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Larabar ALT is here

Another day in Atlanta and another little box arrives in the mail, courtesy Larabar. This one contained the latest addition to Larabar’s wonderful assortment of dried fruit and nut bars – ALT.

ALT from Larabar

ALT from Larabar

Each ALT bar contain 10 grams of protein derived from peas. The wrapper is made from 31% plant-based material. There you have it – a dried fruit and nut bar that is gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, kosher, non-GMO and choc-a-full of protein! Seems like a fabulous deal, no?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stand the taste. It seemed a little odd in flavor, for lack of a better description. Texturally, it was nowhere as soft as the regular Larabars, feeling more coarse and grainy in comparison.

I am not sure if it is the taste of pea protein or the fact that all four flavor combinations contain peanuts or that the ingredient list now contains brown rice flour, brown rice syrup and natural flavor. I tend to be suspicious of the term ‘natural flavor.’ What does the flavor contain? What is it derived from? And so on…

ALT Bars

ALT Bars

To make a long story short, I am not a fan of ALT. In fact, I have a Cinnamon Apple Crisp Bar and a Peanut Butter Cookie Bar that I need to give away because I don’t think I will enjoy them.

I keep going back to the older Larabar combinations. Currently, my pantry contains one each of the Coconut Cream Pie, Lemon Bar, Cashew Cookie, Key Lime Pie, Banana Bread and two of the Pecan Pie. Clearly, I am a traditionalist.

Larabar Uber

Announcing the latest offering from Larabar, Uber!

I got a package in the mail containing 4 Uber Bars – Cherry Cobbler, Roasted Nut Roll, Apple Turnover, Bananas Foster. Gotta love the cute cloth bag!

Cloth Bag

P and I shared the Bananas Foster. This is what he had to say, “I like that there is some saltiness in there. I would have liked more dates to be included. Way more nutty than I like.” My take? Bananas + Salt is a great combination. A little overloaded with nuts, I agree.

P sampled the Apple Turnover. He thought that the flavors were great but the nut-fruit ratio was too high for his liking.

I ended up feeling the same about the other two, Cherry Cobbler and Roasted Nut Roll. Both bars were waaaay overloaded with nuts. The issue with this is that the bar tends to develop a stale-rancid overtone. I am a big consumer of Larabars, and not a single one so far has tasted stale or spoiled. But two of the Uber bars, I am sorry to report, tasted a tad rancid.

Brown rice vinegar and peanuts are part of the Uber bar ingredient roster. I am no fan of peanuts and I dislike the idea of including them in a fruit-nut bar. I think almonds and walnuts are the best kinds of nuts when it comes to taste, nutrition, health and energy. Peanuts? A firm No. As for brown rice vinegar, I am not sure if it is not an ingredient I’d like to see in a fruit-nut bar. Why add a fermented ingredient to a fruit-nut bar?

Uber Bars

Thanks to Larabar for sending me these samples! I am looking forward to the day when they send me a bar with my most favorite flavor combination – Fig + Walnut + Ginger + Dates. Soon, please? Thank you!