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Clif Bar: Crunchy Peanut Butter

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:00:19 +0000

Great crunch and chew – no mouth-tiring work. A bit acidic, possibly from brown rice syrup, but with nice chunks of peanut butter. While the peanut bits provide some crunch, the bar could use a few more and the calorie cost would likely be offset by a potential reduction in sugar content. Nevertheless, the classic Clif wrapper and overall utility of this bar, which basically comes out like a protein-dense peanut butter cookie, mean that this product, one of the earliest of the Clif Bar offerings, is still one of its best ones.

Total Calories: 250
Fat: 6 g
Protein: 11 g
Fiber: 5 g

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Post tags: bar, calories, chewy, Nutrition, tastes

NRG BAR: Pumpkin Ginger

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:31:36 +0000

Pumpkin Ginger was the first flavor of NRG BAR’s lineup that we sampled. The consistency of this wheat free bar is dense, but somewhat dry, with a slightly floury finish. It’s sweetened with brown rice syrup, which, along with the other wet ingredients (fig paste and date paste) , helps bind the bar. The ginger flavor is the best part of the bar, with a flavor that’s almost like eating a ginger snap cookie. The pumpkin is definitely a secondary flavor, but it provides a nice earthy backdrop to the bar. At the same time, there’s a very mellow note of what tastes like the fig and date, but most consumers will likely miss these entirely. In our opinion, that’s not a bad thing as there are tons of other bars that are loaded with figs and dates. The addition of hulled flaxseed gives the bar a light crunch – and some added health benefits. And finally, there’s a slight aftertaste from the ginger, which, if you’re a ginger fan, won’t be a bad thing. All in all, it’s a very pleasant experience, although we’d certainly like it more if it were slightly less dense. Nutritionally, this 250 calorie bar has 4.5 grams of fat, 6g of protein, 5g of fiber, calcium, and iron. Packaging is appealing and attractive, with a very clean looking package that has minimal text on the front of the wrapper. The logo is unique and eye catching, which should help make the NRG BAR brand a memorable one with consumers. Overall, we think that NRG BAR has conceptually hit the nail on the head with their Pumpkin Ginger bar and, with a little refinement, could be on the path to making something great.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clif Bar: Banana Nut Bread

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:47:29 +0000

While it certainly has a lot more chew to it than real banana bread, Clif has done a great job of creating a flavor that’s an accurate interpretation of the original. There’s a pretty good banana flavor to the mixture, thanks to the use of dried bananas, while the base is the same organic oat and soy crisp base that you’ll find in the rest of this line of Clif Bars. It’s got a fair amount of chew to it, with some light crunch to the finish, which is also aided by some walnut flavor. Nutritionally, this bar has 9g of protein, 240 calories, 250mg of potassium, 4g of fiber, and loads of vitamins and minerals. That being said, it functions as both a nice snack alternative or a light meal. Packaging follows the same template as the rest of the Clif line, with a caramel colored strip along the bottom for the flavor name. It’s honestly somewhat hard to get excited about Clif’s packaging at this point, but since it’s so ubiquitous with the energy bar category, it definitely gives us a certain feeling of comfort when we see it. Overall, it’s not an overly innovative flavor, but it’s a well executed one and, therefore, a bar that we’d have no problem picking up again.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Post tags: bar, calories, chewy, flavors, fruit

Luna Protein: Cookie Dough

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:36 +0000

Luna Protein Cookie Dough proves to be a disappointment from a company that otherwise produces good bars. The flavor sounds intriguing and enjoyable – who doesn’t like cookie dough? – but the result falls short of its potential. The taste of the chocolate coating overpowers the hint of cookie dough – reminiscent of that found in ice cream – that emerges only in the finish. Textually, the bar is a mostly-uniform, chewy mush with an occasional crunch from chocolate chips in the filling. It also leaves a syrupy feeling and aftertaste in the mouth. Nutritionally, this is a lighter bar, weighing in at 180 calories. It boasts a smattering of vitamins and minerals at moderate levels, topping out at 30 percent of your daily suggested intake, but it comes up light on the protein front, especially for a product with “protein” in its name. While 12 grams might be significant for someone with an inactive lifestyle, that’s a small dose for most consumers who will reach for a protein product. Overall, Luna Protein Cookie Dough disappoints, missing the mark on flavor and coming up short on protein.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

