by Ethan Johnson
June 14, 2007
Note: Please refer to the ethmar.com Food and Drink Ethics Statement regarding food and drink reviews on this site.
I've been getting pretty militant about reading labels in search of such deal-breakers as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and its cousin, Crystalline Fructose. Ideally, I want convenient food without lots of [BS], but I don't want to become a Fruitarian either. Is there nothing that meets this criteria that doesn't have a stem or a peel? Wait, what's this:
- Price: About $17.99 USD for 18 bars at Costco.
- Selection: Fruit/nut, and chocolate.
- Processing: Disgustingly natural. No added sugar. Organic up the wazoo. Seriously - I think they use date paste to glue everything together, instead of, well, glue like those other jokers. No added sugar, which is huge.
But will they play in Peoria?
Buzz: I don't know who sells these other than Costco. Never heard of these before so you're on your own, pal. BTW, same with the pronounciation: I call them "loorabars" because honestly I don't know what adding an umlaut does to a letter other than make your band name look cooler, if it's the 1980s. Röckin'.
Packaging: Individually wrapped bars.
Taste: Of the bunch, I have tried the apple, cherry, and mint chocolate.
- Apple: My favorite of the fruit variety. Not obnoxious or overbearing, just a good utility snack bar that contains no artificial anything.
- Cherry: In a word, "tart". I was thinking "sickeningly sweet", but no, the word is "tart". It's not completely inedible, but if I had to pick one over the other, I'd go with apple.
- Mint Chocolate: This tastes like a minty liqueur, only minus the alcohol. Seriously, it's like Bailey's or something. I kept waiting for the buzz afterwards, but no. It's not like a chocolate candy bar, but certainly a different taste experience than you might expect at first blush.
When it comes to this product, I would, and you may:
- Make this a staple item on your shopping list
- Pick a few of these up from time to time
- Buy one if you see it
- Buy one out of desperation if your preference is not available
- Move along, nothing to see here
Marlena likes these because unlike Odwalla bars, she can have the whole thing as a snack. (Probably due to carb count.) The packaging is desk-drawer friendly. Normally I wouldn't get into these things but tasting is believing, and for those times when you "just" want a snack and not the song and dance associated with an actual meal, these do the trick. They're a bit pricier than standard candy bars but they're arguably better for you, if you're into that sort of thing. Because Coscto sells in bulk, I presume that if a Whole Foods-esque store sells these individually you'll probably get robbed blind. Tag along with a friend to Costco if you're not already a member.
If you try this yourself, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>
(The full At the Store archive may be perused here.)
... the Larabar sampler pack is Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, and Pecan Pie flavors. Never had a lemon Larabar.
I'm with you about the Apple: By far the tastiest. The Cherry is indeed tart. The Pecan is very, uh, pecan-y.
At Whole Foods, I bought Cashew Cookie. You can skip that one. Bland. I had a chocolate coconut, too, which was OK. Not the Mars Bar experience I was hoping for, but then, as you say, these things are disgustingly healthy: dairy free, sugar free, vegan, kosher. You almost wonder what's in 'em, and then you realize, dried fruit, nuts, and dates. That's it.
I like 'em.