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Nuts about health bars

FITNESS HUNK: MTV Base heart-throb Sizwe Dhlomo keeps himself in excellent shape with regular gym workouts. We reckoned he would be the best man to test out a range of health bars.25/02/09. Pic. Thys Dullart. © Unknown.
FITNESS HUNK: MTV Base heart-throb Sizwe Dhlomo keeps himself in excellent shape with regular gym workouts. We reckoned he would be the best man to test out a range of health bars.25/02/09. Pic. Thys Dullart. © Unknown.

For many of us who decided to kick-start the new year on a healthier note, health bars as snacking options are probably the way to go.

For many of us who decided to kick-start the new year on a healthier note, health bars as snacking options are probably the way to go.

But just how do you know if you have made the healthiest or tastiest choice?

We called on the expertise of fitness freak Sizwe Dhlomo to test a few brands and point us in the right direction.

Sizwe became an overnight success in 2005, when he landed the job of VJ on DSTV's music channel MTV Base. His love affair with the camera extends to modelling, an industry where he is also turning heads.

Sizwe has a gym routine that he sticks to religiously, which should explain his well-toned body. So we figured his opinion should count for something.

With six cereal bar and protein bar options to test, Sizwe was ready to rock and roll.

The strawberry cream flavoured Pure Protein was first. Sizwe thought the wrapping looked clinical and found it difficult to open. "It tastes like powder in candy coating, but I guess it could be effective if you were looking for a bit of a boost. I'll give it 5 out of 10."

ProNutro's Sport Bar, which is high in fibre and protein, got into Sizwe's good books by virtue of it being a Bokomo brand. He enjoyed its milky taste and gave it 6 out of 10.

Kauai's 60g protein bar was the heaviest. "It's heavy so I'm guessing it's good because it must be packed with nutrients. It's very compressed and that means value for money," he said.

Sizwe liked its toffee taste and gave it a 6,5 out of 10. He said its drawback was the nasty-looking packaging.

Special K's red berries with fruit pieces and yoghurt flavour topping seemed to hit the spot. "It tastes so good that you wouldn't guess that it was a health bar. It's flaky and I'm loving the berry flavour, he said. He gave it 8 out of 10.

The banana, cocoa and nuts bar from Woolworths proved to be a major disappointment. "The dark chocolate on this is not too great and the banana isn't too bad," he said, declining to rate it.

The strawberry flavoured O Tees bar, also from Bokomo, was the winner. For Sizwe, this one had the full package - the wrapping was enticing, he liked the berries and it was full of nutrients.

"I love that it tastes like a cereal in a pack. It's the perfect get-up-and-go snack," he smiled. Sizwe gave it an outstanding 9 out of 10.

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