Clif Bar: White Chocolate Macadamia

Given Clif’s facility with all things peanut-y, it would seem that the use of tempting additions like white chocolate and macadamia has the potential to create a totally indulgent, if calorie-rich bar. Unfortunately, it’s hard to make out either white chocolate or Macadamia flavors in this one, and instead the dominant taste note one gets is simply “sweeter than regular Clif Bar.” If you’re going to dangle these other ingredients for us, throw us enough chunks to make them discernible – otherwise, they go in as just so much extra sugar. While the Clif label isn’t known for providing the lightest of products, there’s usually some worth to the exchange of health for flavor and calories. But this has less flavor and fewer nutritive qualities than its line mates.

Total Calories: 240
Fat: 7g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 9g
Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Luna: Caramel Nut Brownie

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

Sun Valley Bar: Goji Lemon

Admittedly, our expectations for this bar were somewhat low. Why? Well, aside from the fact that we haven’t had that many goji flavored bars (or other food products) that taste all that good, it’s the combination with lemon that made us have low expectations (lemon + goji??). Fortunately, what’s inside the wrapper is an extremely enjoyable product, with a perfectly balanced mixture of flavors. There’s a soft base of oats, almond butter, seeds, and nuts, which gives way to a touch of goji and a pleasant note of what tastes like lemon zest. It very much has a homemade feeling to it, which is furthered by the product’s minimalist label design. Nutritionally, the bar has 230 calories, 10g of fat, 7g of sugar, vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron. The ingredient list is mainly comprised of items that are recognizable to your average consumer, which is certainly a plus. So, our only concern for this product is its minimalist packaging, which doesn’t allow you to see in and is completely devoid of any personality. That, in our opinion, might make for a tough sell when it’s going up against more flash competitors. Still, a very enjoyable product.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

NoNuttin’ Granola Bar: Chocolate Chip

Compared to their Double Chocolate Chunk flavored bar, NoNuttin’s Chocolate Chip bar has far less chocolate flavor. However, it’s still plenty to satisfy and it also leaves more oat flavor in the mix. Plus, there’s a note of what tastes like brown sugar and/or brown rice syrup (kind of earthy, hint of molasses). All of these flavors combine to give the bar just the right amount of each flavor, with a mild level of sweetness to complement the oats and chocolate. It has a definite high quality feeling to it, which is definitely a plus for this bar. From a portion point of view, this bar is definitely on the lighter side, having only 130 calories and 5g of fat per bar. However, being a gluten and nut free formulation is something that should definitely give this bar some added marketability. On the packaging front, this 1.06 ounce bar has a pastel green wrapper that’s pretty busy as far as text elements are concerned. While the name itself is clever, we’re not huge fans of the logo (they’ve got a yellow character blocking the “o”), plus something just feels disjointed about the way that things have been arranged. Our eye was circling around looking for the focal point and trying to absorb everything that’s on there. Still, the flavor is great and if they can tweak the label we think this bar would be perfect.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

NoNuttin’ Granola Bar: Double Chocolate Chunk

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

Clif Bar: Maple Nut

Maple Nut is one of the more enjoyable Clif Bar flavors that we’ve sampled. It tastes like exactly what the name implies, with a soft but slightly crunchy body that has just the right amount of maple flavor to it. There’s also a touch of salt to the finish, which gives the product a slightly savory note that helps balance everything out. In terms of ingredients, the bar’s key ingredients are organic oats and soy rice crisps, which help to add some substance and nutrition to the bar. They also account for the bar’s soft, but crunchy texture, which is quite pleasing and further adds to the sense of substance. Nutritionally, the bar has 10g of protein, 5g of fiber, 240 calories, and an ample dose of over a dozen vitamins and minerals. It’s a great choice if you need a snack before a workout or something to help get you through a long afternoon. Packaging is clean and appealing, although we’re not sure why the color purple was chosen to go with a maple and nut flavored bar. Still, the overall product is extremely good and we’d definitely reach for it again.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vega Whole Food Energy Bar: Berry Flavor

