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Greens +: Omega-3 Chia Energy Bar Chocolate

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:17:16 +0000

Omega-3 Chia Energy Bar Chocolate has one of the longest ingredient lists of any bar we’ve ever tried. The chief components to it are dates, almond butter, chia seed, honey and the company’s Greens Plus powder (a mix of over 20 green ingredients such as a spirulina and wheat grass). The use of Chia seed is what really differentiates this bar. More than just the green sprouts on cute ceramic figures as seen on TV, Chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family that is native Mexico and Guatemala. Chia is grown commercially for its seed, which yields 25-30% oil when ground, mostly α-linolenic acid (ALA). As a result, this bar contains 1.5g of omega-3 and .5 g of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential to the human diet. The flavor of the bar is quite good considering all they cram into it. The date/chia mix gives a texture that is not unlike the inside of a Fig Newton, while the chocolate on the outside is quite good. Our main issue with this bar is the label. The words are stacked on each other on the front panel in such a way that it is hard to figure out what flavor this bar is. Overall, great nutrition, good taste but horrible presentation.

3 out of 5 stars

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Post tags: Chai, chocolate, energy, energy bar, omega 3

Prana Bar: Apricot Pumpkin

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:30:15 +0000

Prana’s Apricot Pumpkin is part of its organic, vegan line-up of “raw enzyme power” bars. The bar is impressive in its simplicity. It contains only the following: dried apricots, pumpkin seeds, date paste, almond butter, agave nectar, puffed amaranth, and sea salt. Unfortunately the pumpkin/apricot combination does not work well. It tastes almost as though there is a spice to it, though there is clearly no spice added to this product at all. Nutritionally, it delivers 190 calories, 5g of protein and 2g of fiber. The texture is like a fruity paste with some nice crunch to it. The flavor however was not to our liking.

2.5 out of 5 stars

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Post tags: apricot, organic, prana, pumpkin

Amazing Grass: Chocolate Whole Food

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:28:58 +0000

Amazing Grass’s Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar is part of its 4 bar Green Superfood line-up. We tried this immediately after a rather unpleasant experience with Odwalla’s Superfood bar, so we were not expecting much. Much to the contrary, this is an excellent product. The fact that it is coated in organic dark chocolate might lead some to say it is cheating a bit, but the chocolate coating helps deliver an amazing list of ingredients. Third on the list of ingredients, after dates and agave nectar, is Amazing Grass’ Green Superfood mix, which contains the following: Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Adidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, and Organic Peppermint). The bar has a nice chew to it, which a little texture. Frankly, it could use a little more crunch, but overall it is pleasantly smooth. Nutritionally, it is 230 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber. The label is easy to read and communicates exactly what you can expect. Given what this bar packs into its insides, we’re fine with handicapping it’s star rating a little, not that it wouldn’t do just fine on it’s own.

5 out of 5 stars

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Post tags: bar, dark chocolate, grass, organic

Oskri Fiber Bar: Almonds and Cranberries

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:58:20 +0000

When we read the nutrition label for Oskri Fiber Bar Almonds and Cranberries, it made us a bit nervous. 13g of fiber in a 1.5 oz serving! Not to worry though. The bar itself is a rather dry but tasty mix of Chicory root extract, Almonds, Cranberries, Rice crisp, amaranth, buck wheat, pumpkin seeds. It is made by Oskri Organics in Lake Mills, Wisconsin though the multi-lingual label might lead some to believe it’s origin to be something slightly more exotic. It is fully labeled in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Arabic. We question the wisdom of using such a one-size fits all package for the US market at least. Finally, the package design is an appalling montage of maple leaves and dull fonts set on a pink background. So underemphasized is the flavor text on the front label, that it wasn’t until the last step of writing this review that we realized the flavor for this bar was not “Fiber Bar” but rather “Almonds and Cranberries”. Label design aside, the bar is pretty tasty, and anything this good with this much fiber is alright by us.

3.5 out of 5 stars

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Post tags: almonds, bar, cranberries, fiber, pumpkin seeds, tasty

Bora Bora: Tropical Sesame Cranberry

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:23:14 +0000

Bora Bora’s Tropical Sesame Cranberry is part of its line-up of Polynesian-influenced nutrition bars. This bar contains a mix of nuts (peanuts, almonds), seeds (pumpkin, sesame, and fruits/berries (raisins, cranberries). The bar is bound in organic agave nectar and brown rice syrup. From a flavor standpoint, the bar is enjoyable, though it is strangely lacking in tartness. It seems they could have added a good bit more cranberry to this mix. Tartness issues notwithstanding, the bar has a nice texture and is very satisfying. It contains 180 calories, 4 g of protein and 2 g of fiber. The packaging is pleasant, but it devotes very little square inchage to advertising the flavor. Finally, cranberries for us conjure images of Pilgrims and Thanksgiving dinner, not of Polynesian splendor. Overall, a good effort from Bora Bora, but certainly not their best.

