A girl bites into a bar… mega-review!
Thanks for all the kind comments on my recipe testers’ photos post! You’ll be seeing more Practically Raw sneak peeks on here in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Today, I’ve got a whole slew of snacks to share with you, of the “bar” variety – protein bars, energy bars, snack bars, etc. First up: PureFit protein bars.
I’ve reviewed PureFit bars before, a long time ago, but what’s changed since then is that they’ve officially gone gluten-free! Of course, they also still contain no dairy, whey, artificial sweeteners, or hydrogenated oils, and the nutritional stats are the same: 18 grams of plant-based protein per bar.
The Almond Crunch and Berry Almond Crunch flavors are my faves, but since today is National Peanut Butter Day, I’ll show you a pic of the PB bar. All the flavors are delightful, though, and super-filling.
Some new-to-me bars I tried recently are Good Greens Bars.
Each bar is packed with their Z-52 superfood formula, purportedly containing 100% of your daily fruits and vegetables, and nice amounts of protein and fiber to boot.
I tried the Wildberry bar first, and was a little surprised to find that it seemed like a pretty standard dried fruit bar. Not bad, but not mind-blowing.
The other three flavors, though, are a different story! The Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Coconut (shown below) taste more like candy bars than nutrition bars, with chewy, melt-in-your-mouth fillings and a light coating of chocolate on the exterior. I would buy these three varieties again in a heartbeat!
That’s It fruit snack bars are different from the other bars here. They include no nuts, grains, superfoods, or anything else, for that matter; they’re literally just fruit!
The cherry bar, for example, contains 1 apple and 10 cherries. They’re chewy enough that they take some time to eat, but at just 100 calories a pop, they’re a great fix for a sweet tooth.
A very unusual new bar I got to sample recently is Thunderbird Energetica.
The ingredient lists are nice and short, and what’s more, all three varieties are soy-free, gluten-free, agave-free, added-sugar-free, non-GMO, and vegan, with 2 servings of fruit per bar. They also come in compostable wrappers and are – get this – shaman-blessed. Whoa!
They’re very dense and satisfying, and I love the flavor combos: Cherry Walnut Crunch, Cacao Hemp Walnut (shown below)…
…and Cashew Fig Carrot (shown below)! Thunderbird Energetica bars will definitely be making more appearances on my snack shelf in the future.
These last two aren’t exactly “bars,” per se, but they ARE handheld, all-natural, fruit-and-nut-based sweet snacks!
Awhile back, I had the pleasure of sampling raw cookies by Derrick Sky.
These gluten-free, soy-free, vegan cookies are absent of sugar, dairy, and additives. All the ingredients are in their natural state, crafted at low temperatures to keep the flavor, nutrients, and vitality of the food alive and jumping. With flavors like Meyer Lemon, Oatmeal Raisin, Coconut Macaroon, Chocolate Midnight Sky, and (my favorite) Snickerdoodle, these cookies make deliciously decadent (yet surprisingly healthy) snacks. They’d also make a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetheart!
Lastly, I’d be surprised if any of you weren’t familiar with Chunks of Energy. They’re all vegan and gluten-free, and some are raw and organic as well. They’re sold in bulk as little poppable squares at most health food stores (I’ve posted about them before), and with the seemingly endless flavor varieties they offer, you’ll probably have a hard time choosing a favorite.
I think I know my fave, though: the Carob Supergreens, which you’d never guess contains spirulina, chlorella and wheatgrass. The Cacao-Goji and Chocolate Almond Chip chunks, though, are fantastic too!
QUESTION: Of all the bars/snacks shown above, which would you most like to try? (Perhaps in the form of, say, a giveaway? Hint hint!)
3 years ago this week…
Peanut butter banana bread
Tofu parmigiana alla marinara
2 years ago this week…
Roasted potatoes with garlic-cumin aioli
Pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies
1 year ago this week…
P90X week 3: hearty winter meals
Mini microwave peanut-pumpkin protein cake
Hot Raw Chef contest + caramel-fudge brownies
how do you pick just one? They all look fabulous!!!
Might I also suggest Two Degrees? http://twodegreesfood.com/products – if I had to choose one though, it would be between the Thunderbird Energetica and Good Greens
I hadn’t heard of Two Degrees; thanks for the tip!
Wow, they all look great! I would love a giveaway, as I’d like to try these. That’s it looks good, but those Good Greens look awesome!!
