Guest guest Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Really... it's all marketing... just eat right! But, I think I am talking to people who don't want to be converted... they have the same cult following as the Atkins Diet. All The DishBrad Goldfarb ONE MAN BITES HIS WAY THROUGH HUNDREDS OF PROTEIN BARS...AND LIVES TO TELL ABOUT IT Boom time though this may be, no historian is likely to look back on the start of the twenty-first century for evidence that the western world once really knew how to live: sleep--we portion less and less of it out for ourselves; fresh air--only on vacations; and lunch--forget three martinis, we're lucky if we have the chance to eat it at all. Still, one has to keep the motor running, so occasional fuel-ups are the order of the workday. The low-carb, fat-free solution? For many it's protein bars, the latest fad to overtake the American diet, and, if they haven't already, coming to a deli, market, or health food store near you. To sort out the ensuing glut, I recently spent a week gorging on a large bin filled with hundreds of protein and nutrition bars. My findings? Aside from the discovery that the human metabolism can only handle so much " engineered nutrition " in the course of a single day, not all protein and nutrition bars are created equal. Here's my analysis of some of the best (and worst) of the bunch. TIGER'S MILK Before Clif, Power Bar, Zone Perfect, or any of those other upstarts, there was Tiger's Milk, a fact that the product's manufacturer has wisely elected to emblazon on its packaging. Surprisingly, despite all the new arrivals and the technical advances that have been made in the realm of food technology since its creation, Tiger's Milk, which offers only products that are carob-coated and peanut-based, is still one of the best-tasting of its kind, with none of the texture problems that plague so many of the wannabes. The carob coating is a convincing stand-in for chocolate, and the peanut center is smooth and nutty enough to feel more like a candy bar than something designed to withstand nuclear fallout. Which just goes to show, sometimes changing your stripes is beside the point. CLIF When you ask people to pay upwards of a dollar for a prepackaged snack, the packaging counts, and no one counts more on this front than the folks at Clif. In their choice of both graphics (a retro, 1930s style) and language (product information is delivered in a folksy, personal tone), Clif is the unparalleled leader in the nutrition/protein bar arena. Though the bars come in a variety of flavors-from Chocolate Chip to Crunchy Peanut Butter-its basic formula, a patty made of whole grains and dried fruits, remains pretty much the same from one bar to the next. As such, it's closer in spirit to a bran muffin than to a candy bar. Though some might complain Clif veers too far to the side of wholesome, by virtue of using ingredients actually found in nature, Clif avoids the traps presented by artificial ingredients. Recently the line has been expanded to include a brand called Luna, which for no apparent reason is being advertised as the " The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women. " Could it be because with varieties featu ring chocolate and lemon icing it's closer in spirit to a candy bar, something marketers assume women have a greater weakness for than men? Maybe so, but with a passing resemblance to a Rice Krispie Treat, it's hard to imagine anyone's preference for Luna being gender specific. WORLDWIDE SPORT NUTRITION The manufacturer of one of the most extensive lines of meal-replacement bars, Worldwide offers some of the most ambitious flavors (Blueberry Cheesecake, White Chocolate Mousse) and creative formulations (from standard bars to cookie dough) of any product out there. The Worldwide line, however, is less notable for its cornucopia of choices than for its chalky, unnatural texture--a quality made worse by the fact that once out of their shiny, plastic-coated wrappers, many of the bars have a dull, almost dusty appearance, suggesting that they sat around the lab too long before reaching your lucky mouth. Not even the most gullible could believe that something this far removed from nature could spell good health. LABRADA Labrada's Hi-Protein Meal Replacement Bar may indeed have an " award-winning taste! " (as its label proclaims, an honor bestowed upon it by an organization known as the American Tasting Institute), and in truth, its Double Chocolate Chunk and Chocolate Peanut Butter varieties are not bad in the flavor department. But where Labrada loses points is in the Achilles' heel of many a nutrition bar: texture, dissolving into chalky, crumbly bits once you bite through the initial burst of artificial flavoring. Fueling up for the final leg of a triathlon? Now might be the time to consider eating one of these. Otherwise, if it's just plain-old nutrition, low carbs, or high protein you're after--might I suggest a can of dry tuna? POWER BAR Self-described as a " performance energy " food, Power Bar was one of the first to make the leap from health food stores to less-specialized environments, and today you're as likely to find it on the shelf of your local Korean deli as you are a can of Pringles. It's not hard to see why: Power Bar has taken what is perhaps the biggest drawback to this kind of engineered food--its chewy, unnatural consistency--and turned it into an asset. Instead of trying to disguise their product's gumminess with a cake-like quality, the folks at Power Bar have taken the opposite approach, making their bars more like taffy than anything else on the market. Though you can count on burning some extra calories with all the chewing you'll be doing, the texture works, as do the brand's flavors. What's more, Power Bar actually tastes like the description emblazoned on its packaging. ATKINS DIET From the folks who brought you the world-famous diet comes a low carb food bar (and part of the regimen) that