Clif Review

Posted on May 28, 2009. Filed under: Product Review | Tags: Clif Bar, Food, Z-Bar |

My first post of substance! Through my travels, I’ve become quite familiar with all the sports bars out there. A particularly large force in this market is the Clif company with their medley of products. Let me start off by saying that, of the original product, I am not a fan. Clif bars themselves have the worst texture and appearance. And I find the title is always much more enticing than the actual flavor; the only one that I would buy and eat again is the Carrot Cake flavor because every so often you get a bite of something that taste like cream cheese frosting.

The female equivalent to the Clif Bar is the Lunabar. Again, I’m just not a fan. The texture of the crispy rice just leaves me wanting a rice krispy. I’ve bought the smore flavor twice(God only knows why) and both times have opened it up only to be disappointed by the lack of graham cracker or marshmallow flavoring. Both of these are big strike-outs to me.

But I will gladly get down on my knees and worship the Clif company. Why you ask? For the next two products. First up comes Z-bars, the Clif Bars for kids. The peanut butter, the chocolate brownie, the honey graham, the blueberry crisp, they’re all amazing. They taste like what they promise, they have a great soft texture, and each provide 30% of your daily value for calcium. And they all have 3g protein and fiber to boot. The next amazing product is the Peanut Butter & Jelly MoJo Dipped. I was really hesitant to try this one. I knew if I opened it up and it tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I could make with healthier ingredients, I’d be pissed. These, however, have something special about them. Perhaps it’s the real peanuts, or the sweetness of the jelly they use(grape, I believe). Whatever it is, this is the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich you can carry in your pocket all day.

One last product of note are the Nectar bars. These are Clif’s response to Larabars: They’re made of date puree and whatever flavor it is. The dates make these little things so delicious and sweet and each bar provides 2 servings of fruit! My favorite is the cherry pomegranite. The tartness of the cherry is a delicious contrast to the sweetness of the date, and cashews provide a great crunch and savory factor.

So there’s my opinion. In summary, go out and by yourself some Z-bars, available at Hannafords, target, Whole Food, and Trader Joes. They never disappoint and make you feel like a kid who has just been baked a treat from his grandmother.