Thanks for your feedback, Sara!
mmm, yum! I’ve never heard of Chunks of Energy before but they look delish. I would pick the Cocao-Goji. I really need to look into making some. How nice it would be to have a quick energy snack that you can just grab and go.
They do taste like something you might make in your own kitchen, which is a major plus in my eyes.
I’m usually not much of a “bar” girl, but that chocolate coconut one sounds amazing! Also, those raw cookies are so cute– I’m a sucker for good packaging.
Hehe, agreed! The cookies are like cute lil buttons.
Hmm, anything chocolate looks good to me, esp when combined with greens — but Amber, looking at these things, I have a lot of these ingredients in my kitchen — how about some instructions and recipes for making a variety of your own bars/balls?
I’ve got lots of homemade bar/ball recipes in the archives – try my sunny cashew-apricot energy cookies, Brazilian “cherob” energy snacks, honey almond butter truffles, chocolate apricot kernel butter cookies, or world’s best no-bake chewy granola bars!
Thank you! I am going to make a couple of those right now to have ready when my kids get home from school!
Wonderful! Let me know what you make and how you (and the kids!) like ‘em
ooh, the Good Greens look fab and the Thunderbird (great name) both now on my ‘to go hunt down’ list. thanks
I think those two were my favorites of the bunch!
Love the bars! Haven’t tried a number of these… tops would be Thunderbird (blessed by a Shaman!) and Good Greens (Z52 sounds stout!)
Those were my two faves, too!
Thuderbirds #1, then the raw cookies #2. I am hungry for a bar now…
I love that the Thunderbird bars are agave-free, and that the Derrick Sky cookies are seed-based rather than nut-based, for a change.
Pure fit sounds like something I need for the nutrition and the protein! nice selection of yummy goodness
The PureFit bars are my favorite vegan protein bars to date
On second thought. I’m loving that chunks of energy supergreens is soy-free! Checked out pure fit ingredients and it’s fairly heavily soy based.
That is true; the PureFit bars are no good if you’re avoiding soy. Chunks of Energy, though, are perfect!
Wow, I’ve never tried the raw cookies! Those sound amazing… especially meyer lemon.
Great review, thanks!
Sierra
The Meyer Lemon ones were great! Really soft from the coconut butter with the refreshing zing of lemon.
Ooo – all yummy looking. I tried the Thunderbird Energetica at a store demo at Whole Foods and liked them so much that I bought the Cherry Walnut and Cashew Fig bars to have with me during my volunteer stint at the 2012 Marathon Olympic trials a couple of weekends ago. I never know if there will be vegan food available (there was – huge fruit and veggie trays, among other foods, for the athletes and volunteers. Thank you USOC!)
They were good. Let’s go with something different here – I’d like the Chunks of Energy; they look like great on the go finger food for my next volunteer gig.
Thanks for the ‘hint hint’ giveaway.
That’s great that they had healthy vegan food available at the marathon trials! I used to be a marathoner myself…miss those days sometimes
The Chunks of Energy ARE great “finger food”…the only problem is, it’s easy to pop 2, 3, 10 of them at a time before you know it!
i really want to try good greens chocolate peanut butter! what was your favorite flavor?
The Chocolate Coconut was my fave!
I have some of the carob and spirulina chunks of energy in my pantry now! I love those. The Good Greens bars look great.
The carob spirulina Chunks rock!
wow did you go to Bar Heaven!!!! WOW!!
I’d have to say I’d love to try the That’s It or Chunks of Energy (but I”m in CAD, so I don’t think you send it up north)
Still love the review!!
T
Bar Heaven is right!
I’m not sure which of these are available in Canada, but I’m sure each of their sites would be able to tell you!
I really want to try the Thunderbird Energetica bars. I saw them reviewed on another site. They look tasty and satiating.
All three flavors are delish!
The “That’s It” bars look nice! There are so many out there that are made from dates and nuts. I can’t have all that fat ALL the time!! Though they’re good too
But I guess the nuts give you a little extra something….
The That’s It bars were definitely not as filling as fruit-and-nut bars, but they were nice for a change!
WOW!! I keep seeing all of these amazing bars in the blogosphere, but they are nowhere to be found in stores near me
I really want to try those PURE Fit bars!! Especially the almond one.
