Larabar: Apple Pie

Price: $1.49
Serving: 1 bar, 1.6oz
Calories: 180 per serving
 Calories from Fat: 90
Fat: 15%, 10g
 Saturated Fat: 4%, 1g
 Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 5mg
Protein: 4g
Carbohydrates: 8%, 23g
Fiber: 16%, 4g
Sugar: 17g
Weight Watchers Points: 4 Points

Larabar says: Just like mom’s… satisfying as well as nourishing. Spiced with cinnamon and paired with juicy raisins, the apples deliver 3 grams of natural fiber. Almonds contribute Vitamin E and protein while the dates add 14 essential vitamins and minerals. Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids come from the walnuts. With all this goodness occurring naturally, you can eat Apple Pie every day!

Abi says: After a disturbing experience with the Cashew “Cookie” Larabar I’ve decided to stay away from mild/nut-based options & stick to strong flavors in my Larabar purchases.

Looks like a homemade energy bar. This Larabar exhibits recognizable chunks of fruit and nut. I like being able to tell exactly what’s in the bar. Or at least that there are a lot of things in the bar and not just a paste made from who knows what.

Smells like apple pie that somebody made with a recipe from Cooking Light. Not exactly that homemade apple pie smell. More like the sort of apple pie smell you get what you make a recipe titled Vegan Cinnamon Apple Pie Bars. Because that’s what this is.

Feels like a bunch of mush. Even with the nuts and the somewhat large chunks of ingredients, this bar is not a textural wonderland. I don’t even like eating bites from this bar. Instead, I break off little bits and form them into balls of apple-pie-energy and then pop them into my mouth. Yes, I play with my food.

Tastes like a healthy version of apple pie that doesn’t involve crust or gluten. This apple chunks and healthy dose of cinnamon really shine and I don’t mind so much that I’m also eating dates and raisins.

So far this is my favorite Larabar. I’m also one of the lucky people who is surrounded by multiple Trader Joe’s, meaning I can try all of these bars for just $1.19. For those of you unfortunately distant from a Trader Joe’s, you can buy these on Amazon.com for just $18.79 per 16-pack. Plus the $7.00 shipping, which seemed like a great deal until gas prices dropped by half overnight.

Ingredients: Dates, Walnuts, Unsweetened Apples, Almonds, Raisins, Cinnamon

3 Comments »
Posted on December 17, 2008
Categories: All Natural, Apple, Cholesterol Free, Contains Nuts, Five Stars, Four Points, Gluten Free, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, Larabar, No Added Sugar, No Coloring, Saturated Fat Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Luna Bar: Peanut Butter Cookie

Price: $2.00 (on sale)
Serving: 1 bar, 48g
Calories: 180 per bar
  Calories from fat: 50
Fat: 9%, 6g
  Saturated Fat: 15%, 3g
  Trans Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 6%, 150mg
Protein: 10g
Total Carbohydrates: 9%, 23g
  Fiber: 12%, 3g
  Sugar: 12g
Weight Watchers Points: 3 Points

Luna Bar says: A delicious cookie crunch with rich flavors of sweet, creamy peanut butter

Abi says: I need to stop buying energy bars that have ‘cookie’ in their names. They do not look like cookies or taste like cookies or even smell like cookies.

I can forgive the first issue. Luna energy bars are bars, thus the bar shape. They’re also coated in what appears to be a peanut buttery icing. Instead, it is an evil trap of sugar (er, evaporated cane juice) oil, soy flour and vanilla. Because peanut butter cookies come with icing? What? This bar contains more of that coating than actual peanut butter!

I buy peanut butter energy bars because the flavor of peanut butter is so rich and overwhelming that it can kill people:

Peanut Allergy Sign by Dan4th

But the peanut note is in not way strong in this bar. I’d say it is merely subtly peanutty. And instead of that marvelous legume we have a whole different taste/smell issue. LunaPro, the grain-based, protein-rich foundation for this bar. LunaPro is the ingredient that assaults the senses and says ‘This is fake! This is not a cookie! This is not a granola bar! This is not going to taste good!’. And I have to go with my taste buds on this one: the peanut butter cookie bar is an item to be avoided.

Ingredients: LunaPro (Soy Rice Crisp [Soy Protein isolate, Organic Rice Flour], Organic Toasted oats, Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Flaxmeal), Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Coating (Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Soy Lecithin, Organic Vanilla), Organic Peanut Butter, Inulin (Chicory Extracat), Vegetable Glycerin, Natural Flavors, Organic Roasted Peanuts, Peanut Flour, Sea Salt.

3 Comments »
Posted on December 11, 2008
Categories: Cholesterol Free, Contains Nuts, Energy Bars, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, Luna Bar, One Star, Peanut Butter, Three Points, Vegetarian