289575 Wed Jun 12 13:30:15 -0700 2002 33 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1568489 Normally I am the last person you'd see eating any kind of power bar sports drink thing, but I have become obsessed with luna bars. Are they really that good, or am I crazy? My favorites are toasted nuts and cranberry, key lime pie, and cherry covered chocolate. I know they're essentially candy bars but I just can't stop! Wed Jun 12 13:30:15 -0700 2002 0 cctc 1 1568491 I love them for those mornings that you're running out the door and don't have time to eat them. A tip: if you're ever in a Wal-Mart, they are DIRT CHEAP there. I'm talking like $0.75 or something. Stock up. I tend to stay away from the dessert-y flavors like chocolate. I'm sure this is not true, but I feel like the fruit and oat and nut flavors are somehow better for you... Plus I eat them for breakfast sometimes, and I can't handle chocoalte that early! Wed Jun 12 13:32:39 -0700 2002 1568489 0 JessicaSophia 2 1568502 I was obsessed with them too for a while (as was my boyfriend, who didn't care about the "for women" thing - which only means they have calcium and folate added, anyway), but I'm trying to avoid them now, as it's too easy to go overboard, especially with the chocolate ones. I like the chocolate flavors better (especially the cherry-covered chocolate), but the others generally are better for you in that they have less fat overall (though not that much less, maybe 1g or so), and much less sat fat. The choc. flavors are mostly 4g fat, 3g of which is sat fat, while most of the others have 0 or 1g sat fat. I think the fruit flavors are too sweet. The nuts and cranberry one reminds me of a granola bar (in a good way). Wed Jun 12 14:18:43 -0700 2002 1568491 0 Caitlin McGrath 1 1568495 Yes...Luna bars are fantastic. Have you tried the lemon? I love it. Also Nutz over Chocolate and Chocolate Pecan Pie. I have many male friend who are really in a quandry 'cause they love the Luna's but are embarrassed about the "for women" thing. Check the fat content on a candy bar and compare it to a Luna...you'll see they are WAY healthy in comparison. plus all that lovely soy protein!! However, the crunchy things in Lunas and Cliff bars don't sit well on my stomach during strenuous exercise. For that I require the stomach-soothing Power Bar. Do Lunas and Cliffs make anyone else burp-y (pardon the expression) while exercising? Wed Jun 12 13:45:55 -0700 2002 1568489 0 Danna 1 1568512 Mmmmmmm Love those luna bars. My favorites are the chocolates, chai, and cranberry. I kind'o overdid it when they first came out. Since then I've gone through phases of being into them. They sure can be sweet. I had one yesterday for the first time in a while: chai. It funny you should mention them because I've actually been meaning to write about how the chai luna bar reminds me of a candy bar from the 70's that was actually (strangely) marketed as a candy for early in the day: The "10:30". Anyone remember it? It was a wafer bar with caramel between the layers covered with rice crispies in white frosting streaked with cinn. It was really, really sweet. I don't think it was available for more than a few years. The chai luna with it's layer of spicy icing and the slightly marshmallowy-malty taste shoots me back to 1976. Anyone remember the 10:30? Anyway, back to lunas. I was into Cliff Bars as a breakfast substitute in a big way about 5 years ago. Did anyone notice how they changed the formula once the luna bars became so big? Cliff bars are not as good anymore IMO. Powerbars are pretty blechy, but I guess they do the job. Have fun. eu Wed Jun 12 15:18:43 -0700 2002 1568489 0 epicure-us 2 1568527 I agree 100% that Cliff bars aren't good anymore. I haven't eaten one (a whole one that is) since they changed. On the other hand, Powerbar recently tweaked the chocolate flavor. I wrote them an " I hate it" e-mail, and they actually responded that they had had so many complaints they were changing back!!! Let that be a lesson to all the squeeky wheels out there. Wed Jun 12 16:34:18 -0700 2002 1568512 0 Danna 3 1568581 That's so funny. Talk about 'Power