Larabar Review

The first time I tried a Larabar I melted. I was on a hiking trip up in Algonquin Park one summer pausing to look at the beautiful view and refeul. I thought, "how can something that tastes this good be good for you?" Easy. They're made from whole foods including unsweetened dried fruits, nuts and spices. It's as simple and pure as that. Larabar's are one of my favourite snacks because they're so decadent and indulgent tasting, yet they're unprocessed and made with no more than 9 ingredients. They're gluten free, vegan and vegetarian and also make a good occasional snack for low carbohydrate diets, containing 23-32 grams per bar.

When the mailman arrived with my box of samples to sample and review, I did a little happy dance.

Larabar has 19 flavours including some mouth watering one's we don't get here in Canada such as Peanut Butter & Jelly, Lemon Bar, Chocolate Chip Brownie, Cappuccino, and Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte. Aside from the originals they also have a line of Jocalat bars (an organic chocolate bar), Uber bars (sweet and salty granola bars) and their relatively new line of ALT bars (a vegan, gluten free protein bar that uses pea protein).

I was sent the Cherry Pie, Chocolate Chip Brownie, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabars. My personal favourite is the Peanut Butter Cookie, also know as just Peanut Butter in Canada, but Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip follows closley behind. I love that each bar contains at least 1/4 cup of fruit. Some even half a 1/2 cup of fruit! Those varieties would be Apple Pie, Tropical Fruit Tart, and Cherry Pie.

Here's the rundown of each bars nutritional content:

Peanut Butter Cookie

Just 3 ingredients: dates, peanuts, and sea salt. This one is super moist and chewy. It really does taste like it just came off a cookie sheet.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Same ingredients as Peanut Butter Cookie with the addition of mini chocolate chips. Oddly though this one isn't quite as moist, but it's still delicious.

Chocolate Chip Brownie

Made with dates, chocolate chips, walnuts, almonds, cocoa powder, and sea salt. If you love chocolate this one's for you.

Cherry Pie

Just dates, almonds, and unsweetended cherries - that's all she wrote. This bar has one full serving of fruit. It's good, but not my favourite. It's quite tart and chewy.

The Good:

• Free of preservatives and food colourings. Non-GMO. No junk!
• Dairy-free with the exception of the chocolate chip varieties, which may contain trace amounts.
• Healthy, natural, simple ingredients.
• Vegan and gluten-free.
• Great tasting...these things are like candy bars! You have to control yourself.
• Provides a good dose of fiber, healthy fats, iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals.
• Free of sulfites, low sodium and no cholesterol.
• Shelf Life of 12 months (look for the best before date on the package)
• Kosher

The Bad:

Really? Is there anything bad about these bars? They are a perfect clean eating snack/food. I'd just like to mention a few things:

• Calories range from 190-230, so I prefer to eat one when I know I'm going to have a busier more active day or if I'll be going to the gym. Just don't forget that these calories and fats are coming from real fruits and nuts which are good for you. Perfect for a quick boost of energy.
• Those with nut allergies unfortunately miss out, however those with specific peanut allergies may be able to enjoy the bars without peanuts.
• The only other thing to mention is for those who may follow a raw food diet. They are not labelled as Raw because the nut igredients in some of the bars are either steamed or roasted. The bars themselves though have not been baked or cooked. 

A huge thanks to Larabar for sending me samples to review. I really love this company for their quality product, their commitment to nutrition, and use of non-GMO ingredients. I hope you guys enjoy their products as much as I do!

Tell me; what's your favourite Larabar flavour?