Nutrition bars come in all sizes and ingredients but you can depend on the Clif bar to deliver not only energy packing ingredients but a tasty treat for your energy needs at a reasonable cost.
Ratings:
Convenience/Storage: 24/25,
Appearance/Creativity: 20/25,
Value: 22/25,
Just how good is it: 22/25
Total: 88/100
Energy bars are those sometimes nasty looking energy providing snacks that athletes use to give them the necessary boost to get that long distance workout accomplished. But not all energy bars are the same with a wide variety in ingredients from natural and healthy to sugars and even additives like vitamins and minerals.
Along with the wide variety of ingredients you can also have a pretty good price range from about a dollar to two and three dollars depending on your preferences. I received a selection of Clif bars for reviewing and wanted to not only taste test these alongside some other popular brands but to find out just what all the noise is about energy bars.
All three flavors, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and apricot are very good and do not taste overly like a natural food that has all kinds of healthy ingredients. The apricot is very fruity and sweet, chocolate has a more mild flavor while the oatmeal raisin is less fruity and more grainy.
My whole family liked them a lot and said they were worth buying as power or energy bars and would consider using them on outings like day long hikes in the woods that we have often done. The Clif bars had no long lasting aftertaste or bad burping after eating them and no bloating or full feeling that would take away from the enjoyment of your adventures on the trail.
Clif Bars were developed by Gary Erickson who thought he could make a better energy bar when out on a bike ride, 175 miles worth, and having to eat those other bars. Now Clif Bars is a major player in the energy and nutrition bar that comes in a wide variety of both flavors and types including energy bars, nutrition bars and protein bars.
Clif bars is your all purpose energy bar to give you a longer lasting source of energy while performing long distance or long duration events like biking, hiking and other rigorous exercising. Nutrition bars are more for receiving particular nutrients, vitamins or minerals that you may be lacking but energy bars are for getting energy while out exercising.
I tried several of the flavors of the Clif bars and a few other bars that Clif also sells and was very happy with most of them, the Iced Oatmeal Raisin Luna bar was alright but not one of my favorites. Out of all the bars I did try from Clif I liked one over others but I am more into peanut butter than the other flavors being offered.
I found I did prefer the Clif bars over other bars I purchased in peanut butter varieties over six other bars from various companies. The Clif bar was a higher rated energy bar from the taste test my family members did but not the top rated one as it turned out to be a tie between Clif bars and two others.
A website on the internet also found that Clif bars rated pretty high from reviews, Consumer Research is a review conglomerate site that also found other reviews of energy bars rated the Clif bar about the best. Clif bars contain a variety of ingredients but mostly more natural ones and does not contain corn syrup or other common sweeteners like some bars do.
The nutritional ingredients vary and the main ingredient for most of the other bars is sugar in one form or another but Clif bars tends to try to add more natural ingredients. Rice, Brown rice, oats, and soybeans make up some of the main ingredients for many of the Clif bars but they also contain a variety of natural sugars like brown rice syrup.
Energy bars are for those longer exercise events and day long hiking or other activities as they are made to give you a slower releasing energy. You should know a few things that I found out about energy and nutrition bars before I continue about one companies choices.
Good nutrition should never be skimped on and natural foods like fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy are not to be substituted in your diet when trying to be healthy. A good varied diet and good exercise are an important, vital, part of a healthy person and should never be skimped on to be in good health.
If you are going to be out and exercising for a prolonged period like a daylong bike ride or hiking a quick pick me up while out on the trail can help you. An energy bar that will give you calories to burn over a period of time is much better than a spike of sugar like a candy bar will give you.
A variety of sugars, grains and other ingredients help to give you the energy you need over time to help you stay out all day and exercising. Energy bars are not for that hour long daily exercising, energy bars are for prolonged use and if you think about it makes sense because you have to actually digest the bar to get the energy.
A good energy bar will include both sugars for a quick energy spike and other ingredients like soy protein and fruits with natural sugars to give energy over different time periods. Eating a perfect energy bar would give you a spike of energy and then energy over a long period of time after that initial spike from the variety of ingredients.
A good feature of energy bars also includes their portability and being able to toss one in your pack or even pocket and hit the trail. The Clif bars are not only tasty but the packages are pretty sturdy but most of the bars I purchased had almost the exact same type of packaging.
Clif bars do all the things you want and do them pretty well but you have to try them yourself, taste is after all a personal thing and you should determine for yourself which you like. If your wanting an energy bar that is tasty, packed full of the proper natural sugars and energy ingredients like dried fruit, soy, barley and oats Clif bars are worth a close look.
Clif bars are the top energy bar out there right now and even with the growing trend in bars they still rate pretty high from various websites who try them against others. I highly recommend Clif bars for that pick me up during long exercise routines like daylong hikes or bike rides.
