The Sporting Blog - Sports Interviews, Trivia, Stories, Reviews, Fitness & Training. Evergreen sports content, covering all sports.  The best non-news sports website in the world. The best sports blog on the internet Grenade! Reviewing every flavour Grenade Protein Bar — The Sporting Blog
Grenade! Reviewing every flavour Grenade Protein Bar

Grenade! Reviewing every flavour Grenade Protein Bar

Nutrition: Which pin to pull? We review every flavour of Grenade Protein Bar.

In the complicated and faux science world of protein bars, only Grenade has elevated its product to a place that no protein bar has gone before: The supermarket checkout shelf…

btw This is not a sponsored post, but we are an affiliate partner, so IF you want some Grenade Bars, click here!

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2023: They are not even called Carb Killa anymore!

Yes, protein bars have been available in supermarkets, but they are normally tucked away in a dark corner with energy bars and sports gels.

The Grenade Carb Killa however, is a different story. These bars are not only at checkout, they are on shelves alongside the treats. Somewhere near the nation’s favourite Dairy Milk, you’ll find the Grenade bars.

Grenade have always done things a little differently, and their branding is no exception, which is perhaps why they are now the most well-known brand on the market.

What is Different About Grenade Protein Bars?

Well, it is a protein bar, but with a lot of protein and a low amount of sugar.

Although they used to be called ‘Carb Killa’, this is not because they are low or ‘no carb’. It is because the carbs that are in it, are not just loads of refined sugars, which for something that tastes good, is rare.

All the bars are around the 220-ish calorie mark and are great for pre or post-workout protein. That’s how we commonly use them anyway. We would not suggest these are not the best pre-workout snack, mainly due to the lack of carbs but they are light enough to have throughout the day.

Which Grenade should I detonate?

The question is, which pin to pull? There are 12 flavours (at the time of writing) and we have 11 of them here for you today…

We are going to give you our honest opinion on what we think of them! The review team included a 4-year-old who has discerning tastes and is not normally a fan of no sugar anything. Tough crowd.

The Armoury - Grenade Bar Flavours

Grenade Carb Killa - Dark Chocolate Raspberry

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate : 18g Fat : 6g Sugars : 0.9g Calories : 233

A spiky appearance gives off a dark and mysterious vibe. You kind of know something is lurking underneath, but you are unsure what. The vibe:

  • Very sharp raspberry taste, the dark chocolate is slightly lost.

  • Slightly chemically in aftertaste and it really whacks your pallet with some sharp fruity notes.

  • This was the least favourite of the tasting party.

  • 4 year old thought he might turn into a raspberry.

Grenade Carb Killa - White Chocolate Salted Peanut

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate 19g Fat 12g Sugars : 2g Calories : 242

This one was jostling for position at the start as the potential favourite… and it did not disappoint. The peanut chunks were visible under the surface of the white chocolate surface… teasing us into wanting just a little more than our tiny sample! The vibe:

  • It may sound obvious, but this was very peanutty.

  • Not a strong 'protein’ taste at all.

  • If you like peanut butter, this is the one for you! If you like white chocolate you’ll be loving it even more.

Grenade Carb Killa - Dark Chocolate Mint

Protein : 22g Carbohydrate : 13.6g Fat : 8.5 Sugars : 0.6g Calories : 214

“The smell of Christmas” was the cry as the wrapper was opened. The familiar scent of After Eights grabbed us all and held us in its grasp, the anticipation was excruciating. The vibe :

  • So this is like proper minty. Almost menthol shot minty.

  • To eat a whole bar in one go you’d have to be a big mint fan, it’s tasty, but not subtle.

  • There is a warming aftertaste on the tongue from the mint, which again is quite festive!

  • 4 year old scored this a Sixty-Hundred.

Grenade Carb Killa - Caramel Chaos

Protein : 23g Carbohydrate 13.5g Fat : 7.9g Sugars : 1.4g Calories : 214

Wow, what an inviting chocolatey smell… a bit like a hot chocolate from a few feet away. This had serious potential. The vibe :

  • The chocolate flavour was a familiar and comforting one, hard to put our finger on what that familiarity was.

  • There was a lovely malty finish to the flavour.

  • There is a strong aftertaste of malt-caramel and some lovely crunchy bits inside the main bit of the bar.

  • 4 year old gave it 4 stars out of 5.