Aw, sorry to hear that Char! Sounds like you just need to come visit me in the Midwest and we can go bar shopping together
Do they have some of these at the Whole Foods down there? I was wondering where I could buy some.
I haven’t seen the PureFit bars at my Whole Foods (though they may have them at the bigger 91st and Metcalf store), but I HAVE seen them, believe it or not, at Hy-Vee! Not even in the health market section – just right next to all the “normal” protein bars.
Considering the complete dearth of good vegan protein bars or raw snacks in Australia, I honestly would love to try all of these. Actually, well, not really the just-fruit ones. I’d rather just have fresh fruit than those, to be honest!
I also love how the PureFit ones looks like scary chemical protein bars but are actually wonderful. Yay!
I love the word “dearth.”
We’ll go on a bar-buying extravaganza when you come visit!
Good Greens Bars sound amazing and I like the ingredient list…lots of berry power, probiotics and oh yeah, all that superdelicious dairy-free dark chocolate! Thanks for the excellent review!
Gotta love the probiotics!
The PureFits look like MetRXs – I miss those. Now I know what to look out for!!
They taste very much like typical, non-vegan protein bars – which, to me, is a good thing, because I miss those too sometimes!
The Thunderbird Energetica bars look interesting!
They’re tasty!
I’m interested in the energetica or the “that’s it” bars. I’ve had chunks of energy. I had an allergic reaction to one with spirulina.
So, now I’m cautious about their whole line. Sadness. Much sadness.
Oh no! That really sucks, sorry to hear it
Aside from those awesome looking raw cookies, I’d like to try those Thunderbird Energetica bars for two reasons: 1) awesome name and 2) cacao hemp walnut. I’m so down.
Well, and those chocolate coconut pure fit bars look good too.
The Chocolate Coconut bar was actually a Good Greens bar – also delicious!
Definately the cashew fig carrot thunderbird bar. Yum.
Is that a cool flavor, or what? It was very carrot-cakey.
I’m jonesing for some of those Good Green Bars! =P
I could use another of the Chocolate Coconut bars myself!
So so jealous! I havn’t seen anywhere the variety of bars over here in New Zealand !
My pick is Thunderbird energetica, simply because the packing could not be any cooler!
I love their logo and bright packaging too!
I think I’d for sure try those Thunderbird bars!!! All look so good and clearly there is such a wide selection of bars out there that I’ve been missing out on! lol
I know, it seems like every time I go to the store (or turn on my computer) there’s a new bar to be tried!
You get me into so much trouble – I just ordered the Thunderbird and That;s It Fruit snacks! I think reading your blog is costing me money
Seriously, I really appreciate your reviews, I always know I can trust your reviews and really look forward to finding out about new, vegan products, that I might not otherwise ever hear about.
Also looking forward to your cookbook. Congrats on your success!
Uh-oh! Hehe. I’m happy I get to introduce you to yummy new products! I’m very glad to hear you trust my opinions/tastes.
I can’t wait to try the That It’s bar!
I didn’t realize that you are doing P90X and I’m so curious about it…do you have a post about it?
I did do P90X a year ago – all my posts about it are tagged here: http://almostveganchef.com/tag/p90x/
I must confess that I am obsessed with vegan bars, mainly the raw ones. I love those Good Greens Plus bars, and Hayden can’t get enough of the That’s It. fruit bars. Haven’t tried the others yet.
Oh man, the Good Greens bars are like candy to me. So yummy!
Hi Amber! Your site was recommended to me today through Twitter, so I checked it out and I’m a fan! I also decided to tag you for the 11 Random Game… You post 11 random facts a bout yourself, answer 11 questions I’m asking, and then post 11 questions of your own for whoever you tag. Let me know if you participate!
Hi Alyssa! Glad you have you as a new reader.
wow! good to know about all these-thanks!
My pleasure!
I’m definitely intrigued by Thunderbird Energetica – I wish they were available in Canada.
They’re still a pretty new bar, so hopefully they’ll make their way up north in due time!
PURE FIT!!!!!! OMG, these bars look amazing!!! Girl, your giveaways are BANGIN’!!!
xxoo
LOVE the PureFit bars!
You can never have too many health snacks! I’ve been very stuck on the same set of bars lately, so it would be great to try something new. I’m particularly curious about the Good Greens Bars- Never seen them before.
It’s so nice that we vegans will never run out of new bars to try!