3 out of 5 stars

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Post tags: bora bora, cranberry, fruits, peanuts, Polynesian, sesame, tropical

Clif Bar: Black Cherry Almond

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:23:44 +0000

Clif’s Black Cherry Almond is part of its energy bar line-up. It’s a substantial 2.4 oz and 250 calories. The product has a whopping 10g of protein and a respectable 5g of fiber. The bar is organic rice syrup mixed with soy, oats, almonds, cranberries and cherries. The mix is moist but crunchy. Almond flavor really comes through, although we didn’t taste much cherry. It should be noted that this bar also manages to hold a large mix of supplemented vitamins and minerals without it adversely affecting the flavor. The label indicates that Clif is part of 1% for the Planet, which means that Clif donates 1% of revenues to green charities (note: this is total revenue, not just profits). This means Clif is a company that puts their money where their mouth is. We love this product and we admire Clif.

5 out of 5 stars

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Post tags: bar, black, cherry almond, clif, energy, Protein

Sun Valley: Chocolate Chocolate Chip

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:52:08 +0000

Sun Valley’s Chocolate Chocolate Chip bar is an oat in rice syrup bar which also contains peanut butter, semi-sweet chocolate, maple syrup, pumpkins seeds, almonds, walnuts, rice flour, apples, sesame seeds, flaxseed, and cocoa. It has a nice chocolate flavor, and then nuts really come though. The peanut butter, though high on the list of ingredients, is not very noticeable. The bar is not chocolate coated, but rather contains chocolate chips in a chocolate-flavored mix. The overall taste is great. The long list of nuts and seeds in the bar don’t really interrupt that chocolate experience, but they do add to the bar’s fat content (11g) and it’s overall calorie count (230). The protein in the bar is a respectable 7g, while contain 4g of fiber. The bar’s package does little to convey the flavor. Overall, this is a great-tasting, nutritious product, but it could use a little more flair on its lapel.

3.5 out of 5 stars

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Post tags: bar, chocolate, cocoa, fiber, Peanut Butter, pumpkin seeds

Boomi Bar: Cashew Almond

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:41:19 +0000

Boomi Bar Cashew Almond is pretty simple. It contains 7 ingredients: almonds, cashews, honey, dates, crisped rice, puffed amaranth, and salt. You can see the bar through parts of its package which shows nearly whole nuts, and makes it very tempting to eat. Part of a 13 product line, this is one of the brand most recognized flavors. Due to the abundance of nuts, it has 260 calories and 8g of protein. The fiber total is only a disappointing 1g. The packaging is a bit bland and it certainly doesn’t communicate anything in particular about the flavor of the bar. We love natural simplicity of this bar, but we feel this bar is going to have to step up its packaging if it wants to compete in a very competitive bar space.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Pure Organic: Wild Blueberry

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:41:03 +0000

Pure Organic Wild Blueberry is a gluten-free, raw, and vegan bar made by Pure Organic of Newport Beach, CA. The bar is made with organic wild blueberries and you can really taste them in the bar. The bar is more about flavor than it is about nutrition. It only has 3g of fiber, but it does pack 6g of protein. The bar is made with organic dates, organic cashews, and organic walnuts. The bar’s walnut base really comes through, but it meshes well with the blueberries. The packaging is attractive, and unlike so many other bars on the market, effectively communicates the flavor of the product inside. In total, this bar tastes great and it does it naturally.

4 out of 5 stars

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Post tags: blueberry, CA, gluten free, organic, vegan

Kelp Crunch – Sesame Ginger

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:06:19 +0000

Despite the somewhat unappealing Kelp Crunch name and “seaweed energy bar” tag line, their Sesame Ginger bar is rather enjoyable. Made with sesame seeds, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, kelp, ginger, cayenne, and vanilla, the bar has a distinct flavor that you won’t find in other bars. The base, which is almost entirely sesame seeds, is crisp and crunchy, while the added ginger and cayenne give the product some heat to its finish. In the middle of all of this, there’s a light amount of sweetness and the kelp, which give the product a slightly Asian inspired taste. Nutritionally, the bar has 124 calories, 8g of fat, 3g of fiber, 3g of protein, calcium, iron, and small amounts of Vitamin A and C. Based on the 1 oz size and the nutritional content, this bar is definitely the right portion for a snack. Packaging is a simple foil wrapper that has been decorated with an illustrated image of a whale jumping out of the water. While it certainly has a vibe of authenticity to it, it’s not an image that’s overly appetizing in our opinion. However, we do like the placement of the “100% organic gluten-free vegan” badge, which will certainly help with their target consumer. Lastly, they are donating a portion of the proceeds to Allied Whale – that’s something that might be worth more prominent billing. Overall, a nice tasting product, but the current look of the label isn’t going to help sell bars.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

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Post tags: cayenne, ginger, kelp, Protein, sesame, vanilla