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Post tags: bar, calories, chewy, chocolate, flavor, flavorings, tastes

Luna Protein: Chocolate Cherry Almond

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:21:40 +0000

Luna Protein Chocolate Cherry Almond lives up to its name on taste. Light and subtle – if a bit bland – the three named flavors blend such that none overpowers the others while successfully masking the bar’s soy and whey protein. The bar feels mostly chewy, with a pervasive, mild crunch and occasional dried cherries that offer both a textural surprise and a burst of flavor. At 180 calories, this bar falls on the lighter end of the spectrum, but that’s intentional. The packaging calls the bar an “indulgent satisfaction – under 200 calories,” while also boasting its nutrient load. The bar delivers a smattering of vitamins and minerals at moderate levels, topping out at 30 percent of your daily suggested intake. However, for putting “protein” in the name, this bar is light on that particular nutrient. While 12 grams might be fine for the typical office worker, that’s a small dose for most consumers who will reach for a protein product. Overall, Luna Protein Chocolate Cherry Almond is a well-rounded bar that comes up a little short in the protein department.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

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Post tags: almonds, bar, chewy, chocolate, crunch, Protein

Supreme Protein: Rocky Road Brownie

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:00:35 +0000

Supreme Protein Rocky Road Brownie looks, feels and tastes like a candy bar. With a layer of marshmallow over a layer of brownie, all wrapped in a mixture of chocolate and peanuts, you’d be forgiven for confusing this bar with a high-sugar, high calorie indulgence. Instead, it offers 15 grams of protein with just 210 calories and 3 grams of sugar, owing its sweetness to the use of sugar alcohols (which are not readily absorbed by the body). It also boasts an interesting, chewy/crunchy consistency. If it can be criticized for anything, it’s the vitamin panel. The Supreme Protein Rocky Road Brownie bar offers only small doses of your daily vitamins, topping out at 25 percent of vitamin E. But, if you’re just looking for a low-sugar protein bar that doesn’t taste like chalk, you’re not going to do much better than this.

Rating: 4.5

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Post tags: bar, calories, chewy, chocolate, flavor, tastes

Myoplex Lite: Peanut Caramel Crisp

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:00:08 +0000

With a label boasting 15 grams of “high quality protein” and bearing the Myoplex brand name, the promise of this bar is clear. A protein blend (both soy and whey) stands at the top of the ingredient list and that’s reflected in the taste. While its layer of crushed peanuts and caramel over chocolate creates an interesting texture – a mixture of crunchy and chewy – the peanut and chocolate accents only create a distraction from the cardboard undertone common to the protein bar category. The real test, though, is the nutrition panel. The bar’s 15 grams of protein is less than others in the category, but it also weighs in at a scant 190 calories – making it more of a pre-workout snack than a meal replacement. Where the bar really shines is on its nutrient content. It boasts 50 percent the USDA’s daily suggested intake of a suite of vitamins, including A, C, and E. It’s also a significant source of calcium, magnesium and zinc. Overall, the Myoplex Lite bar offers a good source of quick nutrition, even if it’s not the tastiest option on the shelf.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

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Post tags: accent, accents, bar, blend, blends, calcium, calcium magnesium, calories, caramel, cardboard, chewy, chocolate, crisp, crunchy, distraction, meal, meal replacement, mixture, myoplex lite bar, nutrient content, nutrients, Nutrition, nutrition panel, peanut caramel, peanuts, pre workout, Protein, protein bar, protein blend, quality protein, s, snack, soy, tastes, texture, undertone, usda, vitamins, whey, zinc

