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

Godiva says: Meltingly rich, a traditional European biscuit is topped with a signature imprinted tablet of sinfully smooth milk chocolate.

We say: Sad but true: In the year 2000, we worked at a Seattle Godiva shop. It was the standard retail experience: jaded, ex-ballerina boss with a penchant for putting down collegiate-based aspirations; fun and wacky coworkers with a sense of fairness and enormous generosity when it came to the free chocolates box; cutthroat competition to make sales quotas; and lots of chocolate tasting.

When you work at Godiva, your job is to eat chocolates, well eat and sell chocolates. Also, to dip strawberries in chocolate while tourists take photos of you.

2000 was also the year that Godiva introduced Biscuits and Coffees (they may have also introduced hot chocolate at that time, but we can’t remember). During that summer, we made coffee every day and placed biscuits out for sampling every day. People freaking loved Godiva biscuits. I was not so keen; we didn’t get them for free and they didn’t seem to be any better than cheaper cookies available at the grocery store.

Some aspects of that cookie philosophy hold true. Godiva Signature Biscuits aren’t free and the cookie parts aren’t any more delicious than regular cookies: the Godiva chocolate that makes all of the difference. You could go and purchase the LU version, hoping that your Petit Ecolier will stand up to the scrumptiousness that is Godiva chocolate. Perhaps you enjoy setting yourself up for failure.

Utz says: Utz’s Smokin’ Sweet BBQ Potato Chip is the newest addition to our hugely popular Kettle Classic potato chip family. Flavored with a combination of spices and sweetness, our Classics are kettle-cooked in 100% Peanut Oil to give them that true Pennsylvania Dutch Tradition of extra crunchy potato chips. We at Utz like to describe them as “Spicy heat with a kiss of sweet!”

We say: We purchased these potato chips because we thought that they would be awful. We were expecting the chip version of Dannon’s Light and Fit Smoothie: egregiously colored and loaded with artificial flavors.

Thank God we were wrong. Sure, these chips have too much sweet and not enough spice, but at least the bright red color comes from tomato powder, not carmine. You can tell we’ve had some bad snack experiences when we praise tomato powder.

Our favorite ingredients in this chip include parsley, paprika, turmeric, and natural hickory flavor. Now if only there was a bit more paprika, a dab of cayenne, and a lighter hand with the sugar. We’re looking for a chip that truly displays spicy heat and just a touch of sweet. Let us know if you find one.

We’re just getting started around here, so stick with us as we explore the sordid underbelly of sour cream and onion chips, uber-expensive cookies (we’re looking at you, Godiva) and fruit that can be mistake for styrofoam. Or Candy. Or styrofoam-candy.

SnackLounge is brought to you by Frontera Media, the same people who are behind HeatEatReview.com and Imbibable.com. Except this time we’re delving into the world between lunch and dinner.