tastes about as good as you'd expect from the dowdy-looking packaging. Dry, gummy, plastic-tasting--all the usual complaints apply to Atkins. This despite the fact that the bars come in seven different delectable-sounding flavors, ranging from Praline Crunch and Chocolate Raspberry to Almond Brownie and Chocolate Macadamia Nut. All promising, and the smooth chocolate covering on many of the bars looks good, too. But chew past that initial shot of flavor, and you're left with pretty much the same experience from one bar to the next--a dry, synthetic texture that's more fertilizer than food. ZONE PERFECT In the last few years Zone bars have garnered an almost cultish following; for the initiated, this is nutrition-bar nirvana, specially engineered with the 30/30/40 ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrate recommended by many nutritionists and developed as part of the Zone diet. Though a few of its flavors (Almond Crunch, Chocolate Almond Fudge) suffer from the drywall dilemma, Zone Perfect truly lives up to its name in the chocolate-and yogurt-covered fruit bars--they are light and healthy-tasting without sacrificing flavor, and provide just the kick you're looking for when you reach for one of these. And lest the candylike experience bring on any pangs of guilt, rest easy: It comes with a doctor's signature--that of Barry Sears, Ph.D., creator of the Zone diet. Not even your mother could have a problem with that. METRX For years the name MET-Rx has been synonymous with protein powder and weight-gain supplements, but with the rise in popularity of protein bars, the company has gotten into that act as well. Unfortunately, while MET-Rx's powdered products are some of the better-tasting ones on the market, the same cannot be said of their solid ones. Despite offerings in flavors clearly intended to duplicate those of the ice cream case, the name Haagen-Dazs is not likely to come to mind as you chew your way through one. What's more, the MET-RX bar is one of the biggest around, offering a generous slab of something that is best described as a kind of edible putty. Still, if the goal is to control your appetite, MET-Rx may lust provide the perfect solution: Eat one of these bars, and chances are you won't think about food again for days. Brad Goldfarb is Interview's managing editor. COPYRIGHT 2000 Brant Publications, Inc. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group We are in a war. We have no energy plan for global warming. People can't afford to take medicines to stay alive And the government feels that Gays getting married is the most important thing to worry about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 The most awesome thing about Luna Bars is that they are VEGAN. I eat them for lunch along with snacks like strawberry soy yogurt, celery, and baby carrots. On 7/13/06, TruNatrschild <TruNatrschild wrote: > > Really... it's all marketing... just eat right! But, I think I am > talking to > people who don't want to be converted... they have the same cult following > > as the Atkins Diet. > > > All The DishBrad Goldfarb > ONE MAN BITES HIS WAY THROUGH HUNDREDS OF PROTEIN BARS...AND LIVES TO TELL > > ABOUT IT > Boom time though this may be, no historian is likely to look back on the > start of the twenty-first century for evidence that the western world once > > really knew how to live: sleep--we portion less and less of it out for > ourselves; > fresh air--only on vacations; and lunch--forget three martinis, we're > lucky > if we have the chance to eat it at all. Still, one has to keep the motor > running, so occasional fuel-ups are the order of the workday. The > low-carb, > fat-free solution? For many it's protein bars, the latest fad to overtake > the > American diet, and, if they haven't already, coming to a deli, market, or > health > food store near you. To sort out the ensuing glut, I recently spent a week > > gorging on a large bin filled with hundreds of protein and nutrition bars. > My > findings? Aside from the discovery that the human metabolism can only > handle so > much " engineered nutrition " in the course of a single day, not all protein > > and nutrition bars are created equal. Here's my analysis of some of the > best > (and worst) of the bunch. > TIGER'S MILK > Before Clif, Power Bar, Zone Perfect, or any of those other upstarts, > there > was Tiger's Milk, a fact that the product's manufacturer has wisely > elected to > emblazon on its packaging. Surprisingly, despite all the new arrivals and > the technical advances that have been made in the realm of food technology > > since its creation, Tiger's Milk, which offers only products that are > carob-coated and peanut-based, is still one of the best-tasting of its > kind, with none > of the texture problems that plague so many of the wannabes. The carob > coating > is a convincing stand-in for chocolate, and the peanut center is smooth > and > nutty enough to feel more like a candy bar than something designed to > withstand nuclear fallout. Which just goes to show, sometimes changing > your stripes > is beside the point. > CLIF > When you ask people to pay upwards of a dollar for a prepackaged snack, > the > packaging counts, and no one counts more on this front than the folks at > Clif. > In their choice of both graphics (a retro, 1930s style) and language > (product information is delivered in a folksy, personal tone), Clif is the > > unparalleled leader in the nutrition/protein bar arena. Though the bars > come in a > variety of flavors-from Chocolate Chip to Crunchy Peanut Butter-its basic > formula, a patty made of whole grains and dried fruits, remains pretty > much the same > from one bar to the next. As such, it's closer in spirit to a bran muffin > than to a candy bar. Though some might complain Clif veers too far to the > side > of wholesome, by virtue of using ingredients actually found in nature, > Clif > avoids the traps presented by artificial ingredients. Recently the