Lately, I have been eating a variety of different little snack bars to help amp up the calories I am consuming during the day (also...I have been eating a lot of healthy fruit popsicle things!)
Anyway, here you will find a brief opinion of each bar. I "grade" the bars on a couple things:
Nutrition/Ingredients
Taste/Flavor
Use in physical activity
Cost
1 is the low score, and 5 means that they receive full points for the respective category!
:)
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1. Bobo's Oat Bars
The first bars I will talk about are
Bobo's Oat Bars. Straight out of Boulder, these oat bars are simply amazing, and even taste like a healthy dessert. Now, who doesn't want something like this to eat?
As you can see from the image below, one bar supplies you with 360 calories, so you can chomp one of these down in the morning if you want a medium amount of calories before you start your day. (I won't comment on the other facts, really...all the bars I am talking about are pretty healthy, so you can make up your mind to which one you like the best).
The ingredients are pretty simple and free of weird stuff. This bar appears to be a gluten-free bar (just because it was sent to me as a sample). I have nothing against gluten, though. The main sweetener in the bar is brown rice syrup, rather than sugar. Sugar is way down on the list, which is good...and even then, it is a
non-refined cane sugar.
The plastic wrapper is very easy to open, and then you get this:
These bars hold together well, but crumble really easily and are not messy at all. Look at all this good stuff:
Here are the scores for the bar:
Nutrition/Ingredients = 4
Bobo's attempts to use organic ingredients and doesn't add any weird stuff.
Taste = 5
All of these bars taste like a healthy dessert, but not too sweet! Many flavors available!
Use in physical activity = 2
Some, like me, would like to say that they can digest anything on the run, but Bobo's are a bit harder to digest than Clif Bars. As an anytime snack, Bobo's are awesome...but on a run, these would not be good to eat. If you are going for a day-hike, then sure, take a bunch! The lower intensity will allow you to digest and absorb all the goodness of this calorie-dense snack. Also, the wrappers are very easy to open.
Cost = 3
~$1.25 per 180 calories. Priced a bit over $2 at my local health food store, these bars are in the average range for this kind of healthy, organic bar. Calorie-wise, you are paying a dollar for a "serving" size.
Total score: 14 of 20
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2. Kind Bars
The next bar I like to eat are
Kind Bars. Maybe a bit on the pricey side, these bars are very simple. They have a some kind of slogan about being able to pronounce all the ingredients.
Ranging around 200 calories per bar, you know you are only eating the good stuff. Nuts account for a lot of the calories.
And there it is, the simple ingredients that you can pronounce:
These bars can be sort of sticky. It is the vegetable glycerine and the non-GMO glucose that holds all the stuff together. The good thing about these two sweeteners is that there is a good mix of high and low GI (glycemic index) sugars present. The glucose will be absorbed quickly for a nice boost of energy, and the vegetable glycerine will take longer to be assimilated. And then you have stuff like raisins (mid GI) and the nuts (low GI), and also these little puffy things of "crisp rice" (a higher GI). So all in all, you get a whole bunch of variety. A whole bunch.
Nutrition/Ingredients = 5
Composing each Kind Bar are only the best and simplest ingredients.
Taste/Flavor = 5
With so many varieties, Kind Bars are way up on the list of tastiest bars!
Use in physical activity = 3
Kind bars could probably be used for a calorie kick while taking a break during a long run or long bike ride, as long as you are used to consuming nuts on the regular. With the good mix of low and high GI ingredients, your body will love these!
Cost = 2
~$1.50 per 200 calories. Costing you about around $1.50, these bars don't have too many calories for how much they cost. They do, however, have really good ingredients, but the bars are still sort of small. I would rather just eat some nuts and dried fruits...and that would be a lot cheaper. If you do buy these, buy in bulk...that will save you money and you could get these for about a buck each.
Total Score = 15 out of 20
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3. PowerBar
Next, we move on to the classic energy bar,
PowerBar. Considered to be the first "energy bar," I first associated PowerBars with the exciting late 1980s Ironman competitions.
I guess my favorite one is this peanut butter flavor:
All PowerBars are pretty calorie dense, with a lot of quick carbs to literally power you down the road, plus a good deal of protein. In this case, there is roughly a 5:1 ration of carbs to protein: With a glycemic index of 81, your body will just suck these bars up!