to the People.' I checked out their website a few years ago, and Clif has this feature where you can create your own Luna flavor combo. If they choose use your recipe though, you don't have the rights to patent your invention. I think you get a lifetime supply of Luna Bars or something like that. eu Thu Jun 13 11:31:26 -0700 2002 1568527 0 epicure-us 1 1568514 Luna Bars aren't bad. I love the Key Lime flavor, but will pass on the Chocolate Pecan Pie, that one tasted about like a cardboard box. Most of the Luna Bars are wheat and gluten free, making them a decent choice for folks with sensitivies to these items. Many of them are also dairy free or have a lower cholesterol content, particular since their protein content is a result of soy products. As a steady diet, no power or energy bar is a wise choice. But as a quick snack they aren't awful. If you're really into power bars, check out the Bodhi Bars (I think that's the spelling). They're really good, and really pricey. Wed Jun 12 15:29:07 -0700 2002 1568489 0 Gayla 1 1568516 My current obsession is the Peanut Butter & Jelly ones. Mmmm. Also - as a low-sugar requiring girl, they tend to be much more resonable in that regard than many comparable snacks and decently high in protein. They work out to slightly over a dollar a bar if you buy them by the case from drustore.com. xxxKat Wed Jun 12 15:38:21 -0700 2002 1568489 0 Kat Kinsman 1 1568518 Mmmmm, Lemon Luna Bar. I always keep one in my pocketbook and since they don't crush like Nutrigrain or Fruit and Oatmeal bars, they last much longer. Now that I'm preggers I find myself snacking on them a lot, during the afternoons while I'm out and forgot to pack a snack. We recently bought a box through drugstore.com and the quality was SO much better than what we usually get in the grocery store. These were moist and fresh- I highly recommend getting a case and seeing the difference. A side note: Hubby loves the Clif Bars GingerSnap flavor but can very rarely find them. What's up with that?! Darn, answering my own question, the Clif Bar order site says they have been discontinued. Sigh. Wed Jun 12 15:45:30 -0700 2002 1568489 0 Chris VR 1 1568555 Luna bars are awesome. I love the lemon ones-they are by far my favorite. Trader Joe's has all the varieties at cheaper prices than the grocery stores, so I tend to stock up on them when I'm there. I also really like the S'Mores and Sweet Dreams (a new flavor). Haven't been that impressed with the PB&J-no frosting, which was a major disappointment. I also tried the the orange one-DISGUSTING! Anyway, I am addicted and can eat two or three in one sitting. I justify it by thinking about all the vitamins I am getting! All of my friends, girls and guys, are addicted, too! Thu Jun 13 00:11:13 -0700 2002 1568489 0 Samantha 2 1568575 Thanks for the heads up re the orange. I was disappointed by the PB&J too, incidentally. Personally, Chocolate Cherry didn't do it for me either, so much so in fact, that I'm reluctant to try any of the ones that have a chocolate bar. I'm taken with Luna's chocolate icing though, especially on the pecan bar. What is the deal with the caffeinated ones? Do they really give people a buzz? I've stayed away from them 'cause I have to be most careful when it comes to caffeine. I was told that you can order Luna through the Vitamin Shop, but I don't remember if the discount was as good as Pharmacy.com. I used to get meal replacement bars from this company that sells aromatherapy products. Don't know if they're still doing it (they might have changed the formula--they were always doing that) but this was an excellent bar that was flavored with spices and fruit aromas and had Chinese wolfberries in them. They were awesome (though expensive). Sort of compromise between the Bodhi Bar and Luna. Company is called Young Living. You can probably find them on the web. The ones with almonds were AWESOME. A bit less sweet than the Luna's, more balanced. So expensive, but so good my then boyfriend tried (unsuccessfully) to recreate them at home. He wouldn't try the Luna bar BTW, though that's not the reason we broke up ; ) Have fun. eu Thu