line > has > been expanded to include a brand called Luna, which for no apparent reason > is > being advertised as the " The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women. " Could it be > because with varieties featu ring chocolate and lemon icing it's closer in > spirit > to a candy bar, something marketers assume women have a greater weakness > for > than men? Maybe so, but with a passing resemblance to a Rice Krispie > Treat, > it's hard to imagine anyone's preference for Luna being gender specific. > WORLDWIDE SPORT NUTRITION > The manufacturer of one of the most extensive lines of meal-replacement > bars, > Worldwide offers some of the most ambitious flavors (Blueberry Cheesecake, > > White Chocolate Mousse) and creative formulations (from standard bars to > cookie dough) of any product out there. The Worldwide line, however, is > less > notable for its cornucopia of choices than for its chalky, unnatural > texture--a > quality made worse by the fact that once out of their shiny, > plastic-coated > wrappers, many of the bars have a dull, almost dusty appearance, > suggesting that > they sat around the lab too long before reaching your lucky mouth. Not > even > the most gullible could believe that something this far removed from > nature > could spell good health. > LABRADA > Labrada's Hi-Protein Meal Replacement Bar may indeed have an > " award-winning > taste! " (as its label proclaims, an honor bestowed upon it by an > organization > known as the American Tasting Institute), and in truth, its Double > Chocolate > Chunk and Chocolate Peanut Butter varieties are not bad in the flavor > department. But where Labrada loses points is in the Achilles' heel of > many a > nutrition bar: texture, dissolving into chalky, crumbly bits once you bite > through > the initial burst of artificial flavoring. Fueling up for the final leg of > a > triathlon? Now might be the time to consider eating one of these. > Otherwise, > if it's just plain-old nutrition, low carbs, or high protein you're > after--might I suggest a can of dry tuna? > POWER BAR > Self-described as a " performance energy " food, Power Bar was one of the > first > to make the leap from health food stores to less-specialized environments, > > and today you're as likely to find it on the shelf of your local Korean > deli > as you are a can of Pringles. It's not hard to see why: Power Bar has > taken > what is perhaps the biggest drawback to this kind of engineered food--its > chewy, unnatural consistency--and turned it into an asset. Instead of > trying to > disguise their product's gumminess with a cake-like quality, the folks at > Power > Bar have taken the opposite approach, making their bars more like taffy > than > anything else on the market. Though you can count on burning some extra > calories with all the chewing you'll be doing, the texture works, as do > the > brand's flavors. What's more, Power Bar actually tastes like the > description > emblazoned on its packaging. > ATKINS DIET > From the folks who brought you the world-famous diet comes a low carb food > > bar (and part of the regimen) that tastes about as good as you'd expect > from > the dowdy-looking packaging. Dry, gummy, plastic-tasting--all the usual > complaints apply to Atkins. This despite the fact that the bars come in > seven > different delectable-sounding flavors, ranging from Praline Crunch and > Chocolate > Raspberry to Almond Brownie and Chocolate Macadamia Nut. All promising, > and the > smooth chocolate covering on many of the bars looks good, too. But chew > past > that initial shot of flavor, and you're left with pretty much the same > experience from one bar to the next--a dry, synthetic texture that's more > fertilizer than food. > ZONE PERFECT > In the last few years Zone bars have garnered an almost cultish following; > > for the initiated, this is nutrition-bar nirvana, specially engineered > with the > 30/30/40 ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrate recommended by many > nutritionists and developed as part of the Zone diet. Though a few of its > flavors > (Almond Crunch, Chocolate Almond Fudge) suffer from the drywall dilemma, > Zone > Perfect truly lives up to its name in the chocolate-and yogurt-covered > fruit > bars--they are light and healthy-tasting without sacrificing flavor, and > provide just the kick you're looking for when you reach for one of these. > And > lest the candylike experience bring on any pangs of guilt, rest easy: It > comes > with a doctor's signature--that of Barry Sears, Ph.D., creator of the Zone > > diet. Not even your mother could have a problem with that. > METRX > For years the name MET-Rx has been synonymous with protein powder and > weight-gain supplements, but with the rise in popularity of protein bars, > the > company has gotten into that act as well. Unfortunately, while MET-Rx's > powdered > products are some of the better-tasting ones on the market, the same > cannot be > said of their solid ones. Despite offerings in flavors clearly intended to > > duplicate those of the ice cream case, the name Haagen-Dazs is not likely > to > come to mind as you chew your way through one. What's more, the MET-RX bar > is > one of the biggest around, offering a generous slab of something that is > best > described as a kind of edible putty. Still, if the goal is to control your > > appetite, MET-Rx may lust provide the perfect solution: Eat one of these > bars, > and chances are you won't think about food again for days. > Brad Goldfarb is Interview's managing editor. > COPYRIGHT 2000 Brant Publications, Inc. > COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group > > We are in a war. > We have no energy plan for global warming. > People can't afford to take medicines to stay alive > And the government feels that Gays getting married is the most important > thing to worry about? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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