Like the other Vega Whole Food Energy bars, this one is made from “raw, alkaline, plant based superfoods.” You’ll find dates, hemp protein, almond butter, agave nectar, sprouted whole flax seeds, cranberries, raisins, almonds, sesame seeds, organic sprouted mung beans, organic wheat grass, and a few other ingredients for flavoring. It’s a soft but chewy bar, with a slightly dry texture, especially at the finish. Flavor is really enjoyable, with notes of the fruit and nuts throughout. There’s also a slightly earthy note of flavor to the bar, which is likely from the wheatgrass, mung, and flax. Nutritionally, the bar is a winner, with 10g of raw protein, 250mg of potassium, 6g of fiber, omega 3 and 6, vitamins, and minerals on top of 240 calories. The bar is great as for snacking before a workout – or to help supplement a meal with something that’s sweet but nutritious. Packaging is probably the only area that we’d like to see some improvement, with a look that feels technical rather than inviting. To a degree, the label made us expect a bar that didn’t taste good, which is fortunately not the case. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable product, but kicking up the packaging a bit would definitely help.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

KIND Bar: Fruit & Nut Delight

This is sort of Kind’s catch-all dried fruit and nut bar and its mix of peanuts, almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts, the nut part is certainly up to snuff, although we’d like it if there was a bit more variety to the fruit beyond raisin and apricot. Also, the Kind folks really overdid it with the honey/pectin coating on this one – it glistened and gleamed dangerously, and we were a bit worried we’d lose a tooth. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, and the flavors were all pretty distinguishable in the mix. On a packaging point, the blue trim on the wrapper is absolutely gorgeous.

Calories: 170
Protein: 5 g
Fiber: 3 g
Fat: 11 g
Carbs: 16 g

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kashi GoLean Roll: Caramel Peanut

We can honestly say now that the success Kashi had with its earlier Roll bar was no fluke – the caramel peanut is as formidable as the chocolate in terms of taste and ability to satisfy. Its flavor can’t be beat in terms of caramel notes, although the nuts and rice are a bit bland. Texture is an issue, however, as the “nougat” center of the role – quotes used because very little nougat is used in the making of this bar – is resistant enough to yank out fillings or whole teeth, especially when your jaw is already tired from cranking through most of this bar. Still, it’s well worth the trouble, especially with 12 g of protein and 6 g of fiber sitting around to soothe the pain.

Calories: 190
Fat: 5g
Protein: 12 g
Fiber: 6 g
Total Carbs: 27 g

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Larabar Jocalat: Chocolate Coffee

Like other Larabar products, this one is made with simple, understandable ingredients, including dates, walnuts, hazelnuts, cocoa, cashews, and coffee (all are USDA Organic). The resulting mix is quite good, especially since the flavor of the nuts helps mask the flavor of the dates, which can tend to overwhelm other flavors. The use of cocoa also helps quite a bit, with a touch of indulgence added to this nutritious tasting bar. And speaking of nutrition, the bar has 4g of protein, 5g of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and 190 calories. So, there’s some substance to it, but not too much, and just the right amount of vitamin content to make this a worthwhile snack. Last, but not least, is the packaging. It’s dark colored theme seems like the right choice for a chocolate and coffee flavored bar, while placement of the USDA and Fair Trade logos are a plus. On the other hand, the “JOCOLAT” text seems to make it hard for the eye to find the flavor of the bar – just something to consider. Overall, a very enjoyable bar.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honest Foods: Cran Lemon Zest

Honest Foods’ Cran Lemon Zest bar is made with a base of whole oats, almond butter, and brown rice syrup, which results in a relatively dry consistency with a moderate amount of chew. It also contains nuts and dried fruit, which are ultimately what give it the cranberry and lemon zest flavors that the bar is named for. Cran Lemon Zest is pretty much spot on when it comes to expected flavor, with a mellow cranberry flavor that’s complemented nicely with the bit of lemon zest. As far as the size of the bar is concerned, this 1.9 ounce bar is certainly not the biggest bar on the market, but it’s also a more manageable size if you’re looking for something to snack on. Plus, it’s vegan, made with whole grains and contains protein, fiber, and omega-3. Packaging is simple and clean, with a clear plastic wrapper that lets you see what’s inside. We’re big fans of that approach, especially when a wholesome looking bar like this one is inside. Definitely give it a try.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eat Natural: Almond & Apricot Bar

