Another Builder’s Bar review! This time, the S’mores flavor. Who could really ever resist a S’more? Chocolate? Marshmallow? Graham crackers? All warm and gooey…

Ok I’ll stop now, before day dreaming turns into my actually going out to buy ingredients to make S’mores….

Insert Clif Builder’s S’mores Protein Bar, made with natural ingredients, organic ingredients, and still some muscle-loving protein. I liked the chocolate chip one I had a few days ago, and bought a whole bunch more.

Upon first bite, I REALLY liked it. It was sweeter than the Chocolate Chip flavor, and more flavorful. The top part was soft and chewy and dense, and the bottom part of the bar was “crunchier”, and together it was a really complimenting texture.

The flavor I would say was a predominant sweet chocolate, with a good bit of marshmallow flavor. I did get the sense that the bar contained a “toasted” flavor, kind of like a graham cracker would provide. As with the other bar, or any protein bar really, I needed some water to drink with this. (Hey, some milk if you feel like adding even more protein!) It had that salty/sweet combination going on, and water fit the bill quite nicely.

Overall, yum! Love the high protein, and that it’s low glycemic according to the wrapper. I also like how it doesn’t taste chalky like some protein bars can. It is a bit high in sugar/sodium and low in fiber, so overall, 4 stars

Will buy again!

I’m not a meat eater. Good for my cholesterol levels, bad for my protein levels- especially since I’m a total gym bunny. So I often try to find high protein foods to supplement the protein I lack when I don’t eat that cheeseburger or steak (which, mind you, hasn’t been done since 7th grade! Wow….such a long time!)

I also am quite fond of protein bars. Weird? Nah. I just think you have to find the right ones! Some can be a bit chalky, or others pounded with sugar and fat, but if you find a good bar with a good amount of protein I think it’’s perfect as a  light meal or alongside some fruit for a light meal.

So, what took me so long to finally try these Clif Builder’s Bars? No clue. What’s WRONG with me!? Maybe I was blinded to the protein bar section in CVS or Whole Foods that contained the Clif Builder’s Bars. But, the other day I picked up one of every flavor from Whole Foods, hoping they would be a success.

Not going to lie, already had 2 of them (two thumbs up!!) before I thought to review one. Well DUH on my part, seeing as  I have a health food blog that reviews new products I eat and all…. =P

The bar was actually quite good. It was a soft chew, with a crunchier inside very similar to the “crispie” part in the Luna bars. It did have that infamous “soy” flavor, but not overpoweringly so. The softer  part on top was chewy, dense, and almost had a vanilla flavor. The crunchier “Luna-like” part on the bottom was chocolately in flavor, but not really super flavorful. All together, I got almost a light caramel/chocolate malt flavor. It was weird…but it was good. I liked it.

I can’t say this SCREAMED chocolate chip flavor, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. It was more of a chocolate malt flavor, or chocolate in general. It had that kind of flavor that made me crave some water, but was sweet as well. I would most likely buy this one, especially since it had no sugar alcohols and no artificial ingredients, which often accompany protein bars.

Overall, 4 stars. I had this for lunch with a giant fruit cup and was quite satisfied. Its high in saturated fat and sugar, but also high in protein and with a low glycemic index. Perfect for a diabetic like me! =)

WHAT’S your favorite protein bar brand/name? Let me know! =)

Source

Something new to try! I got a free box of Nimble bars by Balance bar. I was excited, especially when I heard that they had a PEANUT BUTTER flavor. Like music to my ears…

I also love that the bars have calcium, fiber, protein and are sweetened with truvia! More nutritional music to my  ears (wait…what??)

Plus, something new, there is lutein, beta-carotene and antioxidants c and e which are good for the skin (“when consumed daily for 2 weeks” as the box says).

And…. only 120 calories each! Nice. However, to throw a con in there, they are a bit on the tiny side :/

However, let the review of the flavors commence. The bar itself was very soft, and chewy, and also quite dense. The flavor was ok, not super peanut buttery, but I can tell its “peanut butter flavored”. It was sweet but not too sweet, but NOT sugary tasting. It also had that salty flavor, and a little bit of an aftertaste.

I noticed that both bars had tiny little orange dots in them. If you look closely at the pic, you can see it!