Grenade Carb Killa - Fudged Up

Protein : 22g Carbohydrate : 15g Fat : 8.4g Sugars : 2g Calories : 220

As a group that eats a lot of brownies, this one had some high standards to match, and therefore was probably judged the most harshly (but not badly) as a result. The vibe :

  • Very chewy, perhaps the chewiest of the bars and incidentally the colour of Chewbacca as well.

  • This one had a strong protein-like aftertaste, which for the regular protein consumer is not so bad, but for the uninitiated, it was quite strong.

  • A strong fudge taste, if that’s your thing, you’ll like this.

Grenade Carb Killa - Peanut Nutter

Protein : 21g Carbohydrate : 15.4g Fat : 9.3g Sugars : 2g Calories : 223

In the battle of the peanut wars, Peanut Nutter…. did not beat its White Choc Salted Nut rival. It was however a very popular bar indeed, with a wonderfully flat and smooth appearance, hiding crunchy peanuts beneath the top layer. The vibe :

  • Rich and decadent, just like a Reeses Cup or something similar.

  • Would be ace with a hot drink.

Grenade Carb Killa - Jaffa Quake

Protein : 21g Carbohydrate : 16.2g Fat : 7.9g Sugars : 2g Calories : 215

Ya’ll started something by naming it Jaffa Quake. The fabled cake/biscuit is a firm favourite here at The Sporting Blog so there was a lot of excitement for this one. The vibe:

  • Extremely satisfying chewiness.

  • The orange hit is instant and is more Terry’s Chocolate Orange than Jaffa Cake.

  • There is hardly any protein aftertaste

  • This one scored 100 out of 5 on the 4-year-old scale.

Grenade Carb Killa - Cookies and Cream

Protein : 23g Carbohydrate : 13.6g Fat : 8.2g Sugars : 1.5g Calories : 217

The Cookies and Cream bar looked a little bit like a Mars Bar when cut open. Which brought the crowd to their feet. The Vibe :

  • It had the taste of a biscuit dunked in tea, so for anyone who likes biscuits with their tea, we have found the protein bar for you.

  • There was a very oaty taste which was popular with the older members of the tasting group.

  • Quite a sharp aftertaste, but very pleasant.

Grenade Carb Killa - White Chocolate Cookie

Protein : 22g Carbohydrate : 15.2g Fat : 8.1g Sugars : 2g Calories : 215

This little tease was a straight-up white wonder of a bar. The choc chips lurking under the surface were enough to widen every eye at the table. The vibe:

  • It tasted like a vanilla milkshake, which is just fine with the TSB Ed.

  • It was very milky, so if you like things rich and creamy you are in luck.

  • 4 year old scored it a 5 out of 5 whilst holding up 10 fingers.

Grenade Carb Killa - Birthday Cake

Protein : 20g Carbohydrate : 18g Fat : 9.5g Sugars : 1.7g Calories : 218

50 cent could not take me to the candy shop like this bar could. This was the hands-down favourite of the 4-year-old and the 40-year-old. This is a triumph of a bar that remains largely free of sugar but looks like something I’d want to eat at a party. The Vibe :

  • The white surface and colourful sprinkles are like something out of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory.

  • The taste of a kids birthday cake has been captured to perfection, just like a sponge with white frosting.

  • Buttery and moreish. You will want these in your life. Buy some, quickly.

Grenade Carb Killa - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Protein: 20g Carbohydrate: 16.9g Fat: 8.9g Sugars: 1.9g Calories: 218

The flavour that Ben and Jerry made famous and in doing so launched a whole sub-genre of hybrid flavours to our tables. Vibe :

  • Winner of the best smell award.

  • The choc chips were visible through the surface and very tantalising.

  • It really does taste just like cookie dough!

  • A very strong aftertaste would be best friends with a cold glass of milk.

Grenade Carb Killa Bars - The Verdict

We really did like all the bars, but the Raspberry was our least favourite. The winner was the Birthday Cake in our eyes but closely followed by Jaffa Quake and Choc-Chip cookie dough. Of course, it is down to taste… so if you can’t decide or want to try all these flavours for yourself, buy a mixed pack and swap your normal chocolate bar for a protein bar.

We have more product reviews on deck and are making inroads into our Nutrition section, so please do check them out if you have the inclination.

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

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

And please check out The Sporting Blog Podcast

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Spotify

TuneIn

CF Canelas 2010: The Football Team That Scared Off the Opposition

CF Canelas 2010: The Football Team That Scared Off the Opposition

American College Football: How It's Changed and How It Hasn't

American College Football: How It's Changed and How It Hasn't