Jun 13 11:03:45 -0700 2002 1568555 0 epicure-us 3 1568669 the chocolate ones are not the best, I have to say, and I love chocolate. I'd avoid them if possible. Fri Jun 14 09:31:46 -0700 2002 1568575 0 cctc 4 1568701 Just curious--has anyone compared them to balance bars? I love the chocolate raspberry balance bars, which are 200 calories, 40% carbs and 30% each protein and fat, and which I often eat for a midafternoon snack (or else I'll eat half of one before my morning workout). I haven't tried luna bars yet. Fri Jun 14 15:23:20 -0700 2002 1568669 0 susanb 5 1568703 I'm so silly, but the balance bar packaging turns me off from them. are they good? For me to eat an energy bar, it still has to be really good. like I'd eat it even if i weren't exersizing. Fri Jun 14 15:49:17 -0700 2002 1568701 0 cctc 6 1568721 I haven't tried any of the other energy bars, so I can't compare them, but for a very convenient and satisfying snack, which actually tastes good enough that at 3 or 4 PM I'm looking forward to it, and that I don't crave anything else until dinner, it does the trick. But I'm not talking about the new kind, which I think is called "gold," just the regular balance bars. I get a box of them at Trader Joe's, pretty reasonably priced. Fri Jun 14 19:20:34 -0700 2002 1568703 0 susanb 7 1568924 they have balance bars for women, just tried to chocolate celebration kind. Wasn't tasteless, but the taste was a little too far away from real chocolate for me. similar problem to the luna chocolate-inspired flavors. maybe it's hard to do heathfully? Oh, and the ones for women are 180 cal, 3.5 grams of fat. Not too bad. Thu Jun 20 07:27:37 -0700 2002 1568721 0 cctc 8 1568986 thanks! I'll definitely try that. And I agree--the cholocate raspberry, my favorite, sure isn't like eating a real chocolate bar. But it'll have to do... Thu Jun 20 17:00:05 -0700 2002 1568924 0 susanb 6 1568743 IMHO, Balance Bars have WAY too much fat. That zone business is a piece of marketing crap. You can and will get all the fat you need from regular living. (Salad dressing, etc) It is silly to deliberately take in fat in the form of a bar when there are very low fat bars available. I'm saving my fat grams for ice cream and fois gras. Mon Jun 17 08:55:32 -0700 2002 1568703 0 Danna 7 1568750 I'm not a nutrionist; I can only say that the 40-30-30 diet (which is connected to the Zone diet, but not the same) worked beautifully for me. I lost all the weight I wanted to and kept it off. My meals were balanced and healthy, and I never felt hungry. And the balance bars really helped for times when I was at work or, especially, travelling. Whether their added fat made them more chocolate-like and satisfying I can't say, since I haven't tried the other bars yet. If they can do the trick with less fat and 20 fewer calories, I'm all for it. But if their chocolate doesn't taste chocolatey, they won't work for me--a matter of taste. Mon Jun 17 13:29:12 -0700 2002 1568743 0 susanb 8 1568751 I'm not a nutritionist, I meant to say... Mon Jun 17 13:56:58 -0700 2002 1568750 0 susanb 1 1568560 180 calories for only 48 grams of "food"? Link: http://www.clifbar.com/clifproducts/clifluna.html Thu Jun 13 07:05:43 -0700 2002 1568489 0 Louisa Chu 2 1568587 Not sure of your point. A gram of Carb has 4 calories. That's the best you can do. However, I only added up 40 grams in the LUna, between 4 grams fat, 10 grams protein, and 26 grams carbs. When you do the math you do get the 180 calories, but where are the other 8 grams? water? Nutrition person, take us to school ! Thu Jun 13 12:15:13 -0700 2002 1568560 0 Danna 3 1568601 Calorie info from Luna website. If people are scarfing down 2/3 at a sitting they're eating almost 400/600 calories for only for less than 4/6 ounces of food. Seems that a lot more tasty food and equally nutritious food could be had for those calories. Mouth feel and fullness are usually big factors in well balanced diets. Plus you need a lot more water to properly digest all those kinds of bars. Hey do what you want. Was just a little shocked at how many calories are in those tiny little bars - and how people just chow