Pana Organic Snack Bar Dark Chocolate Cherry & Coconut
Pana Organic Snack Bar Dark Chocolate Cherry & Coconut: independently scored 1.5/10 on Protein Score and 6.5/10 on Clean Score by ProteinScore.
1.7g protein per serve · 193 cal · 8.7g sugar · 10mg sodium · 40g serve.
Overview
This is a confectionary bar wearing a snack bar's clothes. Pana Organic is known for its plant-based, organic chocolate, and this bar extends that ethos into the snack aisle, focusing on flavour and ingredients over macronutrient numbers. It's a dense, rich bite of coconut and dark chocolate with a sharp cherry ripple. Compared to the field, it's an outlier. With less than a sixth of the protein and more than double the sugar of the typical protein bar we track, it doesn't compete on performance metrics. Instead, it competes with the chocolate block in your desk drawer, offering a portion-controlled, organic alternative with a slightly more complex ingredient list. The ingredient panel is led by coconut in four forms and cacao in three, which gives it a rich texture. While it contains added sugars, it avoids artificial sweeteners, colours and preservatives. We see it as a deliberate trade-off: a weaker nutritional profile for a specific, indulgent, plant-based taste experience.
Protein Score: 1.5/10
The protein here comes from its base ingredients like coconut and cacao, not from a dedicated protein isolate or concentrate. This whole-food approach results in a very low protein density, earning a score of 0.8/10. At just 0.9 grams of protein for every 100 calories, it's one of the least efficient protein sources in the snack bar category. The 1.7 grams of protein in a 40g bar is comparable to a standard muesli bar, not a product geared towards recovery or muscle repair. For context, you would need to eat more than ten of these bars to get the protein of a single, mainstream whey-based bar. It lags the typical product in this category by a wide margin. This isn't a bar to anchor your daily protein intake or for a post-gym refuel. It's a snack that happens to have a little protein in it, but it should be chosen for its flavour and organic ingredients, with the protein seen as incidental.
Clean Score: 6.5/10
Pana Organic built its name on plant-based, organic ingredients, and this bar follows that script. The ingredient list is built from recognisable sources like coconut, cacao and cherry, earning a Clean Score/10. It avoids the artificial sweeteners, colours and preservatives common in the wider snack category. The score is pulled down slightly by the presence of three additives used for texture and stability: sunflower lecithin (an emulsifier) and locust bean gum (a stabiliser), plus natural flavours. These are common, plant-derived ingredients used to create a consistent, shelf-stable product, but their presence signals a degree of processing beyond simple whole foods. Ultimately, this bar sits in the middle ground. It's more processed than a simple piece of fruit or a handful of nuts, but it's a far cry from the chemically-driven bars at the other end of the spectrum. For shoppers familiar with the Pana Organic brand, the ingredient list will feel consistent with their wider range.
Wins
- Features organic chocolate and plant-based ingredients.
- Under 200 calories per bar for portion control.
- Contains no artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives.
Watch outs
- Just 1.7g of protein per bar is very low.
- 8.7g of sugar per 40g bar is a considerable amount.
- Offers no dietary fibre, based on the nutritional panel.
Ingredients
Coconut* (min 39%, desiccated coconut*, coconut milk powder*, coconut flour*, coconut oil*), brown rice syrup*, cacao* (min 14%; cacao butter*, cacao powder*, cacao mass*), cherry ripple* (min 13%) (raw sugar*, sour cherry* (min 20%), glycerine*, water, corn starch*, natural flavour, locust bean gum, citric acid, natural food colour), sugar* (raw*, coconut*) beetroot powder*, natural cherry flavour, Tasmanian sea salt, sunflower lecithin*. Dark chocolate* 20%
18 ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
- Where can I buy the Pana Organic Dark Chocolate Cherry & Coconut bar?
- This Pana Organic snack bar is typically stocked in major Australian supermarkets. You can find it on the shelves at both Coles and Woolworths. While it's listed at these national retailers, availability can vary by individual store location. The brand may also sell it directly from their own website. We'd suggest checking the snack or health food aisle of your local store.
- How does the protein in this bar compare to a typical protein bar?
- It's significantly lower. This bar contains just 1.7 grams of protein per 40g serve. For comparison, a dedicated protein bar usually provides between 20 and 30 grams of protein. The average across the snack bar category is 27 grams of protein per 100g, whereas this bar has only 4.2g per 100g. This is a flavour-focused snack with incidental protein, not a performance or recovery product.
- Is this a low-sugar snack option?
- No, we wouldn't classify it as a low-sugar snack. The bar contains 8.7 grams of sugar in a 40g serve, which comes from ingredients like brown rice syrup, raw sugar, and coconut sugar. On a per-100g basis, its 21.7g of sugar is more than double the category average for protein bars and snacks. It's better viewed as an indulgent treat where sugar is part of the flavour profile.
- Is this bar filling enough for a snack?
- It's more of a light treat than a hunger-busting snack. At 193 calories, it provides a small energy lift, but the nutritional panel indicates it contains no dietary fibre and very little protein. Both fibre and protein are key nutrients for satiety, helping you feel fuller for longer. We think it's best for curbing a sweet craving rather than bridging a long gap between meals.
- What does 'plant-based' mean for this product?
- Plant-based means the bar is made without any animal-derived ingredients. The ingredient list consists of items like coconut, cacao, cherries, and various plant-derived syrups and gums. This is consistent with the manufacturer, Pana Organic, which is an Australian brand known for its vegan and organic products. Unlike many protein bars, it doesn't use whey or casein protein, which are derived from dairy.