I don't have a picture of the ingredients, but the first ingredient is cane sugar...followed by sucrose. Hmm..not really too cool, to just be eating sugar? PowerBar also puts some maltodextrin in there (which has a GI of 105...this is the main source of carbohydrate in
Hammer Perpetuem, the choice fuel of many endurance athletes).
When you try to open up a PowerBar, the wrapper sort of clings to the bar. The bar is sort of sticky:
Also, trying to bite into and chew a PowerBar can make your jaw hurt, especially if you are eating a couple PowerBars over a 5 hour run. The consistency of a PoweraBar is sort of like a softer, less chewy version of a Bit O' Honey:
Nutrition/Ingredients = 3
With cane sugar being the number one ingredient, PowerBar pales in comparison with Hammer products as a "healthy" endurance fuel. You still get in a lot of calories (240 per bar), but with it comes 44 grams of carbohydrates (a lot of it from the cane sugar).
Taste/Flavor = 3
PowerBars are quite palatable, but after a while the fake taste of these bars can get to you. Again, I must mention Hammer products, which have little taste and go down smooth. PowerBars come in a variety of flavors, so you can mix and match. My recommendations: Peanut Butter, of course, and also the Cookies and Cream, for a sweet little snack! Pair with an apple for a great afternoon pick-me-up!
Use in physical activity = 5
PowerBars were my original choice of fuel when I started training for ultramarathons in late 2006. Gels were great for up to a 3 hour race (my marathon pace), but after that 3 hour mark, I simply needed more calories and wanted something that was a little more like food rather than the thick "paste" category of gels.
One comment is that if it is below 40 degrees, trying to eat a PowerBar becomes quite difficult. The already firm consistency becomes even more like Bit O' Honey, and your jaw has to work at chewing the dang thing. When I used to do back-to-back long runs over a weekend, my jaw would actually hurt on Sunday (after eating 3 PowerBars the day before). On Monday, my jaw would make a clicking sound when I ate.
Also, if you are trying to take it a bit of calories every 10-20 minutes, PowerBars can be quite difficult to use. You can try cutting them into small pieces (usually I cut a 240 calorie bar into six 40 calorie "bites" that I take in every 15 minutes over 90 minutes...an average of 160 calories an hour), but then you have to deal with these sticky things. Also, the wrapper can get caught into the stickiness of the bar, and then you have to fish out bits of wrapper. Near the end of a 30 mile run when your mood begins to plummet, these can be quite frustrating and can make you cuss. And, also, if you leave the bar intact and just bit off a piece every 15 minutes, then your saliva gets on the bar and then you have this doubly sticky thing. So...I would use these only if the weather is over 50 degrees.
Cost = 5
~$1.00 per 240 calories. Retailing at basically a buck a bar, PowerBars are a steal! I usually buy a box of 6 and let that box last a while. Sometimes I take them on runs, or just eat them as snacks or as a quick, calorie-dense breakfast. The cheap cost could reflect the lower quality of ingredients, but if you eat them sparingly, PowerBars can get the job done. Also, since they are so cheap, why not stash a bar here and there (like keep some in your car's glovebox, or in your gym bag, or at your desk). Emergency snacks are very important to have, and PowerBars are much better for you than a $1.00 bag of chips.
Total Score = 16 out of 20
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4. Clif Bars
Similar to a PowerBars, sort of, are
Clif Bars. A bit more hefty than the sticky and slim PowerBars, Clif Bars are awesome because they were made by this dude who sounds like a fun guy. He used to live in a garage with a bike and two trumpets when he started playing around with making energy bars, and that is pretty kick ass.
The flavors are many, but I really enjoy the Peanut Butter Crunch, and also this new one that came out about a year ago called Coconut Chocolate Chip. There is also a Christmasy-type one that has mint and chocolate, and maybe peppermint.
Crunch Peanut Butter, for those times when you are clambering up some rocks (or hiking, or running):
Made with organic oats, Clif Bar is trying to choose quality ingredients. At 250 calories per bar, most Clif Bars average around 40 grams of carbs, and 10 grams of protein. This 4:1 ratio is ideal for those long, steady workouts or hikes:
The wrapper is simple to open, and out comes a magnificent piece of food. You can see the oats and the peanut butter in this particular bar (yum!):
Very easy to break or chew, Clif Bars have a consistent composition of yumminess. They are only a tad sticky, and you have to give a bit of effort to chew and swallow (Bobo's Oat Bars are much cleaner to consume).
