Reviews Filed Under 'All Natural'

Cashew Cookie LaraBar

Cashew Cookie LaraBarPrice: $1.39
Serving: 1 bar, 1.7oz.
Info below for entire bag
Calories: 210 per bar
Fat: 19%, 12g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 0mg
Protein: 6g
Carbs: 8%, 23g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
Sugar: 14g
Weight Watchers Points: 5 per bar

**

Lara says: Two ingredients, one incredible flavor! The unprocessed, creamy cashews are rich in iron, zinc and B Vitamins. The chewy dates have more potassium than bananas. Together they form a bar rich in fiber with 2 grams of heart-healthy Omega-6 fatty acids and 15 essential vitamins and minerals. So much sustaining nourishment in such a simple recipe.

Abi says: The energy bar section of Trader Joe’s is always good for an interesting snack or two. Tired of searching for the elusive Fiberful Bar and refusing to toss half a package of Fiberful ends and pieces, I decided to take a chance on the Larabar.

After scanning the shelves and seeing the words “Cashew” and “Cookie” I knew I’d found my perfect energy bar match.

Or had I?

Initially looks were promising: the bar was studded with cashew pieces and featured a distinctly cookie-like appearance and texture. Mmmmm, cookies. But looks aren’t everything. I’d learned that lesson the hard way in Italy, realizing that while Italian bakers made some pretty incredible tarts, they uniformly sucked at producing delicious cookies.

But this isn’t a cookie, it is a energy bar masquerading under the name ‘cookie’. I’m used to it by now, the bars with ‘cookie’ and ‘pie’ in the names. I’m just waiting for Belgian Waffle and New York Cheesecake flavored bars. They probably already make those flavors and carry them at my local GNC alongside enormous tubs of what amount to legal steroids. And I avoid GNC like the plague.

woman on brown couchSnackLounge.com isn’t about body building or poorly informed supplement salesmen. Rather, we are all about helping you avoid about an energy bar that tastes like an old brown couch. You know, one of those dismal ones in a Craigslist ad that is updated every day for two weeks before the owner realizes that nobody is going to buy that couch and finally it appears in the free section.

My mouth was not happy. First, this bar contains only dates and cashews. While I like those things and understand that they can be part of a delicious and healthy energy bar, on their own they DO NOT EQUAL CASHEW COOKIE. In fact, they’re sort of like those no-bake cookies that you make once in awhile because you forget that they’re just not that great. Yeah, like that but with even less flavor. I suppose that if the folks at Larabar added a dash of salt and a drop of vanilla to this snack then it would finally approach flavorful cookiedom. Until then, we’re sticking with Clif Chocolate Chip Cookie ZBars when we want an actual, cookie-like energy bar.

P.S. We have since then tried a couple of other LARABARs that are tasty and delicious (and not boring, like this one) and we’ll report on those in November.

Pepperidge Farm Geneva Cookies

Pepperidge Farm Geneva CookiesPrice: $3.50 per package
Serving: 3 cookies, 1.1oz.
Calories: 160 per serving
Fat: 14%, 9g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 4%, 95mg
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 6%, 19g
Fiber: 4%, 1g
Sugars: 8g
Weight Watchers Points: 3 Per Serving

**

Pepperidge Farm says: Journey into the texture of a Geneva cookie. An enchangtingly textured collage of indulgent delight. This beautifully decorated cookie is accompanied by a smooth chocolate later with crunchy pecans. An adventure in texture.

Abi says: Did Pepperidge Farm trademark Geneva? How does Lake Geneva feel about that? And the actual Swiss city of Geneva? Does it just refer to cookies? Could I create a line of Geneva crackers and get away with it?

Geneva cookies are seemingly exotic, European, and chocolatey. In reality, they are a ghetto cookie. The actual cookie part is not nearly as delicious as the biscuit found in Pepperidge Farm Milanos and the pecans (which are not a European nut at all, but rather a member of the North American hickory family) are merely shabby, palate-grating studs. Sure, the dark chocolate is good, but that’s certainly not the bulk of this cookie.

I’d prefer Godiva’s version of the Petit Ecolier anytime.

McDonalds Apple Dippers

McDonalds Apple DippersPrice: $1.00
Serving: 2.4oz., 1 pouch
All information below for apples only
Calories: 35
Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 0mg
Protein: 0g
Carbohydrates: 3%, 8g
Fiber: 0%, 0g
Sugar: 6g
Weight Watchers Points: 1 point for 2 pouches

****

McDonalds says: A bag of delicious sliced and peeled apples.

Abi says: Yeah, yeah, we’re featuring a refrigerated item from McDonalds. But you know what? Apple slices rock. Yeah, yeah, they aren’t as good as a perfectly crisp Gala or Jonagold, but when you’re a mile from a grocery store and you’ve got a 30 minute lunch break, those fancy schmancy apples will have to wait. And yeah, yeah this snack is a bit expensive. But they’re still fabulous.

Why are these apple slices awesome? First, they do not require washing. Second, you won’t end up with apple skin stuck between your teeth. Third, they are somewhat good for you.

Okay, maybe they aren’t really good for you at all. A glance at the nutrition information conveys that the only thing in this bag is a crunchy combination of carbs and sugar. What it doesn’t tell you is that two (Yes, two) bags of apple slices are the ideal fry-eating deterrent. Sure, you could add caramel and call it a dessert, but I prefer to think of these guys as the perfect way to de-guilt a 6 piece box of Chicken Nuggets.