NuGo Nutrition
Churro
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A churro‑style, gluten‑free crisp bar with a cinnamon‑yogurt coating and an unusually broad vitamin lineup—more dessert‑leaning flavor, lighter calories, and moderate protein.
When to choose NuGo Nutrition Churro
Sweet‑tooth snacks before a workout or in the afternoon; vegetarian and gluten‑free eaters who want great texture and flavor, and are fine with soy and dairy.
What's in the NuGo Nutrition bar?
NuGo Nutrition’s Churro Protein Bar leans on soy protein—mainly from soy crisps and added soy protein—for its 11 grams per bar, then dresses it in a cinnamon‑vanilla yogurt coating to land that churro flavor.
It’s a lighter, lower‑fat bar overall, but it runs higher in carbs and sugars than most, thanks to tapioca and agave syrups and cane sugar in the coating—think quick energy rather than slow-burn fuel.
One more curveball: the label shows a multivitamin-like spread (A, C, E, multiple Bs, plus calcium), which strongly suggests fortification alongside the small lift you’d expect from dairy in the coating.
- Protein
- 11 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 26 g
- Sugar
- 14 g
- Calories
- 170
Protein
1115LOWProtein here is primarily soy: soy crisps (soy protein blended with rice flour and tapioca starch) plus added soy protein provide the bulk of the 11 grams. The yogurt coating contributes a little dairy protein from whey and nonfat milk, which helps round out the amino acid profile, but overall this sits below the protein-heavy bars on the shelf.
Fat
39LOWMost of the bar’s small amount of fat comes from palm kernel oil in the yogurt coating—a tropical oil high in saturated fat that keeps coatings firm at room temperature. Because total fat is just 2.5 grams, the absolute saturated-fat load is modest, and there isn’t much here from heart-healthy unsaturated sources like nuts or olive oil.
Carbs
2620HIGHCarbs lean heavily on refined binders—tapioca syrup and agave syrup—backed by brown rice crisps, rice flour, and oats. That mix skews toward fast, readily absorbed energy, so expect a quick pop rather than long, steady release; a touch of soy fiber and acacia gum adds some soluble fiber but doesn’t change the overall picture. As carb counts go, this lands on the higher side for protein bars.
Sugar
144HIGHSugar sits high for the category at 14 grams, driven mainly by tapioca and agave syrups and cane sugar in the yogurt coating. A few grams also come from milk sugar (lactose) in the whey and nonfat milk. Agave’s lower glycemic index doesn’t change the fact that this is a refined, added‑sugar profile overall.
Calories
170210LOWAt 170 calories, it’s lighter than the average bar. Most of those calories come from carbohydrates (syrups plus crisps), with protein a clear second and only a small contribution from fat. Translation: good for a quick pre‑activity snack, less ideal if you’re chasing long‑lasting fullness on its own.
Vitamins & Minerals
The broad slate of vitamins—about 25–30% of vitamins A, C, E and several Bs—plus 20% calcium and 10% phosphorus is far more than oats, rice, and soy would provide on their own. That pattern strongly suggests an added vitamin‑mineral blend, with the dairy in the yogurt coating likely contributing some calcium and riboflavin. Fortification can help fill gaps, even if it doesn’t alter where the calories come from.
Additives
You’ll see a couple of common helpers: soy lecithin (an emulsifier that keeps the yogurt coating smooth) and acacia gum (a plant‑derived soluble fiber that helps bind without gumming up texture). The rest of the structure and sweetness lean on refined syrups and starches, so overall processing is moderate to high for a bar.
Ingredient List
Soybeans
Rice grain (Oryza sativa)
Cassava root
Cassava starch
Sugarcane stalks
Oil palm fruit
Cow's milk whey byproduct
Cow's milk
Cultured cow's milk
Soybeans
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“Yeah they’re shockingly delicious tbh; the dark chocolate pretzel flavor is one of my favorite easy snacks.”
“I’m a big fan of the Nugo Dark protein bars; might not have as high of a protein content than some others but they use minimal ingredients and taste like a treat.”
“Nugo bars are criminally underrated for their taste. Their regular dark and dark pretzel flavors are absolutely orgasmic. The crunch is similar to that of kit kats... or at least what I remember them tasting like.”
Main Praise
Taste and texture are where NuGo shines, and the Churro bar keeps that reputation intact. Across Reddit and mainstream outlets, the brand gets consistent applause for its candy‑bar‑adjacent crunch and satisfying chew—Bon Appétit even singled NuGo out for having the best texture on the shelf.
BarBend testers and Glamour editors echoed the same theme: NuGo is simply more enjoyable to eat than most utilitarian protein bars. That matters when the alternative is a bar you have to talk yourself into finishing.
The cinnamon‑vanilla coating here fits that pattern—it’s sweet, fragrant, and paired with puffed crisps that break cleanly instead of gumming up your mouth. If you’re trading a bakery run for a wrapper, this is one of the rare bars that actually feels like a treat.
Main Criticism
Where it stumbles is exactly where a churro‑inspired bar might: the sugar is higher (14 grams), the protein is moderate (11g), and the sweetness relies on refined syrups. If you’re chasing 20+ grams of protein or very low sugar, this isn’t that bar.
Some reviewers also flag occasional freshness hiccups—dry or too‑hard textures show up in a minority of Amazon reviews, which can happen with crisp‑based bars if storage wavers.
And while many NuGo flavors are vegan, this one isn’t; it contains milk in the yogurt coating and uses palm kernel oil there, which is a saturated‑fat‑heavy but common coating fat.
Finally, a Reddit thread noted a past recall on certain NuGo products for undeclared milk at a specific retailer—this Churro flavor clearly contains dairy, but if you’re strictly dairy‑free, that’s a non‑starter anyway.
The Middle Ground
So the split is clear: flavor‑first fans love NuGo’s crunch and confectionery feel, while macro hawks wish it packed more protein and less sugar. Given the label—11g protein, 170 calories, 14 grams of sugar—the Churro bar reads as a snack that leans indulgent, not a post‑lift muscle builder.
That’s not a moral failing; it’s a lane choice. If you want a pre‑run or pre‑class pick‑me‑up, the quick carbs and lighter calorie load make sense, and the soy‑plus‑dairy combo still delivers a respectable protein assist.
On the flip side, if you’re sensitive to sweetness or prefer unrefined sweeteners, the tapioca/agave/cane‑sugar trio won’t thrill you—Reddit user “unknown” calling NuGo “criminally underrated” for taste would probably disagree, but taste buds aren’t peer‑reviewed science.
As for the sporadic staleness complaints, they appear inconsistent rather than inherent to the recipe; still, it’s a reminder that crisp‑style bars live and die by freshness.
What's the bottom line?
NuGo Nutrition’s Churro bar is a dessert‑leaning protein snack that delivers on the fun: cinnamon‑yogurt coating, real crunch, gluten‑free grains, and a broadly fortified vitamin panel you don’t often see in candy‑adjacent bars. It’s built for joy and quick energy more than maximal protein, with 11g of protein and 170 calories landing it squarely in the “tasty afternoon save” category, not the meal‑replacement league. Choose it if you want a sweet, crunchy bite that won’t bulldoze your day and you’re fine with soy and dairy.
Skip it or rotate it if your priorities are ultra‑low sugar, minimal processing, or 20‑gram protein hits—NuGo’s Slim line or a different brand will serve you better there. For everyone else, this is a clever way to scratch the churro itch while getting a meaningful—if modest—dose of protein. Think: treat energy, with a side of nutrients, wrapped in a very snackable crunch.