I must be late to the party (as always), but the party does involve chocolate.
We went through my wife’s favorite guilty pleasure store (secretly mine as well), this weekend. Target. The funny thing is when people say there is always truth behind every joke, the same can be said for memes and social media lulz. Everyone claims you can go into Target to purchase only one item and spend at least $100 on other impulse items. “Oh yeah, I remember months ago I was saying I needed a battery operated battery installer, and would you look at this, Target has it on special!” I know that example is somewhat outlandish, but still the sentiment is poignant.
As we were perusing in between telling the kids we don’t need this or that, literally several hundred times (even though my wife and I are the exact same way, wanting this and that), I found a little end cap, completely unrelated to the aisle we were near. “Oat Made” by Hershey’s. It looked just like the classic chocolate bar we have had from growing up until now. This little brown packaging of nostalgia was calling my inner-child, grinning from ear to ear, I grabbed the bar and started investigating.
Image Provided by : Target
Both my wife and I have been looking to cleaner diets as of recent. Taking into consideration all the things we ingest and is packaged and marketed as “food.” We have never been of the classification of health nuts, but after having kids we have let the consciousness of food thoughts slip a little and we are now taking a more proactive approach to what we are eating/drinking. Also, I have mentioned in previous posts, I should be diabetic based on my sweet teeth. To which I have begun cutting out, not entirely, but like most things in life, everything in moderation. It was recently described to me by a dietician, just a little bit is enough to curb cravings. No need to binge consume to satiate or pacify your cravings. This is where rubber band dieting comes into play.
Without going too deep into the abyss of dieting and healthy eating, let’s get back to the chocolate. The “Oat Made” bar prominently suggests it is a plant-based confection. The bar I found was the extra creamy almond and sea salt. There is a Classic Dark bar available as well.
Getting it home and tearing into it, I felt like Charlie looking for the golden ticket. Of course there was no ticket, but a pleasant surprise. The mouthfeel and flavors were practically identical to the original Hershey’s chocolate bar. The differences weren’t strong enough to dissuade me from eating again. I would think in a blind taste test I could tell the difference, but it would be a narrow margin. If you are thinking of going plant-based diet, know someone who is looking for an alternative to meet the needs of their vegan diet and has a sweet tooth, or you just want to choose a new option to classic chocolate bars, this is a pretty solid option.
Given this is a mass produced big brand bar. There are most likely numerous local and startup companies that could use additional business. My choice will always be slave and cruelty-free Tony’s Chocolonely, hands down the best. I’m not suggesting don’t give the Hershey’s bar a try, but know there are other options out there and potentially available to you, contingent on your geographical location, and/or the company’s ability to ship.
I’m not going to be making a shift into plant-based diet, but I am rethinking my sweet cravings to healthier choices. Even the word “healthier” may be misleading, because it is still a chocolate bar. Lastly, it seems like Hershey’s is keeping this test launch under wraps, because they still haven’t highlighted this new(ish) venture on their website.