Nutrition/Ingredients = 4
Sweetened with organic brown rice syrup and using organic grains, Clif Bars are definitely good for your body. There are also a ton of added vitamins and minerals, so you know your body will love them!
Taste/Flavor = 4
I have liked every Clif Bar that I have tried. Of course, I am not too particular, and I appreciate the goodness and energy these bars give to my body, so of course they will taste good to me :)
Use in physical activity = 3
I would say that these are a bit better than Bobo's Oat Bars during a run or bike. Clif Bars are hefty and will not break apart on you. They can be smashed at the bottom of a bag, but you can simply open it up and eat it. I would imagine that Bobo's Oat Bars would crumble all over the place if they got smashed. You still have to chew Clif Bars quite a bit, so they are not as good as a gel or Hammer drink, but overall, Clif Bars will get you from Point A to Point B! The wrapper is also very easy to open, and you can wrap half of the bar back up and save for later without any mess.
Cost = 5
~$1.00 per 250 calories. Averaging a dollar each, Clif Bars are actually more cheaper than PowerBars (in terms of calorie content). They are also a lot more healthier than PowerBars, although Clif Bars are not the best choice for more intense rides and runs because they take more effort to digest. Buy these bars in bulk! A great snack for anytime!
Total score = 16 out of 20
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5. Bear Valley Bars
The last bars I will talk about are more like small meals.
Bear Valley Bars are made somewhere in California. There are a couple different options, with names like "Meal Pack" or "Pemmican" (the funny thing is that the "Pemmican" bars have no meat...they are vegetarian pemmican, I guess!) I prefer the Fruit and Nut bars, but there are also Carob Cacao, Coconut Almond, and Sesame Lemon options.
Packing 420 calories into one bar, Bear Valley Bars are a good choice if you want a lot of calories in a small package. There is roughly a 4:1 ration of carbs to protein:
The ingredients are pretty straight forward and healthy:
For me, the wrapper is very difficult to get off! There is no little perforated tab or a little slit to help make things easier. Either use a pair of scissors or a knife to open, or just maul it open with your bare hands. Once you get the bar out, it looks pretty basic. In this particular bar, there are fruit and nuts dotting the bar:
Very easy to break apart, Bear Valley bars maintain their shape, but can crumble a bit:
Nutrition/Ingredients = 5
With only a couple ingredients used, Bear Valley bars are definitely nutritious. For those of you wanting a "complete protein," this bar satisfies what you are looking for. There are tons of amino acids and vitamins in Bear Valley bars, and the pieces of nuts and fruit are awesome! These bars also contain milk, which seems to limit them to hiking and general snacking, rather than a good choice for actual running and biking workouts.
Taste/Flavor = 4
The one thing about the malt syrup is that you need to really like the taste for these bars to work for you. If you are going to use these bars for a long run, then you will have to eat a malty thing, which is never too appetizing for me after 3 hours of running.
Use in physical activity = 2
With so many calories and being harder to digest, Bear Valley bars are best for snacking or hiking. Definitely takes a lot of work to chew and digest!
Cost = 5
$1.25 per 420 calories. I buy these bars by the box (12 in a box), and therefore get a 10% bulk discount at the local health food store. With so many healthy calories for so cheap, these are definitely great to buy and eat!
Total score = 16 out of 20
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Final Scores:
Bobo's Oat Bars = 14 out of 20
Kind Bars = 15 out of 20
PowerBar = 16 out of 20
Clif Bar = 16 out of 20
Bear Valley Bars = 16 out of 20
Based on the scores I assigned, it appears that PowerBars, Clif Bars, and Bear Valley Bars all come in with 16 out of 20 possible points. PowerBars are up there just because of the price; they are not the healthiest choice. Clif Bars are great for anytime, even on slow runs. Bear Valley Bars seem to be the most cost-efficient snack, but are limited to snacking and low-intensity hikes. The other two bars, Bobo's and Kind Bars, are great for snacks here and there, but are not the best choice for physical activity.
Well, tell me what you think of this, and what are your favorite bars to eat?
Until next,
Run on!
