Power Crunch
Chocolate Strawberry
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A true wafer-style protein bar: crisp, layered, and light, with a high‑quality hydrolyzed whey/milk protein blend delivering 13g of protein and a fat‑forward 220 calories. It’s designed more like a cookie than a chewy brick.
When to choose Power Crunch Chocolate Strawberry
A sweet, crunchy coffee‑break snack or afternoon craving satisfier when you want real protein without a dense chew. Best for folks okay with modern sweeteners and dairy; not a match if you need gluten‑free or steer clear of sucralose.
What's in the Power Crunch bar?
Power Crunch’s Chocolate Strawberry is a wafer-style protein bar built more like a crisp cookie than a date-and-nut brick.
Its protein comes from dairy: a Proto Whey blend of hydrolyzed whey, whey protein isolate, and milk protein isolate—fast-digesting, complete proteins with little lactose—though at 13g it’s a lighter lift than the big 20g bars.
Carbs are unusually low (9g) because the sweetness leans on a tiny dose of a zero‑calorie sweetener and a light wheat wafer rather than oats or dried fruit. Fat is the macro in charge here—15g—from palm and palm kernel oils with some canola and sunflower, which give the creamy filling its snap and keep the wafer crisp.
The chocolate–strawberry flavor is built with alkalized cocoa, natural flavors, small amounts of sugar and fructose, and a hint of vegetable juice for color.
- Protein
- 13 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Calories
- 220
Protein
1315MIDThose 13 grams come from a dairy trio: hydrolyzed whey peptides, whey protein isolate, and milk protein isolate. Whey and milk proteins are complete and highly digestible, and the hydrolyzed form tends to digest quickly; isolates bring the lactose way down. It’s a moderate protein dose compared with heavy-hitter bars, but the protein quality is top tier.
Fat
159HIGHMost of the 15g of fat come from palm and palm kernel oils, with supporting roles from canola and sunflower oils. That mix skews more saturated than a nut‑based bar, which is great for a crisp, stable wafer but worth noting if you’re watching saturated fat. The seed oils add some unsaturated fats, but overall this is a fat‑forward bar.
Carbs
920LOWThe 9g of carbs mostly trace back to the wafer (enriched wheat flour) and small amounts of added sugars like sugar, fructose, and maltodextrin. These are refined, quick-burning carbs rather than oats or fruit, so think quick spark more than slow-release. The bar’s higher fat and protein temper the rise somewhat, but the carbohydrate sources themselves are not whole‑food based.
Sugar
54MIDAbout 5g of sugar come from refined sugar and fructose; there’s no fruit in the mix. Most of the sweetness is supplied by a zero‑calorie artificial sweetener (sucralose), which keeps sugar low without reducing sweetness. If you prefer products sweetened only with sugars from whole foods, this is a different approach.
Calories
220210MIDAt 220 calories, this is an energy‑dense wafer: roughly 135 calories from fat, about 52 from protein, and about 36 from carbs. In other words, most of the energy comes from fats, which explains the satisfying richness. If you’re refueling between meals, one bar can feel more like a mini dessert than a lean protein snack.
Vitamins & Minerals
No standout vitamins or minerals are reported here. Any B‑vitamin and iron you do get likely come from the enriched flour (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, iron), and the ascorbic acid listed acts mainly as an antioxidant rather than a meaningful vitamin C boost. Think of this as a protein wafer, not a fortified multivitamin bar.
Additives
To pull off the crisp‑wafer/creme texture, the formula leans on several modern additives: a zero‑calorie sweetener (sucralose) for intense sweetness, soy lecithin to keep fats and cocoa smooth, and maltodextrin to add body. Alkalized cocoa gives the chocolate its dark, mellow profile, while vegetable juice adds color and acids and leavening agents tune taste and lift. It’s a fairly processed bar designed for a specific bite and flavor rather than a short‑list, whole‑food ingredient panel.