Made in the UK, this bar is billed as being a “luxurious bar full of premium quality ingredients and nothing else.” It’s a yoghurt coated bar that’s made with dried fruit, nuts, puffed rice, and honey. Flavor is really good, with a pleasant tasting body that’s light but crispy, with a sweet note of honey, fruit, and yogurt followed by some crunch from the almonds, which are added in large pieces. Eat Natural has done a great job with this bar, blending extremely enjoyable flavor, substance, and nutrition. From a nutrition point of view, this 235 calorie bar has 2g of fiber, 4g of protein, calcium, and iron, which certainly isn’t the most nutritious bar out there, but it’s still a good one. Packaging is intuitive and appealing, with the name “EAT NATURAL” making a pretty obvious statement about what’s inside the wrapper. Plus, you can see through the clear plastic wrapping, which helps whet the appetite. Overall, a very enjoyable bar that’s flavorful, nourishing, and nice looking.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honest Foods: Blueberry Vanilla Crackle

Of Honest Foods’ “Granola Plank” line, this was our favorite – and a new member of our Hall of Fame. The bar blends flavor and texture perfectly, starting with a base of nuts, seeds, and puffed rice, wheat and corn. It’s soft but has a slight amount of chew and crunch, which has then been perfectly flavored with vanilla extract, dried fruit (blueberries & cranberries), brown rice syrup, brown sugar, natural flavors, and a touch of salt. The resulting bar has great depth of flavor, starting with the grains and nuts, followed by the dried fruit, and finally finishing with vanilla. From a nutrition point of view, this bar, which is labeled for 2 servings, has 380 calories, 3g of fiber, 4g of protein, iron, calcium, and 300mg omega-3. It’s got a lot of substance to it, so we’d certainly recommend that you only eat half at a time – you certainly won’t be hungry. Packaging is simple and extremely appealing, with a large window to view the bar. The placement of the Honest Foods logo in the centers adds a touch of wholesomeness and credibility to the product. Overall, one of the best bars we’ve had in a while.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clif Bar & Company Gives Protein Some Zest With New Lemon-Flavored CLIF Builder’s™ Bar

BERKELEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Clif Bar & Company is bringing the refreshingly tangy taste of lemon to its CLIF Builder’s™ protein bar lineup. Read more

Clif Mojo: Honey Roasted Peanut

Beware starting this one, as the mix of sweet and salty peanuts definitely means you’ll have to finish it. It’s heavy on the nuts, which means plenty of protein, but also plenty of crunch and chew from the mixture of rice, rice syrup, and bits of pretzel. At 70 percent organic, it’s got some virtue, but mostly, it’s got the taste of peanut butter candy. Great stuff.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Calories: 200
Fat: 10 g
Carbs: 20g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 10 g

Bora Bora Organic Snack Bar: Almond Sunflower

The Almond Sunflower variety of the Bora Bora Organic Snack Bar line is an extremely enjoyable bar. It’s made with only a few simple ingredients, including raisins, nuts, seeds, rice, agave syrup, and brown rice syrup and it’s certified organic. From a flavor point of view, the product actually has a lot more peanut flavor than it does almond, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. That’s followed by a touch of salt, some sweetness from the brown rice and agave sweeteners, and a fair amount of crunch from the nuts and seeds. Wellements’ effort is extremely well executed, with just the right amount of sweet & savory as well as a nice balance of chew & crunch. Nutritionally, the bar has 180 calories,, 2g of fiber, 5g of protein, iron, and calcium. Lastly, there’s the packaging, which is appealing and lets you get a good look at the bar before you open it. Overall, a very palatable and nourishing bar that looks great to boot.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Clif Bar: Chocolate Almond Fudge

