Larabars Vs. Clif Bars, What's Healthier?

Every month Men's Health magazine features a segment called "Eat This, Not That!," which puts two similar foods or beverages  into a head-to-head battle royale, and compares them based on their health benefits. I love this article because it exposes an unhealthy food and simultaneously unveils the health benefits of an extremely similar alternative. These subtle differences often go unnoticed, but realistically they can make a huge difference. For example, look at Vitaminwater Zero vs. Gatorade G2. Although both are low-calorie thirst quenchers, the first is sweetened with all-natural Stevia and is loaded with B vitamins and vitamin C, while the latter is virtually all sugar. Switching to Vitaminwater Zero can have a big impact on your health and weight.


In the spirit of Men's Health I'm going to do my own "Eat This, Not That!"


The contestants? Larabars vs. Clif Bars. In our rapidly changing, fast-paced world the importance of supplements, bars, and other meal replacements has skyrocketed. The problem with the majority of these products is that they're loaded with sugar, fat, artificial sweeteners, and other crap that can reak havoc on human health. Everyone is bound to rely on bars, drinks, and supplements at some point--it's simply not practical to eat whole food at every meal. Meal replacements can be healthy in moderation, the key is finding which one's are truly good for you. They're out there, you just need to do a little searching.


"Larabar vs. Clif Bar"

What the hell is a Larabar? Larabars are all-natural bars made from a combination of unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices--and nothing more. Larabars are made from 100% whole foods, and contain no added sugar, preservatives, or artificial flavors. Each bar has no more than 8 ingredients. Another plus is that they're suitable for any lifestyle; they're gluten free, dairy free, soy free, kosher, vegan, and non-gmo (genetically modified). They're the gold standard of the pre-packaged food market.

What about Clif Bars? Clif Bars are high performance energy bars designed for long lasting performance in athletic events, specifically cycling, climbing, and other outdoor endurance sports. They're made from whole, all-natural, organic ingredients, and contain over 20 vitamins & minerals.

Overall Grades

Categories	Larabar	Clif Bar
Health, Satiety	X
Performance/Energy		X
Taste	X
Flavors		X
Consistency	X
Cost	X	X

1.  Health - Larabar



Larabar Label (Apple Pie)















• Larabar, 9/10. What's not to love about the Larabar? The only ingredients in the apple pie version are dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon. There are no artificial sweeteners, added sugar, preservatives, chemicals..NOTHING!! The energy provided is 100% all-natural, straight from real food. Larabars are loaded with heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats, 4g of protein, as well as 5g of dietary fiber. Although the sugar content is fairly high, it's derived from unsweetened apples. Larabars also contain a nice blend of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, and copper. For only 190 calories Larabars are incredibly filling and can help control blood sugar levels.
• Clif Bar, 5/10: Although Clif Bars are marketed as a health food, realistically they're closer to a candy bar with a health kick. On the positive side they're made from whole, organic ingredients, have high fiber content, and have a plethora of vitamins and minerals. That sounds really nutritious, but when you dig a little deeper you start to figure out where Clif went wrong. Take a look at the ingredient list:
• (Organic Brown Rice Syrup, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Barley Malt Extract], Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour), Walnuts, Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Toasted Oats (Organic Oats, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice), Organic Diced Bananas (Organic Bananas, Organic Rice Flour), Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Juice, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavors), ClifCrunch® (Organic Oat Fiber, Inulin [Chicory Extract], Organic Milled Flaxseed, Organic Oat Bran, Psyllium), Organic Banana Powder, Organic Soy Butter, Organic Date Paste, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Cinnamon.) 
• There are over 30 ingredients, most of which are sugar, sugar, and more sugar! Compare that to Larabars which are made from only 3-8 ingredients and have zero added sugar. The first ingredient is sugar (which means that sugar is the primary ingredient), there are at least three references to organic evaporated cane juice (sugar), and it's even topped off with chocolate chips.  Although some of the ingredients are healthy on their own, the entire concoction has far too much added sugar and soy, which is anything BUT a health food. Soy is GMO, pumped with hormones, has been shown to increase estrogen levels, inhibits the body's uptake of nutrients, and in some cases is loaded with toxic metals left behind in the manufacturing process. 240 calories is fairly high for a bar that is not all that filling.
2. Performance/Energy - Clif Bar
• Larabar, 6.5/10. Larabars are a good source of sustained energy that can help bridge the gap between meals or prep for an endurance sporting event. They're great for curbing appetite. The one drawback is that they're not great for sports performance during or post-exercise.
• Clif Bar, 9/10. Clif Bar's blend of sugar, complex carbs, and protein is a great combination before, after, or during exercise. Eating a Clif Bar before/during a long run, bike ride, or whatever else is a great way to get a quick surge of energy to power you through whatever fatigue you're facing.
3. Taste - Larabar
• Larabar, 9/10. Larabars consistently taste great across all of the flavors. I've enjoyed every single one I've tried. For only having 3-8 ingredients they taste remarkably similar to the flavor they're advertised as. I love the banana bread, cashew crunch, peanut butter cookie, and key lime pie. I'm thoroughly impressed.
• Clif Bar, 5/10. In my experience Clif Bars are completely hit or miss. Some of the flavors are so nasty that I can't even finish half the bar, while some of them are somewhat decent. They taste too fake and too sweet. I prefer the taste of a Larabar to any of the Clif flavors. 
4. Flavors - Clif Bar
• Larabar, 8.5/10. Larabar has 19 flavors including PB & J, Apple Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Peanut Butter Cookie, Cinnamon Roll, and more. The flavors are all based on foods that have nuts, fruit, or spices. I like the variety, but the flavors are largely traditional and not overly creative. 
• Clif Bar, 10/10. The one thing I do like about Clif Bars are that they have very unique and inventive flavors. Like the Larabar, Clif Bars come in 19 varieties. Some of the flavors include: Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch, Cool Mint Chocolate, Iced Gingerbread, Maple Nut, and Cranberry Apple Cherry. They even release seasonal flavors around the holidays.
5. Consistency - Larabar
• Larabar, 8.5/10. Even though there are no preservatives, Larabars always manage to taste gooey and fresh. They're not too chewy, but chewy enough so that you don't gobble them down.  At times the bars can fall a part a little bit. The bars also tend to be fairly small.
• Clif Bar, 3/10. I personally think the consistency of Clif Bars is gross. They're overly sticky and chewy, taste chalky, and easily break apart. They taste really, really fake. 

Conclusion:
Go with Larabars. Stick to Larabars during your every day life--they're extremely healthy, can help curb appetite, and best of all they're delicious! Clif Bars have their place immediately before or after, or during a workout, but nowhere else in the diet.