By VeggieGirl - While I love having fortified energy bars (like the Odwalla Super Protein bar) on hand to supplement my vegan diet and higher-calorie needs for my workouts, sometimes it is nice to alternate a fortified bar with a nutrition bar that is very pure, with minimal processing.  When I discovered the Larabar at Whole Foods, I knew I had found such a bar. 

With twelve enticing flavors to choose from (including Key Lime Pie, Banana Cookie, Cherry Pie, Cinnamon Roll, Chocolate Coconut – is your mouth watering yet?), I decided to go with the Apple Pie flavor. My attention was immediately drawn to the bold statements plastered on the front of the label, about this bar: “1 Serving of Fruit – No added sugar – Unprocessed – Raw – Non-GMO – Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Soy Free – Vegan – Kosher.” My, what an impressive résumé for the Larabar – quite an over-achiever.  While there was no question in my mind that this bar was nutritionally-sound, I still had to see if its taste was up to par.

After just one bite, I was completely sold on this bar – it is PACKED with pieces of almonds and walnuts, has a sweet (but definitely not overly sweet) apple and cinnamon flavor, and has a nice, chewy texture.  Overall, a very pleasing experience for my taste buds – all while nourishing my body, as well! 

One Larabar is 45 grams and has 180 calories, 10 grams of fat (1 gram of saturated fat), 4 grams of protein, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of fiber.  Do not let some of the nutritional information (i.e. the fat and sugar contents) scare you – the almonds contribute Vitamin E and protein while the dates add 14 essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, the walnuts provide Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids (so the relatively high fat content is purely HEALTHY fat – and even though the bar is only 45 grams, it is VERY satisfying and filling).  Everything in this bar occurs naturally – no chemicals, artificial ingredients, or trans-fats here! In fact, the bar contains just six ingredients: dates, walnuts, unsweetened apples, almonds, raisins, and cinnamon – no dictionary needed to figure out its contents, that’s for sure.  This bar also contains some other nutrients, including 8% of the RDA for iron, 6% for calcium, 4% for folate, and other nutrients as well. 

At my local Whole Foods, one Larabar cost $1.79 – a little high for one bar, but the price is more than justified for everything the Larabar is (the statement on the Larabar website says it all): “[This vegan, raw-food bar is a] delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices - energy in its purest form. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than six ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended.”  I highly recommend visiting www.larabar.com for complete information about the company, the other Larabar flavors, and the nutrition standards of this superior nutrition bar.

Where to Purchase: Larabars can be found in many grocery stores and natural food stores.  I recommend purchasing them when they go on sale, as they are in the mid to high range cost-wise for a bar in my opinion.  However, they can be purchased online for a fair price anytime!

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