This one gets 3.5 stars

Next up, the Yogurt Orange Swirl-

I noticed that it was sweeter than the peanut butter flavor, but also soft and chewy. It had  a rather good orange flavor, and actually tasted kind of like a creamsicle! Mmm : )

This one also had a tad bit of saltiness to it, but I enjoyed it as a whole. This one also gets 3.5 stars

Overall, pretty good. Have water nearby as they made me crave a cup of it! They are kinda tiny which is something to note, but I like the nutritional facts, the ingredients, and the flavor is quite good. AND only 4 grams of sugar! Woo! Two thumbs up!

Nutritional Information for the Peanut Butter flavor (SOURCE).

Nutritional Information for the Yogurt Orange Swirl flavor (SOURCE).

New product alert! I was contacted to see if I wanted to try some new bars for free from Kraft! They are the MilkBite Milk & Granola Bars, that come in two flavors, Chocolate and Strawberry.

What’s different about these bars? You have to refrigerate them! As the box indicated, they are “made with real milk”, so it’s best to “store in the fridge!” And….gotta love that they have as much calcium as a glass of milk! (8 oz)

I opened up the boxes of the Chocolate and Strawberry MilkBite bars and noticed they were standard sized granola bars. Not too big, not too small, about the size of my hand. Here’s what they looked like unwrapped

I tried the chocolate one first (for obvious reasons). Upon first bite….love! It was chewy yet still dense, and really good. It reminded me of cookie dough upon my first bite- like the little pieces you get in ice cream. So yummy! It didn’t have an overpowering chocolate flavor, but more like accented with chocolate flavor. It also reminded me of those Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars by Quaker. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and really quite enjoyable.  I mean really…what’s not to love about a granola bar that provides calcium and tastes like cookie dough!?

Next up, the strawberry flavor. This one was also good, but definitely sweeter. It had that tangy yet sweet strawberry flavor, and a white drizzle on top of the bar that reminded me of white chocolate. The dried pieces of strawberry in the bar added a nice touch. I noticed that this bar was softer than the chocolate flavored one, and a bit more chewy.

Overall, both are winners, and both are unique. I think they are good to eat before the gym, which is probably what I will do since I dont want the bar sitting my in my bag all day if it should be refrigerated. I think it depends on my mood for which one I want to eat. Chocolate and more savory? Chocolate flavor! If I want more of a fruity and fresh flavor, and perhaps a bit more sweet, strawberry flavor! These were a bit high in saturated fat and sugar, but not too bad. Overall, 4 stars.

Red= strawberry nutrition, Brown= chocolate nutrition

YES! I love new products. And I opened my mailbox the other day to  find this, I was really excited to try it. Banana is one of my favorite flavored things (REAL banana, not fake yucky banana), and combined with chocolate and natural ingredients Kashi uses? Count me in

Here’s the “box” it came in with a few facts.

Pretty cool huh? Half a serving of fruits and veggies in each bar!

I decided to eat this one this morning before my workout with a scoop of peanut butter (obviously ; )  ). Here’s what it looked like.

It was about the size of a Nutri-Grain bar, and a bit thicker width-wise. Oats sprinkled on the top, more for the eye in my opinion, as they looked nice but didn’t really add much flavor.

The bar was super soft, like a piece of homemade banana bread. Every now and then I got something crispy/crunchy like a piece of crisp rice, but I’m not entirely sure what it was. It wasn’t really that sweet, and had a mild banana flavor. I could certainly detect that it was banana, but it wasn’t screaming it or wasn’t super sweet like a standard piece of banana bread usually is.

As for the “chocolate chip” aspect of the bar. Uh…… what chocolate chips?? There were about 3 chocolate chips in the entire bar which was really a let down. They didn’t provide much flavor, but was a teeny bit of a surprise every now and then, but really, I only counted 3.

The bar was sort of lackluster though. I was 3/4 of the way done and I grew really bored of the bar and wished it was over. Not to say it was bad, but it wasn’t really amazing or all that great either. It was average, and I wish it was a bit sweeter.

Overall, 2.5 stars. I like the veggie/fruit serving aspect, and I also like the fiber and that it’s relatively low in calories (140 calories). It did provide me with stable energy during my workout which also was a plus. However, I don’t know if I would buy it in the future. And now I really just want to eat a slice of banana bread.

