Grenade is a weird company but once I learned that they made protein bars, it was game over. I knew I had to try them. So in this Grenade Carb Killa review, I’ll give you my thoughts and tell you if it’s worth giving up your next OH YEAH Bar for giving this new brand a try. I’ll focus most of my review on the taste of Carb Killa bars, because that’s really all that matters when you’re talking about protein bars, let’s face it. I WILL also talk a little bit about the formulation so that we can figure out how healthy or not healthy they are too, but for the most part we’re just going to focus on the taste. Bonus review topics will also include my thoughts on the price point and even the packaging as well. So this should be fun. Let the Grenade Carb Killa Review begin!
When I first learned that Grenade had a protein bar out on the market I was a little bit confused. I was always under the impression that Grenade was this super hardcore company. I always figured I would never ever buy anything from them. But I was proven wrong. Grenade seems to have really stepped their game up and tried to open up their doors to folks like me and really all the ladies out there who are looking to try a new protein bar. Even though I will always be faithful to my G2G bar, or even the new OH YEAH bar (birthday cake is just unfair as you know from my ONE bar review), I still like to get out there and try new things. So when Laura (sister) told me she bought Carb Killa bars, my first reaction was laughter. I mean. You actually bought something from Grenade? Isn’t all they make a super hardcore fat burner that literally comes in a grenade shaped bottle? That’s what I thought at first. And then I caved. I read that they had a flavor of Grenade Carb Killa Bar called ‘Carmel Chaos’, and that was enough for me to get out there and buy some of my own. So let me tell you first,
What’s the Best Flavor of Grenade Carb Killa?
So I did get to try BOTH flavors of Carb Killa- the Caramel Chaos and the Chocolate Cream. The one that is better-tasting is without a doubt the Chocolate Cream. I WANTED to like the Caramel Chaos one more, because that’s the flavor that sounded much better to me on paper, but when push came to shove, the chocolate flavor was much, much better.
Let me say first that the consistency of the chocolate cream protein bar is better overall than the caramel. It really does have a little bit of actual creaminess that you can taste when you bite down into it. The chocolate hits your taste buds and overcomes the senses and flushes you into a world of bliss. I am a huge fan of how the chocolate flavor tastes. The caramel chaos is much more salty, but still every bit as sweet as the chocolate cream.
I wish the caramel has more of a ‘twix’ flavor…it’s almost like I wanted to take one of each flavor of Carb Killa and mash them together to create one flavor. Hey, that’s not such a bad idea, lol. You can call this ‘Fit Life Allie’s Flavor’. Good one Allie, you’re so creative. Lol. But speaking of creative let’s talk about packaging real quick before we get into the Grenade Protein Bar Ingredients. But super quick before we wrap up, I didn’t really explain the texture very well- the chocolate does have some creaminess but both flavors definitely both do have a ‘crunch’ to them that you don’t get from Quest or some of the other softer bars like Larabar or something. I do like the crunch element a lot and it contributes to my overall enjoyment of the Carb Killa bars.
Grenade Carb Killa Packaging Grade: 8.2
I think, hm…Grenade definitely has a certain ‘look’ that makes them easily distinguishable among the sports nutrition category. I personally am not very fond of the aesthetic, but I know many people probably think they’re look is awesome. But. Like. I just can’t relate to it. I wish I could because I have the utmost respect for the military and our brave soldiers, but really the color palette is so drab and dark that it’s hard for me to really fall in love with it. I think I do RESPECT and APPRECIATE the design, but for me, I just can’t relate to it. I’d much rather put something in my mouth and body that comes wrapped in lighter colors.
The Grenade Carb Killa bar has dark, almost gray concrete background, over which some brighter yellow graphics, including one of an actual hand grenade, are laid over the top.
That’s the other quick thing to mention- and you might not agree- but- I really don’t like the feeling of unwrapping something that has a grenade on the front label, and then putting that thing enclosed underneath IN MY body. I just don’t like it. It’s a total irrational thing, but it’s real, so I won’t apologize for bringing it up. But. That’s just my opinion on Grenade Carb Killa bar. Let’s chat real quick about the ingredients in Grenade protein bars.
Grenade Carb Killa Formula / Ingredients Grade: 8.5
I’m putting down the full list of ingredients in Carb Killa. As you’ll be able to see, the majority of the ingredients in this protein bar are coming from artificial sources and dairy sources. You have all sorts of ingredients to give it texture and better flavor in the mouth. I’m not saying that’s a BAD thing, but if you are wondering what end of the scale this protein bar is tending to skew on, it’s definitely more on the end of the Quest-mindset of let’s just make it taste great, no matter WHAT we have to put in it.
Versus the other end of the spectrum, which would be something like G2G bars that don’t have quite the laundry list of ingredients, but their product just tastes fantastic. Here are the Carb Killa ingredients:
Milk Protein (Calcium Caseinate, Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate), Chocolate (Maltitol, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Mass, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Natural And Artificial Flavors), Polydextrose, Gelatin hydrolysate, Glycerol, Soy Crisps (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Soy Crisp (Soy Protein Isolate, fat reduced cocoa, Tapioca Starch), Cocoa Butter, Soy oil, Palm Fat, Xylitol, sucralose, Skimmed Milk Powder, Natural And Artificial Flavors, fat reduced cocoa, salt, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin).
The pros and cons of Carb Killa from a formula standpoint, to me, are that the pros are the dairy proteins like Whey protein isolate and calcium caseinate. In total you get 23g of protein from these bars, which is really a lot more than many protein bars will provide.
The biggest cons of this protein bar from a formula standpoint are the sugar alcohol, which is going to sometimes give a side effect of stomach discomfort (especially if you are eating Grenade in a meal replacement scenario), and the other thing I don’t like is the soy crisps. I get that they provide a better taste and texture, but soy makes me feel like crap. Like. If you’ve ever eaten a Clif Bar on an empty stomach, you know what I mean. It feels disgusting. So there’s that.
Getting back to the macros briefly- since this is the ‘carb killa’, you would expect the bars to have very little amount of carbohydrate. But looking over the supplement facts I actually see 20 grams of carbs. What gives? Well. Don’t fret just yet- because if you look a little closer you can see that they are actually coming from dietary fiber and sugar alcohol mostly- in other words, these are not ‘net carbs’ that your body will process but rather, just, I don’t even know. They don’t really count. Let’s put it that way, Lol.
The last thing to call out with regard to macros is the fat content. I’m not necessarily afraid of fat the way some people are, but these bars seem to have a pretty good hit of carbs at 8 grams total- with 4 being saturated. So. These aren’t exactly as ‘squeaky clean’ as some others are from a macro perspective.
Grenade Carb Killa Formula Review Summary
- Grenade Carb Killa Flavor Grade: 9.2
- Grenade Carb Killa Packaging Grade: 8.2
- Grenade Carb Killa Formula Grade: 8.6
- Grenade Carb Killa Value Grade: 8.6
I think Carb Killa has a decent combination of taste, quality, at the right price. They are really reasonably priced at $2.50 per bar. I don’t really like the way they look, and I wish they were just a tad ‘cleaner’ in term of the formulation, but macros and price are right. And it tastes good. That’s a winner, folks.*
Grenade Carb Killa Formula Final Review Score: 8.8
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