In the beginning, there were Pop-Tarts, and they were good.

Boy, were they good! They were so good that I wished someone would invent a six-slice toaster so I could toast a whole box at once.

Cereal Scams | Breakfast On The Go

But in our busy world, who has time to wait a whole minute for something to pop out of the toaster? We're a go-go world, and we need food that can go from wrapper to mouth while we type on our Blackberrys, drive to work and plug our iPods into our car stereos.

Thus the cereal bar was born. The original bars were not much more than glorified Fig Newtons: gummy cake surrounding fruit-like filling that contained enough sugar to keep a platoon of dentists in business.

In recent years, however, health-consciousness and attention to flavor have both hit the breakfast bar market. New, exotic formulations and flavors have taken their place next to the ever-popular mixed berries, strawberry and other standards.

So, once again, the fearless tasting panel assembled to turn 10 jaundiced eyes upon the new breed of breakfast bars. Each of the five testers awarded between 1 and 20 points based on flavor, mouthfeel and overall impression.

Full Circle Blueberry Fruit & Cereal Bars: 140 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 27 grams carbs

This one really hit a great balance between sweetness and fruit flavor, with some real snap to the blueberries. The texture of the cereal was excellent, and the bar held together well. The testers loved it across the board, giving it a near-perfect score of 97.

South Beach Living Peanut Butter High Protein Cereal Bars: 140 calories, 5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 15 grams carbs

It's hard to mess up peanut butter, but South Beach does a fair job of it. The bar is tooth-breakingly hard to get into, with a mealy mouthfeel and a very odd aftertaste that reminded me of eating toasted soybeans -- soy nuggets are an ingredient. The testers were not impressed. The kids refused my offer of the remainder of the box to take home, even. Final score: 42.

Quaker Mixed Berry Crisp Bars 130 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 26 grams carbs

The kids loved this one, but the adults found it a bit overly sweet. The berry flavor was smothered by the sugar. The cereal part of the bar was excellent, with good consistency and flavor. Final score: 85.

Nutri-Grain Mixed Berry Cereal Bars: 140 calories, 3 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 26 grams carbs

If Kellogg's didn't quite invent cereal bars with Nutri-Grain, they certainly brought them into the mainstream. However, the company has fallen behind its competitors with a bar that marries a cloyingly sweet filling with a decidedly nondescript cereal shell. Even the kids thought it was too sweet. Final score: 71.

Uncle Sam Oatmeal Raisin Cereal Bars: 180 calories, 3 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 28 grams carbs

These bars get their sweetness from evaporated cane juice rather than sugar, and that makes a difference. There's a complexity to the sweetness that's very pleasant for adults but might get mixed reactions from the kids. The texture is very hearty, and the raisins are plump and delicious. Final score: 87.

Kashi Honey Almond Flax Chewy Granola Bars: 140 calories, 5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 115 mg sodium, 19 grams carbs

I've never been a fan of Kashi cereal, which to me tastes like packing peanuts, but the granola bars are another matter. They have a light crunch and even lighter sweetness, with a delightful nuttiness. They tend to leave a fair bit of seed-like bits stuck in your teeth, but that's what milk is for. Final score: 91.

Special K Cereal Bars: 90 calories, 2 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 16 grams carbs

Ever wanted a Rice Krispies treat for breakfast? That's what these bars most resemble. The kids will devour these like locusts on a wheat field, and any adult decently in touch with their inner child will crave them, too. They don't taste much like Special K, but they're good in their own right. Final score: 93.

Fiber One Oats & Peanut Butter Chewy Bars: 150 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 28 grams carbs

This bar gets the peanut butter angle just about perfect. The chewy texture is excellent, letting you know you've eaten something without gumming up your teeth. It's sweet, but not cloying, and the oats give a nutty flavor that counterpoints the peanut butter very nicely. The one's our winner, topping the Full Circle bars by one point.

Caribou Coffee Chocolate Mocha Bars: 140 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 26 grams carbs

Due to the coffee content, the kids were left out of this round of testing. I weighted the three adults' scores to fit the 100-point scale.

There's a strong coffee hit here, with a good, chewy bar loaded with nuts atop a chocolate-coffee layer. The only problem is a bit too much sweetness, which reminded me of a cup of coffee when you've spooned in way too much sugar. Final adjusted score: 88.

I'll admit to being surprised that the Fiber One bars won this one. Like many people, I tend to think of fiber-rich prepared foods as somewhat akin to cardboard in texture and flavor. But that's why we do the testing. More Information:

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