As far as Clif Bar products go, this is definitely one of the more indulgent tasting bars that we’ve sampled. It uses a base of organic oats and soy, which have been nicely paired with a strong dose of chocolate / cocoa flavor and a small dose of nuts to provide some crunch. Like most other Clif Bars, this product has a soft, but very chewy consistency, which helps give this product a feeling of substance. There’s a lot of stuff in this bar, including rolled oats, soy crisps, roasted soybeans, chocolate chips, nuts, and loads of added vitamins and minerals. The result is something that tastes great and has a lot of nutrition to it, including 10g of protein, 5g of fiber, and vitamins A,C,E,B1,B2,B3, and B6, just to name a few. On the exterior, the label is classic Cliff Bar, which makes it instantly recognizable. However, the use of the color red as the accent color isn’t what one would naturally choose for a bar called Chocolate Almond Fudge (maybe something dark or brown?). Overall, a very enjoyable and energizing bar.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Honest Foods: Pomegranate Walnut Crisp Granola Plank

Designed to be a fresh made granola “plank,” this bar does a great job of combining that wholesome made at home flavor with the convenience of a ready-made bar. There’s a nice oat and nut flavor to the base, with almonds, peanuts, and walnuts adding some crunch. Dried fruit in the form of cranberry and pomegranate provide some chew and a dash of sweet flavor, which is a nice complement to the granola base. However, they’ve also added some additional flavoring to the bar, which, as you eat the bar, starts to mask the flavor of the granola. In our opinion, this bar can hold its own without the added flavoring, so we hope to see if removed in the future. On the exterior, the product looks very clean and appealing, with a clear front that has only a red strip for the logo going across it. The use of lowercase text and a simple font gives the product that “wholesome” feel that they’re clearly going for. Overall, very enjoyable, but it would be more enjoyable without the added flavor.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elevate Me!: Espresso Cocoa Crunch

Billed as “The world’s simplest protein & fruit energy bar”, the flavor of this bar certainly lives up to this intention. Blending whey protein isolate, dates, organic raisins, apples, almonds, cranberries, cocoa, and coffee beans, the product has a very “raw” and homemade flavor to it. It has a dry but chewy consistency, with pleasant notes of dried fruit and nuts, followed by decent note of cocoa and a hint of coffee to the finish. All in all, it’s a very pleasant and satisfying bar to eat. Nutritionally, this bar has 230 calories, 6g of fiber, and 16g of protein, which is certainly enough substance for us. That leaves us with the packaging, which is the largest area for improvement. Specifically, there’s something that’s unappealing about the design, especially compared to the better designs of other players in the category. We’d probably say the same for the name, which sounds like something that’s more appropriate for a supplement product. Overall, very enjoyable flavor and nutrition, but needs work on the packaging.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Luna: White Chocolate Macadamia

Featuring a refreshed looking design and a “new recipe,” this product is very much improved. It features a base of soy crisps, which chew and taste in very similar fashion to crisped rice. Flavor is good, but not really chocolaty, with an almost milky flavor to the bar. The nuts add some crunch, but not much in the way of flavor, but that’s to be expected from macadamia nuts. Last, but not least, there’s a drizzle of white chocolate over the top as well as a coating on the bottom. All in all, it’s a pretty well rounded flavor. Nutritionally, this bar is, like all Luna bars, formulated for the dietary needs of women. That means lots of calcium, iron and folic acid, as well 3g of fiber, 9g of protein, and lots of other vitamins and minerals. Packaging looks great, with a modern look that’s a step above the old Luna design. Calling out the product’s nutrition focus and the fact that it’s made with 70% organic materials seems like a smart move. Overall, a very enjoyable bar.

Rating : 4 of 5 stars

Calories: 190
Total fat: 7g
Protein: 9g
Potassium: 140mg
Sugars: 11g

ProBar: Apple Cinnamon Crunch

ProBar’s Apple Cinnamon Crunch is a bit different than most of the other ProBar products that we’ve sampled. First of all, it’s sticky to the touch and has a slight crunch to it. There’s a decent apple flavor to it, followed by dates, raisins, seeds, and nuts – typical ProBar ingredients. The resulting mix has good fruit flavor – and the dried apples are a nice change of pace from what we typically see used as flavoring in bars. Same goes for the packaging, which has big and bright images of apples with cinnamon sticks mixed in as well. Overall, we found this bar to be very enjoyable.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calories: 370
Fat: 19g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 9g;

