Sunday, June 3, 2007

Is There Joy In Soyville?


I've noticed these new nutrition bars in the aisle of Duane Reade for the past couple of weeks. I wasn't that interested as the word "Soy" is part of its title and heaven knows I get enough soy from all the edamame I eat. However my countless visits to Duane Reade and careful placement of the SoyJoy bars in the store forced me to take notice of the product. I grabbed a couple--Apple and Mango Coconut--and it was time to get my chew on. I was struck by the fact that the bar weighs close to nothing, almost as though there's just air in the package. Opening the wrapper I saw the most awful-looking bar I've ever seen--it's like a compressed long square .... thing. It reminds me of a squashed, old Italian cookie that was laying around Aunt Rosemarie's kitchen since 1976. You know the kind--maybe as a kid you visited your Great Aunt and Uncle and they gave you a cookie that was seriously old, probably with expired milk. (Well maybe you didn't but I did.) Back to the subject. Of course just because the bar looks terrible doesn't mean it tastes bad, I tell myself. SoyJoy has got to be the driest product I've ever eaten. There's no moisture whatsoever so it's a bit crumbly. On taste alone, it's not bad; the bars taste the way they're supposed to but it made me want a cup of iced coffee pronto. I didn't find it to be the least bit filling, even though the company is calling SoyJoy a "nutritious, portion-controlled snack." Maybe for Nicole Richie. Joy? Not for me. And at $1.59 per bar I'll spend my money on a bag of edamame.

www.soyjoy.com

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