Lately I have been realizing that there is a world outside the Powerbar, and my latest find is the Cheetah Bar.

While “Power” is good, I’d sure like to be as fast as a “Cheetah,” an animal which isn’t exactly lacking in power.

This Cheetah Bar is an organic energy bar retailing at just 75 cents! I don’t know how they can afford it (since organic ingredients aren’t cheap,) but I’m not complaining!

The bar itself is a mix of organic figs and grains, sweetened with cane juice and pieces of fruit. That yields a great mix of carbs, protein, fat, and important nutrients like potassium. They are billed as “an ideal source of nutrition for bike racers and other endurance athletes” and I can’t say I disagree.

There’s a picture of the strawberry bar on the left. As you can see, it’s a nice mix of whole food ingredients, kind of like hearty oatmeal in a bar shape. It’s definitely not as processed as a Powerbar.

The texture is nice; kind of like hearty oatmeal with fruit, like I mentioned. It’s surprisingly moist, but not wet. I’d say it’s similar to a Clif Bar in moistness, but tastes even closer to real food.

I was a bit worried about using them while riding, because even though they are moist, they look like they could crumble if you’re not careful. Turns out I was totally wrong, and they are ‘flexible’ enough to eat without losing any pieces alongside the road!

As for flavors, I tried lemon and strawberry.

The lemon was alright, not quite as flavorful as strawberry, but still a pleasant taste. Again, the taste was “real.” It’s not artificially sweet but it’s not too sour either.

The strawberry bar is sooo good though! The aroma is amazing and the taste is really good, plus it tastes real, too. I’m sure the dried strawberry pieces help with that!

Yep, it contains real strawberries. Take a look:

Organic Cane Juice, Organic California Figs, Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Oat Bran, Organic Soy Beans (Roasted), Organic Brown Crisp Rice, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Rolled Barley, Organic Oat Flour, Glycerin, Natural Strawberry Flavor, Organic Dried Strawberries, Baking Soda, Non-GMO Lecithin, Citric Acid, Ammonium Bicarbonate

All that yields about 210 calories per bar, with 43g carbs. That’s right on par with a Powerbar, so you get all the energy, but skip the high fructose corn syrup and other crap!* And these are way cheaper!

(So head to their site soon, you can get a free sample pack - 2 bars for free and just $1 for shipping. Great deal, no catch.)

My final verdict is…

You’d have to be stupid to pass up on the $1 deal. These bars rule!

I’ll definitely get some more and do some more on-bike tests. Even if they don’t replace my Powerbars in race situations, I could make them a staple on my training rides. (But this could very well become my go-to bar for racing.)

Complaints? The fact that I have to make hard choices between LARA BARS, Chunks of Energy, Cheetah Bars, Kashi granola bars, and even Powerbars and Clif bars now.

Official website: www.cheetahbar.com

* Update: The new Powerbar formula contains healthier ingredients.

[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]

That’s me sporting my new wool cycling cap. The best part? I made it myself! (OK, so my mom made it. But why would I learn to sew when my mom and grandma already do?)

Anyway it’s pretty sweet and not that hard to make. Thanks go out to BikeHacks.com and their Sew your own cycling cap guide, which includes a pattern to get you started. Check it out.

I’m also sporting a nice Ride-Strong.com t-shirt. It’s comfortable, has front and back logos, and I love the logo on the sleeve.

(Want more details on how I made my own cap? We’ve made quite a few with altered designs so I might share my secrets later on if you’re interested.)

This will be fun! I’m going to sign the Google guest book by joining in this “SignTheGoogleGuestBook” blog meme madness.

What is this SignTheGoogleGuestBook hoopla?

It’s a bunch of bloggers writing a post about “SignTheGoogleGuestBook” and having them all appear on the Google search results, here.

You can get all the details at BlogTheInternet.com by clicking here.

And stop by and say hi to Bike Rack Ed on his blog, where I found out about this.

Join in the fun by writing your own post with “SignTheGoogleGuestBook” in the title!

See current signatures here: http://www.google.com/search?q=SignTheGoogleGuestBook

Want some FREE stuff?

Then you might want to check out these new “veggie crisps” from Flat Earth. They are basically potato chips but made from vegetables.

This isn’t a new concept, because I’ve seen plenty of smaller companies come out with healthy veggie chips like this. However, Flat Earth is a division of Frito Lay, so it’s good to see them adding some healthy options to their product line.