ProBar: Nutty Banana Boom

ProBar has hit the nail on the head yet again with this one, a pleasant bar that blends nuts, seeds, and fruit into an awesome tasting “whole food meal.” The bar has multiple layers of flavor, including notes of oats, dates, dried bananas, and nuts, all of which are perfectly balanced and working in unison. Like other ProBar products, this product one is extremely satisfying and nourishing, which is the result of the organic and unprocessed nature of the bar (your body will be thankful!). The bar has a variety of key nutrients, including fiber, protein, potassium, calcium and iron. Packaging is extremely appealing, with images of bananas, nuts, and seeds on the front — it whet our appetite very quickly. Overall, this is a great choice for a meal replacement bar. We’ll definitely be reaching for this one again.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Calories: 380
Fat: 6g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 9g

WildBar: Mountain Mint

Made with raw cacao and wild blue green algae, this gluten free, vegan, and USDA Organic bar is designed to be the “ultimate meal in a bar.” The bar, which is dark in color and has a dry but chewy consistency to it, has a lot of flavor to it, including cacao, mint, and macadamia nuts. Unfortunately, these flavors aren’t balanced well, resulting in a harsh, almost off putting, mint flavor that leaves a bad taste in your mouth (and a lingering aftertaste). Conceptually, we think it’s a good one, and some refinement to the recipe might make this a better tasting product. Otherwise, this bar is likely going to appeal to someone who’s really hell bent on adding blue algae (Crystal Manna and Blue Manna) to their diet. On the packaging front, this product’s wrapper design made us expect something very different than what was inside it. Specifically, the bright colors and emphasis on the mint leaf seemed to be somewhat of a head scratcher, while there are no visual aides to call out the other ingredients in the bar. That seems like a big mistake, especially since mint isn’t something that’s likely to whet the palate of too many bar shoppers. Overall, this bar needs work, both in packaging and flavor.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Calories: 185
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 14g
Protein: 5.5g
Vitamins: Vitamin B5: 9%, Vitamin D 3%, Vitamin E 8%, Magnesium: 2.5g, Copper 26%, Zinc 12%, Selenium 16%, Molybdenum 37%, Phosphorous 60%

ProBar: Maple Pecan

ProBar has achieved perfection again, this time in the form of their Maple Pecan bar. It is a splendid mixture of nutritious organic, whole foods that deliver enough substance to replace a meal and plenty of enjoyable flavor to satisfy your palate. On the flavor side, there’s a slight note of maple to it, but the base of the bar is the classic ProBar style formula (nuts, dates, seeds, peanut butter). As the name suggests, they’ve added pecans, which combine nicely with the maple, giving the bar an almost butterscotch-like note. The pecans, as well as the nuts and seeds, also create the “savory” flavor that the bar advertises. There’s a nice yin and yang thing going on inside this wrapper – and it’s definitely one of the best bars that we’ve ever had the pleasure of testing. On the outside, they’ve done a great job as well, presenting a design that’s an accurate portrayal of what’s inside the wrapper. Plus, the combination of nuts and maple graphics makes our mouth water. Overall, if there were a bar “hall of fame”, this one would certainly deserve to be in it.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Calories: 400
Fat: 22g
Total Carbs: 44g
Fiber: 6g
Protein 9g

Honest Foods: Almond Trail Mix

Honest Foods’ Almond Trail Mix bar is a pleasing bar, but we don’t really consider it a trail mix bar. In this case, it’s got a decent amount of oats to the mixture, which have been paired with almond butter, nuts, seeds, and raisins. While there are almonds present in the bar, the majority of the almond flavor comes from the added almond extract. If you’ve ever used almond extract, you probably know that a little goes a long way – and in this case, they need to use a little less of it in future batches. Aside from this issue, the concept and quality of the bar are quite good. Packaging is minimalist, but very appealing, especially since you can see the bar right through the label. Overall, a good effort, but they definitely need to dial down the almond extract.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calories: 210
Fat: 9g
Fiber: 4g
Total Carbs: 31g
Protein: 6g

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