Clif Bar Variety Pack
December 14, 2010
Above photo credit to Iceman. Nice shot, dude! This review is a collaboration between Ice and his wife, who runs marathons. Last time I tried to call her he said “oh, she has fifteen more miles to run.” I’m a little afraid of her sometimes. Anyway, I’ve tried all of the products below and inserted my comments as well; Ice just did a better job determining which bars provide needed energy. I just shove them greedily in my mouth and decide if they taste good or not. I don’t eat soy if I can possibly help it so many of Clif’s products are off-limits for me, except when it comes to the REALLY TASTY seasonal flavors. Those I just go ahead and eat, and deal with the consequences later. Maybe someday they’ll make a soy-free version of the classic Clif bar, and if they make it in the Gingerbread flavor I will buy every single one of them. -HG
Thank you Jill at http://geargals.net for giving me the opportunity to write a review on an assorted box of CLIF bar products. [You are very welcome! -HG] I opened the box and wow was I surprised with the variety. I dug through the box pulling out the original CLIF bars, CLIF Builder’s, CLIF Shot Bloks, CLIF Shot Roks, and even CLIF Kid ZBar and CLIF Twisted Fruit. There were more products and all types of flavors. I knew I was in for a treat and several weeks of taste testing.
Eating protein bars or granola bars and taking shot roks or energy gel is not something I do everyday. I work in law enforcement and I am a volunteer firefighter. I work out daily and enjoy outdoor activates regularly. So with all this in mind I know there are times when a person needs a quick snack, a protein bar after a strenuous workout or when you get that early morning hunger after a foot pursuit [ah yes, I know that well. -HG] or a short fire call. My work was cut out for me. [See? Gear reviewing is tough. -HG]
So with the kid still in me my first test was the CLIF Kid Twisted Fruit Strawberry. If I had to describe with one word it would be AWESOME! The package was small and could easily be slipped into a pocket or purse to pull out later for a quick snack. I opened the package and there was one big rope that could be pulled into four smaller ropes. The size was close to a large pen. I pulled the rope out and noticed it to be a little sticky, but what kid doesn’t like to get all dirty. I pulled the four small ropes apart with ease. I could smell the strawberry and the taste was great. The texture and flavor reminded me of real strawberries. The ropes were soft and chewy and I did not have any problem getting stuck in my teeth. I would recommend this 100% fruit rope over any sugar candy bar. Later in my taste testing was the mixed berry. Again, AWESOME snack reminding me of real mixed berry flavor. Overall- quick, compact and nutritious!
CLIF MoJo Honey Roasted Peanut Bar not so awesome. This bar did not have the honey roasted peanut flavor I was thinking of. A low glycemic bar with a nutty flavor that is only 70% organic. Geared for a person on the run I threw this bar in my pocket while taking my dog for a walk. Halfway through the walk I snacked on this bar thinking I may get a little extra energy to pull through before lunch. I found that was not going to happen. This bar was bland and did not fill me up.
CLIF Mojo Dipped Chocolate Peanut; though, now we are talking. Again like all CLIF products compact on the go size. Just like it says on the wrapper; a sweet and salty trail mix bar. This bar was crunchy and flavorful. “Dipped in chocolate” is just what a bar needs. The crunchy salty bar and the rich chocolate flavor is great sweet snack for the on the go. Like eating a candy bar without the guilt.
