Not Perfect - But Pretty Darn Close
Written: Mar 16 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great flavor selection, low cost, high protein. Better than average taste.
Cons: High carbohydrates, not widely available.
The Bottom Line: Above average taste, can hold you over for a few hours and winner of the 2000 Gold Taste Award.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Lean Body Bar By Labrada |
As I have said in a few of my reviews of sport bars, they aren’t something that I eat often but with tight schedules, no desire to cook or get fast food sometimes it is a necessary evil. All too often people start to reply on sport bars, be it high protein, low carb or weight loss to take the place of multiple meals. This is setting the stage for disaster if you rely on them too often instead of a complete meal.
I came across the Labrada line of bars a few weeks ago at my local Nutri-Sport and couldn’t resist the PB & J Sandwich bar. Just the title alone made me want to buy it. I didn’t expect it to taste “all the good” but was pleasantly surprised that it had a good flavor even though it contains caseinate. Add into the mix that it contains 30 grams of protein and you are on your way to building a great bar. One of the downfalls of the Labrada Lean Body bar is the fact that it has 19 grams of carbohydrates. While some people are more concerned with fat content or the amount of protein per bar, I am a strict low carb person. This isn’t marketed as a low carbohydrate bar so I can’t say that it’s a strike against them – it’s just my personal opinion..
What About The Taste?
The Labrada Lean Body bar comes in a wide variety of flavors such as Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate Chunk, Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie, Coconut and Vanilla Almond. I have only tried a few of the different flavors and must admit that they are above average taste-wise. There’s no after-taste with the PB & J Sandwich flavor – which was a little shocking considering a few of the ingredients. The yogurt coating really adds to the taste – it’s creamy and smooth and mixes well with the other flavors. One thing I would like to add – some bars that are dipped or coated have a tendency to flake when you eat it leaving your shirt covered with little pieces of the outer layer. This bar didn’t flake at all. When I contacted several manufacturers about the bars flaking they told me that it could be from a drastic temperature change during shipping that causes the outer layer to harden and become stiff or brittle. It could also be from old stock that was not properly rotated. In any event, if you do come across a bar that is hard or flakes excessively, return it to the place of purchase and ask for a replacement. You can also contact the manufacturer directly.
Overall taste is about a 7 out of 10.
How About The Nutritional Value?
Considering that this isn’t marketed as a low carbohydrate bar it’s lower than most bars. It has 19 grams of carbs – 16 of which come from sugar. If you are in a bind and watching your carbohydrate intake then I suggest having half a bar if no other low carb bars are available. The high protein content is a definite plus. I wouldn’t recommend this as a recovery bar after a work out but could be used as a mid-day snack.
The LeanPro blend of different protein powders (4 total for this bar) account for a majority of the total grams of protein. Using the different powders they are able to achieve a consistence and texture that most other bars lack. When you look at the fat content – only 7 grams – that is just another “thumbs up” for this bar. I don’t usually look at the fat content since I am a low carb person but it’s essential information for other people.
What About Price?
I found these bars for $2.49 each but you can get them for less if you buy a box. You can check the Labrada website at www.labrada.com to see if they have any specials or on-going sales. You can also talk to your sports store manager to see if they can offer you the box price if you choose 12 bars but mix the flavors. For the taste and nutritional value I think $2.49 is right on target as far as pricing goes.
The Kid Test
My son is a sport bar junkie. He loves the Met-RX Cookie Dough flavor and the Met-RX Extreme Vanilla flavor. I don’t push the bars on him – he asks for them every time we go to Nutri-Sport and I’d rather have him eat a protein bar than a candy bar. When I try new bars I always ask him if he wants to try it as well. While he said he liked the PB & J Sandwich bar he still went over and picked up the Met-RX brand. Some habits are hard to break.
Final Verdict
While this is a great tasting bar I can’t see myself buying this often. The carbs are too high for me. It’s in the top 20 % taste wise of all the bars I have tried and there’s no after taste. Buying them by the box can save you some money but make sure you try the different flavors before you dive into buying a box of 12. As far as it replacing a meal – well, that might be a stretch but it can hold you over for a few hours until you can eat a real meal
Thanks for reading… ^V^ Freak ^V^
Recommended:
Yes
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