Luna: Caramel Nut Brownie

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:00:46 +0000

Luna’s Caramel Nut Brownie bar is an especially good one, both in terms of the nutrition content and the bar’s flavor. It’s definitely one of the more indulgent bars that we’ve seen from Clif’s Luna Bar lineup, with a sweet chocolate flavored soy, rice, and oat base (70% organic). From there, they’ve drizzled chocolate and caramel on the top of the bar, while the bottom also has a decadent chocolate coating. As a result, the bar is chewy but has some slight crunch and it’s sticky to the touch — so you might want to eat it directly from the wrapper. Nutritionally, this 180 calorie bar has 8g of protein, 1g of fiber, and loads of vitamins and minerals. Also notable is their promotion of the bar’s “Low Glycemic” index, thanks to the use of brown rice syrup as the bar’s sweetener. So, if you’re looking for a snack that’s more than just empty calories, this is a great choice. On the outside, the new Luna bar look is great, with clean illustrations that give the bar a look that should fit well with the yoga crowd that this bar is meant for. Definitely one of the better Luna Bars that we’ve sampled.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Post tags: bar, brown rice syrup, brownie, calories, caramel, chewy, chocolate, chocolate coating, clif, crowd, crunch, decadent chocolate, drizzle, empty calories, fiber, flavor, flavorings, flavors, illustrations, indulgence, low glycemic index, luna bar, luna bars, Nutrition, nutrition content, nuts, oat, organic, Protein, protein 1g, s, sampling, snack, soy, sweet chocolate, sweetener, sweetness, vitamins, vitamins and minerals, yoga

NoNuttin’ Granola Bar: Double Chocolate Chunk

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:00:26 +0000

For a bar that’s named “NoNuttin,” this bar sure has a lot of flavor. Using a gluten free and nut free granola base, it has a pleasant oat and crisp rice flavor with a slight crunch to the finish. Otherwise, the bar is soft and slightly chewy There’s also a pretty heavy note of dark chocolate, which gives the bar a slightly indulgent – and very satisfying – flavor. We love the very lightly processed feeling to the bar, which is a testament to the product’s simple list of ingredients. What’s also nice is the bar’s relatively low amount of calories (130), making this a great choice as a light snack or supplement to a meal. There’s not a whole lot in this bar in the way of nutrition, with 2g of fiber, 2g of protein, 2% calcium, and 6% iron Packaging is decent, although the logo is somewhat hard to read and the placement of the flavor name requires your eye to search a bit. Prime placement of the product’s nut and gluten free recipe is smart and opportunistic. Overall, we really love what’s inside the wrapper, but the design needs a bit of work.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Post tags: 2g, amount of calories, bar, calcium, calories, chewy, chocolate, chocolate chunk, chunks, crisps, crunch, dark chocolate, double chocolate, fiber, flavor, flavorings, flavors, free recipe, granola, indulgence, light snack, meal, Nutrition, nuts, oat, prime placement, Protein, s, snack, testament, whole lot

Clif Bar: Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:01:34 +0000

While there’s not a ton of crunch to the bar, there’s a nice dose of peanut butter flavor to this bar. The addition of peanut butter also adds a fair amount of chew to the bar, while oats, soy crisps, and a touch of chocolate chips give the bar some crunch on the way out. We can’t help but feel as though there should be more to the chocolate flavor – it’s really muted in its current form. So really, this bar is like a more chewy version of your typical Clif Bar. That’s not a bad thing, but more a question of preference. In terms of substance and nutrition, this bar has 260 calories, 6g of fat, 11g of protein, 5g of fiber, and a bevy of vitamins and minerals. Plus, it does a nice job of satisfying hunger and a sweet tooth craving all in one shot. On the outside, it looks just like every other Clif Bar wrapper, which, in our opinion, could use a few more visual differences than just a color change in the mountain graphic. Overall, another solid bar from Clif – but not one that’s going to get anyone overly excited.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Post tags: 5g, bar, bar chocolate, bevy, calories, chewy, chip, chocolate, chocolate chip, chocolate flavor, clif, clif bar, colors, crisps, crunch, fiber, flavor, flavorings, flavors, hunger, job, liking, nice job, Nutrition, oat, oats, peanut butter flavor, peanuts, preference, Protein, s, soy, soy crisps, sweet tooth, sweetness, visual differences, vitamins, vitamins and minerals