Protein and nutrition bars aren’t exactly known for their taste-bud appeal. In general, it seems the more nutritional value is packed into a bar, the more cardboard its texture and bland its taste.

What a sweet surprise, then, to discover Balance Gold and Balance Gold Crunch bars, and in particular the Chocolate Mint Cookie variety. With its 15 grams of protein and 90 milligrams of potassium, not to mention its generous ration of vitamins — A, C, K, B12, B6, and E, to name but a handful — one might expect something resembling (not to mention tasting like) a sawdust-flavored brick. Not so. These 50-gram bars are crunchy, sweet, chocolate-y, and minty — a perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up, pre-workout snack, or post-meal dessert. And like all Balance bars, it’s based on the 40-30-30 philosophy: 40 percent of its calories are from carbohydrates, and 30 each are from protein and dietary fat.

Lest you not be a fan of this particular flavor, Balance offers a slew of others to tempt the health-conscious palate. Balance Gold Crunch bars also come in Chocolate! Chocolate!, Cookies ’n’ Crème, and S’Mores, while Balance Gold bars are available in Caramel Nut Blast, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Rocky Road, Triple Chocolate Chaos, and Strawberry Cheesecake.

Available for approximately $1.29 per bar at area grocery stores.