I was just at flatearth.com to print my free coupon, and if you like free stuff, too, you should head over there and print one for yourself.

If I find them at the store, I’ll be sure to review them.

P.S. If I find them, should I go for Farmland Cheddar or Wild Berry Patch?

Despite living in Massachusetts for four years, the Dancing Star food company (based in Buckland) and their “Chunks of Energy” managed to elude me. But I’m making up for it now with this taste test of their stuff.

The product is called “Chunks of Energy” and they are organic, unbaked “chunks” of energy food (not to be confused with energy bars, bites, or blocks.) You won’t see them beside Powerbars or Clif Bars because they are sold in bulk (i.e. you scoop them out of a bin.)

You also won’t find them at Wal-Mart. Rather, they are sold in nationwide chains like Whole Foods, along with smaller chains and independent retailers.

What are they?

So we know they’re not bars, bites, or blocks… These chunks seemed similar in concept to the LARA BAR, which I have reviewed before. I thought they would taste similar, but they’re not quite the same. Both are good, of course, but all the extra ingredients in the Chunks really makes a difference.

Here’s a sample ingredients list so you see what I mean…

Honey Pistachio: Honey, sunflower seeds, pistachios, GMO free tofu powder (soy), organic apricots (may contain organic rice flour), cashews, pumpkin seeds, figs, dates, almond butter, natural flavors, and pistachio extract (made from corn.)

Each flavor is different, but I think of them as a paste of honey and dates with a ton of seeds and other goodies mixed in. (Then, of course, the final product is dried and cut into squares.)

Are they healthy?

You bet. Everything in them is good for you, even the honey. Honey is such good stuff and anyone that compares it to table sugar is way off the mark. And all the other natural ingredients give you a good mix of carbs, protein, and fat.

But do they taste alright?

No… they taste great!!

Some taste kind of like Almond Joy candy bars. Some smell like bulk candies I ate when I was a kid. But they still taste good despite the wholesome ingredients!

I tried a few flavors and my thoughts on the taste and texture are below.

Raw Cacao Goji

These have dates as the main ingredient, making them like a LARA BAR but with more texture (from sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc.) They have that good and wholesome texture with a fruity flavor (from the raisins and apricots in there.) Very moist and chewy, like a delicacy.

 

Chocolate Almond Chip

This one really does remind me of an Almond Joy candy bar. The flavor seems to be strong on chocolate, almond, and coconut. I don’t think it even has coconut in it, but it has that nice candy bar taste.

 

Vanilla Almond

The vanilla almond has a lighter, more subdued flavor. It’s an authentic vanilla taste, though, unlike most vanilla ice cream and artificial flavors, which do not taste like vanilla! This would be perfect if you don’t like chocolate, or if you’re riding hard and don’t want an overpowering flavor.

 

Carob Spirulina

“Our original and best seller!”

Now this was a strong and powerful flavor, easily the most robust taste of the bunch. You taste the sweetness of honey but also the really strong carob powder. It’s good stuff, plus the numerous health benefits of Hawaiian Blue Green Algae (Spirulina) really set this one apart!

 

The fun doesn’t stop there though - all the other flavors sound good, too. Especially carob banana, honey pistachio, and mixed berry blast!

Before, during, or after a ride?

All of the above.

I used these to fuel for a morning bike ride and felt great. I ate about 5 or 6, waited an hour, and rode. They sat well, too, so I didn’t have any digestion problems.

Want to take them on a ride? Just put some in a plastic sandwich bag and stick it in your jersey pocket. Then you can grab one at a time.

Outside in the cold? No problem. I’ve eaten these straight out of the freezer and they’re a little hard to bite into, but still easy to chew.

Epic ride? Even better. I’d love to carry a supply of these on long, 4+ hour endurance rides. (Carbs, fat, protein, and good taste all in a single bite, what could be better?)

Now I’m also a big fan of organic and natural foods and saving the environment, so the packaging is a big deal to me. These are sold in bulk so you could get pounds of them and just have one plastic bag, instead of a bunch of individual foil wrappers. That makes them great for “during” rides because they’re easy to eat, don’t make a mess in your pocket, and don’t pollute.

My final verdict is…

The decision is easy. These taste great, they’re healthy, and there’s no foil wrapper to litter the roads and trails. Get some!

My only complaint is that I don’t have a local retailer!

Company Site: www.danstarco.com
Chunks of Energy Blog: chunksofenergy.blogspot.com

[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]