them down. Thu Jun 13 13:54:20 -0700 2002 1568587 0 Louisa Chu 4 1568602 Luna bars actually have more weight for the calories than most such bars; some are even smaller, and it's a lot more common for the calorie count in those things to be in the 250-300 range. I agree that eating two or three at a sitting is bad, versus eating whole foods. As I said in my earlier post, it's easy to go overboard if you like the taste. For a snack, a bar is okay, and certainly has less fat and a better nutrition profile than, say, a candy bar or cookies. I think part of the problem with overdoing on Luna bars is that they're easier to eat than many "nutrition" bars because they don't have the grittiness or aftertaste that many of the soy protein bars have. But the more Luna (or other) bars one eats, the emptier their calories become. Thu Jun 13 14:14:01 -0700 2002 1568601 0 Caitlin McGrath 4 1568624 You're right...and as I had to explain to my Mom, "you eat them INSTEAD of lunch, not in ADDITION to lunch!" Thu Jun 13 17:30:46 -0700 2002 1568601 0 Danna 4 1568632 If I ever need to put on weight (ha!), I'll return to eating those cursed Luna bars. If anything, eating one seems to only make me hungrier. They do taste great, though. Thu Jun 13 18:36:41 -0700 2002 1568601 0 Oopsie Daisy 4 1568667 actually, I work out every day, and need to consume around 200 calories of mixed carbs and proteins about an hour beforehand for it to be an efficient workout. I don't confuse them with "real food", but often don't have the time for toast and peanut butter or some other nutritional equivalent. Calories are actuall vital for life and living. I've lost alot of weight recently, and i'm a small person who doesn't need more than 1500 or so calories a day, but I know i need to keep myself fueled up in order to maintain my metabolism. They're not diet food, they're energy bars. If i wanted something low cal i could just eat celery, but I specifically WANT to be eating 180 calories at that point in the day. plus, I like the way they taste!!! Fri Jun 14 09:30:20 -0700 2002 1568601 0 cctc 1 1568711 Sorry for being such a wet blanket, but a quick Google search on "energy bar scam" turns up a nice list of articles on the topic. I read in one such article that the only requirement for a bar to be labelled an "energy" bar is that it contains...calories. Calories = energy. For those who claim they eat these bars because they are too busy to put together a "real food" snack, come on, now really, how long does it take to smear some peanut butter on a piece of bread? I find the bars make me feel blecchy, but again, I do like the flavor, so I understand the "craze". Fri Jun 14 17:22:03 -0700 2002 1568489 0 Oopsie Daisy 2 1568712 Forgot to include a link to the source of the "energy" labelling comment. Link: http://www.acsh.org/forum/scam/energy.html Fri Jun 14 17:26:21 -0700 2002 1568711 0 Oopsie Daisy 2 1568719 Well, a peanut butter-smeared piece of bread probably wouldn't fare very well in my pocketbook, where is where I generally keep a Luna bar so that it's there when I have a need a snack while out running errands ;-) Fri Jun 14 18:59:19 -0700 2002 1568711 0 Chris VR 3 1568723 Lol! Good point. I've actually taken PowerBars out on the water. The packaging is waterproof, so you can stick one in your swim trunks pocket, and snack on the high seas. I'm guilty of buying a whole box of Luna bars to take with me on a backpacking trip in South America. During a case of pre-trip jitters, I ate the whole dang box while packing to calm my nerves. I really regretted it later when we were out on the trail, no food in sight, and our supplies had whittled down to a couple of cookies and a smooshed avocado. Fri Jun 14 19:43:59 -0700 2002 1568719 0 Oopsie Daisy 3 1568742 I once broke some chocolate power bar into little pieces and stuck them to the stem of my mountain bike before the start of the race. It was very easy to just un-stick a piece and eat it during the race. And the chocolate color disguised any dirt that had accumulated. AND..it gross-ed out the competition on the start line!! Mon Jun 17 08:51:50 -0700 2002 1568719 0 Danna