Ingredient List
Cow's milk cheese whey
Cow's milk whey
Skim cow milk
Oil palm fruit
Wheat grain endosperm
Sprouted barley grain
Petrochemical-derived pyridine synthesis
Mineral salts from elemental iron
Synthetic vitamin B1 salt
Microbial fermentation or chemical synthesis
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“Power Crunch bars. There are a ton of flavors and they don't have that gross chemical taste like a lot of protein bars (Quest, FitCrunch).”
“Powercrunches SLAP, I have a dedicated shelf of them in my fridge 🥹”
“power crunch is amazing, especially the strawberry =]”
Main Praise
Taste and texture are the star.
Across forums and review sites, fans rave that it doesn’t have the chalky, chemical aftertaste common in protein bars; Verywell Fit and SELF both highlight the crisp wafer and “no chalk” experience, while a Redditor even admitted to keeping a dedicated shelf of Power Crunch bars in the fridge.
The Chocolate Strawberry flavor, in particular, has a small cult following for nailing the nostalgic chocolate‑coated berry profile without becoming syrupy.
The lighter, flaky bite is a relief if you’re tired of taffy‑dense bars, and the 13g of high‑quality whey/milk protein feels like solid nutrition for something that eats like a treat.
Parents also note that the texture is kid‑friendly—crispy, not chewy—so it doubles as a stealth protein boost.
Main Criticism
Not everyone clicks with the sweetener profile. A recurring critique is a noticeable sucralose aftertaste—fine for some, distracting for others.
Texture can skew crumbly, which means flakes on your lap and a bar that disappears quickly; BarBend’s testers called this out, and Amazon reviewers mention the mess factor too. Nutritionally, 13g protein is moderate, not heavy‑hitting, and the bar leans on fats (15g), much of it from palm and palm kernel oils—worth noting if you’re watching saturated fat.
It’s also built on enriched wheat flour and contains dairy, so it’s a no‑go for gluten‑free or lactose‑sensitive readers.
The Middle Ground
The split in opinions makes sense. If you prioritize flavor and a light bite, this wafer nails it—multiple outlets rank it among the tastiest precisely because it avoids the gummy, protein‑powder chew.
But if your palate picks up sucralose easily, you may taste it here; one Amazon customer loved everything “except the aftertaste,” and that’s a fair callout. On macros, a Reddit user complaining it’s “pure fat” is overstating it, but the bar is undeniably fat‑forward at 15g, which is why it tastes creamy and satisfying.
The protein quality is high (hydrolyzed whey and isolates), yet the quantity lands in the mid‑range at 13g—perfect for a snack, light for a post‑lift anchor. Ingredient‑wise, it’s built like a confection: enriched flour, a blend of oils, refined sugars in small amounts, and modern sweeteners to keep total sugar low.
If you want short‑list, whole‑food ingredients and natural sugars from fruit, this bar chooses a different path. If you want a crispy, candy‑bar‑adjacent snack that still delivers real protein, it’s a win—just eat it over a napkin.
What's the bottom line?
Power Crunch Chocolate Strawberry is the rare protein bar that feels playful: crisp layers, a chocolate‑strawberry swoon, and none of the marathon chew. It trades the “whole‑foods only” playbook for a confectioner’s one—enriched wheat wafers, a creamy filling supported by palm‑based fats, and sucralose to keep sugar at 5g—so the appeal rests on whether that balance serves your goals. If you’re after a satisfying, dessert‑leaning snack with quality dairy protein and you don’t mind modern sweeteners, it’s hard to beat for pure enjoyment.
If you want high fiber, 20+ grams of protein, or a short ingredient list, you’ll likely want a different bar or to pair this with something simple (say, a piece of fruit or a glass of milk) to round it out. Bottom line: a delicious, crisp wafer that delivers 13g of top‑tier protein in a 220‑calorie package. Great for cravings and coffee breaks; less ideal if you avoid sucralose, need gluten‑free, or are targeting maximal protein in one bite.
Quick listicle take: Crisp wafer, chocolate‑strawberry flavor, 13g protein, 220 calories. A treat‑like protein snack for sweet‑tooth moments; skip if you avoid sucralose or gluten.