Officially holiday season! Christmas and Hanukkah are approaching quick! So in spirit, a holiday themed treat.

Clif Bar sent me their Peppermint Stick Clif Bar. I happen to love these energy bars, so I was excited!

The bar was standard in terms of texture for a Clif Bar. Chewy and dense, soft and had a few oats scrambled around. was sort of fruity minty. Like bubble-mint toothpaste in a way. You know when it’s slighty sweet like bubblegum but also minty. At first I took a bite and it had that standard Clif bar taste, slightly fruity/date flavor, but then in comes a peppermint flavor. Not super strong, but you definitely can taste it. In fact if you can’t taste it, you might need to get your taste buds evaluated ; )

But then some bites were different. Another bite had a very mild mint flavor and a bit of a white chocolate flavor. Hmm. I also saw streaks of red throughout the bar, not BIG streaks, but a mild red. I searched the ingredient list and saw peppermint candy, which not only explained the red but also the stronger peppermint flavors in some bites.

I normally go for energy bars early in the morning, when it’s too early for a full breakfast/I want to work out early. However, I took one bite of this and couldn’t do it. It was too strong for a morning tummy/ taste buds to handle (or at least mine anyway) so I ended up eating it later on in the day.

I got this bar for free, but I can’t say I would buy it again. I wasn’t really a fan, it was just ok. I like that it was seasonal and wintry with the peppermint, and I think it’s great if you really like peppermint. However, the only time I like minty things is when I brush my teeth or chew a piece of gum. This didn’t really work for me.

The nutrition facts seem pretty standard for a Clif Bar. Although a bit high in sugar for a bar that’s about the size of my palm. 2 stars

Peppermint? Yay or nay? I would say I’m average- I do like York Peppermint Patties! But, I would much rather have some christmas cookies than a candy cane!

I have a confession.

I’m obsessed with banana flavored things. Banana bread, banana ice cream, banana yogurt (yes! they make it!). I DONT like fake banana (aka laffy taffy) but real banana flavored things I absolutely adore. Which, go figure, I find weird because I’m not all that crazy about bananas themselves. Hmm.

So, I got this free Corazonas Banana Walnut Oatmeal Square from the company to review, and I was pumped. BANANA walnut. Even if it was Banana spinach flavored oatmeal square I probably would have been excited. Ok, maybe I’m overexaggerating, but let’s just get it out there that I love banana.

Who nibbled my bar!?!?! oh wait…

So, pregym, I had this bar with a scoopful of peanut butter. It was one of those mornings where I DID NOT want to wake up early and have a proper breakfast before the gym, so a granola bar would suffice. Although, always prepare for the munchies later on if you don’t have a big breakfast! Or at least that’s the case for me!

ANYWAY- this square was really quite good. It was soft, chewy and dense, and you could really taste the banana. It tasted like genuine and real banana for the most part, but did have a tinge of that “artificial flavor” feel to it. But not too bad. And not like laffy taffy (sorry to those who love laffy taffy- can’t do that fake banana flavor!!).

There was a slight cinnamon flavor, and it was certainly sweet! The oats gave it a hearty texture and it was a rather satisfying bar. I felt energized during my workout (trust me, I hardly sleep anymore so I definitely didn’t get the energy from a solid 8 hours of sleep!   ) and I couldn’t get over how banana-y it was. The whole “walnut” aspect of this bar was lackluster for me. I don’t even know if I remember tasting them?? Magical walnuts perhaps…?

Anyway- 4 stars. A good bar. I would buy it in the future.

I'm such a fail at taking pictures of nutritional facts. Boo.

Along with the Sunbutter Crunch bars I was sent to try for free from Enjoy Life, I was sent a few other flavors to try for free, including the Caramel Apple variety.

How can you really say no to something Caramel Apple flavored? An image of sticky, chewy, sweet and delicious comes to mind thinking of a caramel apple. And so fitting with the fall. Nothing like a crisp apple picked off a tree! (not that I get to experience that all that often given my current urban situation… -__- )

ANYWAY, insert Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy Bars. Gluten free, vegan goodness in bar form. Very small bar form, aka the size of my pointer finger small, but whatever. Good things come in small packages!

