Raising the Bar

Happy Saturday! I hope that the weather is as nice where you live as it has been here today. :)

Over the past few months, several companies have sent me some of their particular bars to try. I thought it would be fun to do a round-up of the ones I have sampled and share my thoughts on them.

– Raw Revolution – 

Description: “Organic Live Food Bar” | Gluten Free • Vegan • Wheat, Corn, Soy, Trans-fat, Cholesterol and Refined Sugar Free  

Pro: Some of the bars have green powder for extra nutrition; they are made mostly of nuts and dried fruits—though some have agave or other ingredients in them.  

Con: Some bars are very calorically/fat dense. Not bad, just something to be aware of. 

My favorite flavor: Of the ones I tried, I liked the Lemon Dew. Some of the chocolate flavors are also really tasty. 

– Cavewoman Bars – 

Description: “Let Mama Nature gather you a snack” | Vegan, Soy-Free, Gluten-Free and Refined Sugar-Free.  

Pro: They are made only of dried fruit, nuts, and spices. These are moderately low in fat for a nut-based bar (consequently, they contain a bit more sugar from the dried fruit).  

Con: They are quite expensive—about $3+ per 2 oz. bar.  

My favorite flavor: Easily the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake! This was incredibly delicious.

  

–  ProBars –   

(I sampled bars from the “Sweet & Savory” and “Art’s Original Collection” lines.) 

Description: “Simply Real” | Delicious meal replacement | Certified Organic, 100% Vegan | Rich in Raw foods – 70% Raw | Good source of Omega 3 and 6 | 8-12 g of plant based protein.  

Pro: These have a nice amount of protein, a good source of Omega 3s, and some flavors are really delicious. I gave most of them to my brothers for snacks at school. These would definitely come in handy if you were very active (like my brothers) and trying to get a calorie boost that is still made from wholesome ingredients.  

Con: These are marketed as meal replacement bars, meaning that they have quite a few calories, fat grams, and proteins. They are good-sized, though, and quite filling. (But I don’t think I would ever actually replace a meal with one.] I wasn’t crazy about all the flavors, but my family really enjoyed them. These are also a bit more expensive (but they are bigger and heartier, too).  

My favorite flavor: My hands-down favorite was the Cran-Lemon Twister. This bar was REALLY good. I also liked the Whole Berry Blast and Superfood Slam. Oh, and my chocoholic 8-year-old sister raved about the Koka Moka. ;)

   
– Larabars – 

 

Description: “Simple. Pure. Delightful.” | Gluten Free, Vegan, Kosher, some bars are Raw.  

Pro: They are easy to find and come in a lot of flavors (I haven’t even tried all them!) The chocolate they use is Fair Trade Certified.  

Con: Again, some bars are very nutrient/calorie dense. Though they are mostly made of whole fruit and nuts, occasionally an ingredient like “blueberry juice concentrate” sneaks in. This company was bought out a while ago by General Mills. I don’t boycott Larabar because of this, but it is kind of sad that all small companies seem to inevitably get gobbled up by corporate conglomerates. But that’s another topic for another day. :) The flip side of it, of course, is that perhaps General Mills is seeking to provide healthier options…um, right?  

My favorite flavor: Of the ones I tried, my favorites were the Cherry Pie and Lemon Bar flavors. (By now you have probably  figured out that I like lemon flavored stuff!)

That’s it! Have you tried any of these bars? What did you think? Or, do you plan on trying any of these?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were sent to me free of charge for the purpose of reviewing on this blog. I received no monetary compensation for this review.