Clif Bar sent me a beautiful variety package of bars out of the blue. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to be able to sample them in a timely manner (while still fresh!), so I sent the gift to my wonderful, bar-loving friend, Lori to review for all of you …

Lori Thomas ~ Clif bar has been around for a while, and during that time they have ventured from their simple line of energy bars to energy gels, electrolyte drinks, a woman’s bar, a kid’s bar, and even wine (?!). But through the twists and turns, they continue make a variety of foods that are free of trans fats, hydrogenated oils, and high fructose corn syrup. Thank you. Thank you.

The various faces of Clif bar are targeted toward people with active lifestyles. Their Food Philosophy touched me deeply, as it summed up my very being of existence (not really but close!): “We’re a company that loves food. We love learning about food, cooking food, talking about food, and especially eating and sharing food.” Words to warm my heart. Anyway, Alisa sent me some lovely samples to try, eat, and review … so try, eat, and review is what I'm doing ...

Clif Crunch Bars: “Some adventures call for a lighter snack. With this in mind, we created CLIF CRUNCH®—a crunchy, delicious snack bar that provides you with the energy you need whatever the adventure”
 
I love it! I like a good adventure, so surely I’d like these bars. They reminded me of my Nature Valley Bar days, but better. I had two Crunch Bar flavors to trial (they have six in total), Chocolate Peanut Butter and Blueberry Crisp.

The Chocolate Peanut Butter was definitely good. Who doesn’t love peanut butter… and granola? This flavor was creamy yet crunchy, and just a tad crumbly. It was salted perfectly and slightly sweet, with a touch of bitter from the dark chocolate.

 
The Blueberry Crisp was reminiscent of a blueberry muffin. It was sweeter than the Chocolate PB bar but not overpowering in a sugary way. The taste lingered after eating, almost making you want more.

These bars would be excellent over coconut milk ice cream, atop a smoothie, crumbled in a bowl with almost milk, over fresh fruit, or when running errands. Although driving while eating may involve crumbs sprinkled everywhere. They’re a little flaky but if you’re ok with it, I’m ok with it.
 
Clif MoJo: “Its chock full of whole nuts, pretzel pieces and other tasty morsels. Crunchy & chewy, with a sweet & salty taste, it’s a perfect snack. And since it’s made with 70% organic ingredients, it’s good for the planet too.”
 
The MoJo Bars were sweet, crunchy, sticky, gooey, chocolaty, and a tad too sweet for me. BUT… they were good. Everyone else in my house loved these. I did like the whole pieces of fruit and nuts in each bar, and definitely didn’t complain about the chunks of dark chocolate.
 
The first flavor we trialed was the White Chocolate Macadamia. Oddly enough, I’m not a fan of macadamias or white chocolate, but if you like this flavor combo, then you will love this bar. It contains cute little pieces of pretzels (for a salty contrast) and mini white chocolate chips.

 
But, the Chocolate Almond Coconut was my kind of bar. This was my favorite of the Mojo bunch, loaded with giant pieces of toasted coconut, dark chocolate, and almonds. Sweet, salty, nutty, crunchy, and yet creamy and soft … I’d grab this one for a long day at work or at night, for dessert.

In terms of nutritional profiles, each of the bars above that I trialed was slightly different, but all were semi-low in added sugars. The protein in each seemed light, but granola bars are dessert to me, so I typically eat them in moderation. Out of all the granola bars on the market, I’d rather choose one from Clif bar, made with mostly whole ingredients, then ones made with overly processed ingredients. Note that all of the bars above are dairy-free (made without dairy ingredients), but some do contain honey, so they aren’t all strictly vegan. I’m just hoping that they come out with some gluten-free varieties too!
 
Well, that’s a wrap! Get it? Wrap. Bar. Yeah…

For more information on these products, visit www.clifbar.com.

Lori Thomas is a certified personal trainer working in Northern California. She is a cross-fit addict and lover of all things healthy, tasty, and active. Lori blogs personal recipes and fitness adventures at What Runs Lori.