This bar was pretty good. It was dense and chewy, and had the little crispy rice sort of action going on like the Sunbutter Crunch variety had. I liked that it was sweet, but not I have to make a dentist appointment for the cavity I’m going to develop sweet. A good amount.

I could certainly taste the apple flavor, which was a plus. While I was eating it, I couldn’t help but notice how much it tasted like Quaker Apple Cinnamon instant oatmeal. I would know – I ate that oatmeal SO FREQUENTLY when I was younger. It seemed like every school breakfast I heard the teapot kettle whistle, poured the hot water in my instant oatmeal, ate and went on the school bus. *sigh* back to when life was simple!

So, as a whole for this bar, although it lacks sustainability, as in I’d be hungry still if I only ate this, it was pretty good, and a good snack bar/pre workout boost. I’d give it 4 stars.

What was your typical breakfast before school when you were younger? I alternated with instant oatmeal, and toasted english muffin with peanut butter! =)

Yay for new products to try! I was sent a few boxes of EnjoyLife Chewy Bars to try to review for free. Of course I agreed, as I am always up to try new things. Plus….I eat granola bars like crazy! Even more…these bars are dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, fish free, egg free, soy free, and nut free!

I decided to try the Sunbutter Crunch bars first. Why? I don’t know. They called to me. They reminded me of baseball games when I was little where I was given sunflower seeds to munch on. At the time I didn’t know you supposed to take the shell off. I was literally chew-chew-chewing the seeds with the shell on. HA!

But anyway, I opened one up and took a look. The texture is quite weird. They feel almost rough to the touch and dry, and don’t bend well. If you bend the bar, it breaks off into pieces automatically.

These smell EXACTLY like sunflower seeds. Which I suppose they should…they are made from sunflower seed butter! I broke off a piece, and it seemed like a very dense and kind of dry bar. The only way to know for sure was to take a bite. I went for it, and…I can’t say I was a HUGE fan, but I can’t say I hated it either.

At first, it was kind of bland, and it was chewy and dense, with a puffed rice krispie texture thing going on as well. As I chewed, the bar became sweeter and sweeter. As expected, the bar was kind of dry, but not so bad where my mouth was calling water uncontrollably. These were actually kind of good! They had a mild sunflower seed taste, but tasted like peanut butter at times too (no worries- these are NUT free!!).

As I continued to eat the bar, I liked it more and more. A rather unique flavor, but really quite good! I liked it more than I thought I would, as I thought there would be an overpowering sunflower seed taste, but there wasn’t! My only complaint is these are TINY!. Here’s a pic of it in comparison with a pen. Blue ink only, guys. I’m biased and will only write in blue. ; )

See…tiny! But they are only 120 calories each, so I could eat one (or 1.5 of them!) before a workout as a snack and I feel like it would fuel me up just fine. Or pair one with a glass of milk! (unless you have milk allergies of course!) Overall, 3  stars. Recommended to try, especially if you like sunflower seeds!

Do you like sunflower seeds? flavored sunflower seeds? sunflower butter? Tell me! : )

Look-ee what I got in the mail, as a complete surprise to me…

YEP- some Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte LARAbars! With a cute little bag, button, sticker and slice of information pie.

What a nice welcome surprise once I walked in the door and had a package waiting for me. Thanks, LARAbar!!!

Now, down to business. It looks like your standard LARAbar….

….but it’s not.

This one ROCKS!!!! I noticed the bar seemed softer than usual when I took a bite, but still had that sticky density we all know and (hopefully) love. As I kept chewing, I really loved this bar. It tastes like chocolate covered cherries!!

It was sweet and tart, with that classic date taste. But,  then you get a hint of  dark chocolate flavor and a teensy bit of crunch. I really felt like I was eating almost a cordial cherry, with chocolate covered coating. This is definitely one of my new favorite Larabars!! And, according to the wrapper, this baby is Gluten Free and gives 1/2 of a fruit serving. What’s not to love??

Overall, this gets 4 1/2 stars. Really delicious! I will definitely buy in the future!!

What’s your favorite food involving cherries? I cant say I would turn down a slice of cherry pie

chipped nail polish. *sigh* forgive me???