The bar is definitely something I would consider for a snack and would be worth keeping one in my handbag.
Yum Yum - Cec's you have done it again - got me addicted to yet another one of your products.
I am a fan of Cec's products and have regularly bought their muesli. Although I will buy and eat products with fruit in them - if I had a choice I would choose without fruit. So when I saw these bars without fruit I got excited and was lucky enough to be given them to try. I love how these products are gluten free and all natural. Seeds, nuts, honey and quinoa equal a mouthful of deliciousness.
When first looking at the packet I could see that this was going to be a light muesli bar. The packet itself confused me a little. A bar this size would be eaten in one serving (well for me anyway) so thought it strange that they have gone to the extra effort on putting a resalable strip on it. This also proved to make it difficult to get the bar out in one piece as the opening was too small and the product not bound together enough. I ended up using my fingers to pull out pieces to eat. I would prefer to see a packet that does not have the resalable strip so that the bar itself could be pushed out and eaten without using the finger tips.
Packet aside however the bar was delicious and was consumed very quickly. I will definitely be adding some of these to my next Cec's order.
I have reviewed Cec's muesli in the past and absolutely loved it with it's oodles of whole ingredients so knew I was in for a treat with the muesli bars. I received two bars for review so reluctantly let my partner have one and I had the other. Well I was right in saying we were in for a treat as these bars are delicious. Just like the muesli itself these are packed full of whole ingredients like nuts seeds and quinoa you can see just how much is in the bar which is a good reflector of the price.
These wouldn't be a cheap muesli bar to make as they use whole quality ingredients and have no artificial ingredients so you are getting a quality product for the slightly more expensive price. I do however promise you it is worth it well and truly. I would love to try a fruit variety as I did love the fruit variety of the muesli. They also don't use any artificial ingredients to bind the grains and nuts together they use honey and you can taste it too. I love the taste of honey so this was a big hit for me.
These bars also come in a really great little package. With the usual Cec's branding and colours and they have a resealable zip bag closure so if you can't finish the bar in one go you can seal it back up and put in your bag or lunch box for later. They are a very filling little bar so it is quite a good idea to have the resealable bag. I think these would make a great morning tea or afternoon tea as they would give you a lot of sustainable energy to get through the day with all the grains and nuts.
I would definitely recommend these to friends and family to have at home as they are very tasty, my partner was also a big fan he took his to work and commented that it kept him going through to lunch time as they were so filling. They really are a smart little bar, good move Cec's on making the bars they are a great addition to the Cec's family of products.
When I was offered this little treat I wasn't sure what to make of it as I do like muesli but with fruit in it too and generally with some milk to give it that not so dry feeling.
Well one thing I noticed was the packaging it came in. Looking through the clear window you know that this will fall apart at it's own will and not stay together *Sad Face*. Luckily the bag is resealable and you can take your time eating this little treat when you get time. Looking at it as well it looked like it would be a sticky type of dry and when taking my first bite of this I found it to be sticky, full of flavour and not too dry.
I would still have a drink to wash it down with but it is possible to eat it and not require too much in the way of a drink unlike some health bars out there. The taste of the smart bar itself was quite delicious even without some fruit. Not having had the time one morning before rushing out the door to catch my bus to work (sadly missed my coffee too, wish they had a coffee bar to review too ) I grabbed this out from my bag and had it for breakfast instead of a morning tea/lunch. Well by the time lunch came round (about 2-3pm) I still wasn't feeling hungry. I was quite impressed with this bar and I would look at getting these again, and hoping to find some with some chunks of fruit too.
Overall I loved this Smart Bar and will be looking out for this in our local supermarket. Great little thing for when your on the go or needing something to fill you up as well.
The first thing I noticed about the Smart Bar was the packaging. If, like me, you often travel and need to take a healthy snack along, it can be a messy business if you do not eat it all in one go. The Smart Bar wrapper features a ziplock fastener which means the contents stay fresh and do not end up on the car seat or upside down in a travel bag. This is a real bonus, and definitely a great selling point. But then, everything about Smart Bar is impressive.
It is tasty, with just the right balance between firm and chewy, and with the addition of a piece of fruit I found it made a satisfying lunch - it is a generous size and quite filling. Smart Bar is gluten free and made from 100% natural ingredients: there is no artificial colouring, but the combination of nuts and seeds makes the bar visually attractive without the need for extras.
It would be ideal for school packed lunches or for long road trips. Children will appreciate the naturally sweet flavour and will enjoy the taste without realising the product is also good for them! I would unreservedly recommend the Smart Bar, and will certainly be purchasing it again myself.
Random listing from 'Food'...
The rich, savoury flavours of mature cheddar are complemented by the addition of red onions for a cheese that stands on its own or on a cheese board.
Perfect grated on pizzas or in a tasty toasted sandwich!
All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.
"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."
Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004)