CLIF C Apple, really CLIF stooping to this level [ha! I love a good insult, but I actually loved this bar. -HG]. This bar was gross. I ate this bar about a week into my taste testing. I opened the package and noticed there was a nut crust and some nuts sprinkled on top and not integrated into the bar. The bar is fruit filled with apple and again 70% organic. The bar was small and gooey and did not appear filling at all. The bar was bland with a slight apple flavor. I did not like the texture or these bars. [So from now on, the Clif C bars go to me, because I LOVE them. I tried apple and raspberry, and thought they were both delicious. They are soy free and I find them really tasty. They are very small; only 100 calories, which is a bit of a bummer because I'd like a little more of a substantial snack, but I do love the taste and the ingredient list is straightforward: fruit and nuts. -HG]
CLIF Bar Crunch Chocolate Chip is an appetite appeaser. Crunch is CLIF’s granola bar line. I found out the hard way how to pack these bars. After bouncing around in my lunch pail I opened the package to find two partially deformed bars. At one point there were two bars stacked on one another. I took a bite of one of the larger pieces and noticed it to be much softer than other brands like CLIF’s competition Nature Valley. The flavor and texture was great. There was an oat flavor along with rice crisp and the chocolate chips were not overpowering but just enough to give a nice sweet taste. I snacked on this bar while working night shift and like I stated above this bar was an appetite appeaser [I hope you didn't get crumbs all over your cop uniform. -HG]. Made with all natural ingredients I felt a short recharge and my appetite was satisfied. Be careful where you pack these, instead of eating a bar you may be pouring granola into your mouth. [I can live with that. -HG]
CLIF Bar White Chocolate Macadamia Nut was my favorite from the CLIF Crunch line. [Mine, too! -HG] The only difference in this bar was the rich white chocolate flavor with a nutty macadamia crunch that pretty much melted in my mouth. This bar should be packed on every trip!
CLIF Builder’s Peanut Butter has a balanced flavor of crunchy peanut butter coated with creamy chocolate and is one of my favorites from the CLIF Builder’s line. After my workout I grabbed this bar and new there was potential of getting filled up just by the size. 2.4 ounces per bar and 20 grams of protein, this could be a meal replacement especially if you are on the go. This bar is all natural with no artificial color, flavor or preservatives which are important to someone after a workout. The bar had a soft texture and had a rich smooth flavor. Compared to other bars this really tasted like peanut butter and rich chocolate not cardboard. The bar was sweet but not sweet like a candy bar and there was no syrupy taste like other bars loaded with high fructose corn syrup – the natural sweetened is far superior. This bar was very effective in satisfying my hunger and lasted for several hours before I needed to eat a meal. This bar is not intended to be a diet bar. This bar is for men and women that work hard and use lots of energy throughout the day or during workouts. I would not recommend leaving this bar in you gym bag for long periods of time as it may get too soft or start to melt. CLIF Builder’s are a delicious protein packed bar with great texture and great taste, they are real treat! I can’t wait to try CLIF Builder’s Chocolate Mint and CLIF Builder’s Chocolate!
CLIF Shot Roks Chocolate and CLIF Shot Roks Peanut Butter are roking the post workout recovery. I pulled out a package of Roks which are in a small sized pouch that can easily fit in a gym bag pocket or pant pocket. About 30 minutes after my workout I was feeling the need for a quick snack before training. The Roks were about the size of a large grape and in a protective non sticky shell. The Rok tasted great with a hard crunchy shell and a cake like inside. Another CLIF product that tasted like what the package advertised, chocolate. After my strenuous workout I ended up eating the whole package, 20 grams of protein and no high fructose corn syrup. If you eat a protein bar everyday then eating the Roks is something different, plus each Rok is 2 grams of protein so you can decide how much you want to eat. I felt satisfied for about 3 hours. I ate the peanut butter another day and after another great workout, again extremely satisfied. Hard crunchy shell and a cake like peanut butter inside. Neither flavor did I feel was too sugary or protein tasting. This is a great product that can be eaten before during or after workout, you can even share with your friends. CLIF Shot Roks rock! [I didn't care for these - the soy protein aftertaste is not my favorite. At first bite I loved them but then the aftertaste kicked in. That's a personal preference though; protein bars usually taste yuck to me. -HG]
There are a ton of energy bars and protein products on the market today. Of the brands I have tried, CLIF hands down is at the top of the list. Some of the products reviewed above are quick nutritious snacks and some are a post recovery pick me up or even a meal replacement for those of us on the go. With such a variety of CLIF products available you will find what you like and the flavor you like and you can count on it to be made with quality ingredients.
