Today’s question is about sugar-free energy bars for diabetics…

I’m diabetic. I’m looking for a sugar-free bar. Does Larabar make what I’m looking for?

Jack

Well, looking at the Larabar I happen to have sitting on my desk, the only ingredients listed are dates, pecans, and almonds. So there is no added sugar, but the bar still contains 16g sugar (which would be from the dates.)

To confirm this, the wrapper even states “No added sugar” (as I mentioned in my review of Larabars.)

To go one step further, I took a look at the Larabar website to see if they offered any advice on this subject. I found that the Larabar contains “no added sugars or sweeteners,” and that it presents “no significant blood sugar raise for diabetics.”

From what I can see, it looks like the Larabar is indeed what you are looking for.

But just in case you are searching for more options, there is another bar out there called the SoLo GI bar, because it is low on the Glycemic Index. It does contain sugar, but their FAQ page states, “SoLo bars are excellent for diabetics, because they help manage blood sugar throughout the day.”

Aside from those bars, it’s going to be difficult to find any conventional energy bars that don’t contain sugar, since sugar is the body’s main source of energy – hence the name, “energy bars.”

But both those bars taste great, so at least you have two good bars!

(I thought that would answer the question, but there is a “Part 2″ to this question…)

Which Larbar are you looking at? Is this true of all Larbars? Or, do you have a sugar-free or reduces sugar bar. Do you understand what I need to know? Do all of the Larbars contain dates. Surely your developers have this nutritional information. The sugar is not listed on all Larbars.

Sixteen grams per serving is twice what a half cup of milk contains. Let me know, as I like your product and would like to enjoy it often.

Dude, I don’t work for Larabar. I just eat Larabars. If you need to get in touch with their “developers” you will have to call or email Larabar directly.

But thanks for giving me an idea of what a customer service rep must deal with every day!

There is no denying that LARABAR is one of the best tasting energy bars available. Ever since I ate my first one and subsequently wrote a review of them, I’ve been chowing down on them whenever I get a chance.

Which is why I’m stoked to be the “LARABAR Fan of the Day.”

You can see me on their blog and read all about it here. Check it out!

When I first saw a LARABAR, I thought it was a new offshoot of the CLIF BAR, kind of like another Luna bar. The packaging was similar and even included a story on the back of the wrapper. I bought a few to try without knowing anything about them. At first I was shocked, but that shock quickly turned into a pleasant surprise.

See, as I examined the package, I found a weird ingredients list – there were only three of them! They were dates, pecans, and almonds. I wondered where all the other “necessary” ingredients were to actually make an energy bar. The stuff about being “raw” also puzzled me. Then I was shocked when I looked at the thing!

It turns out that the bar was made mainly from a date paste with chunks of pecans and almonds thrown in, then formed into a nice rectangle. (I was expecting something like an oat bar with small pieces of dates in it.)

So once I understood, I was hooked! It turned out to be really, really good. Too bad I didn’t come up with the idea myself, though .

Here’s what was on the wrapper: No added sugar – Unprocessed – Raw – Non-GMO – Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Soy Free – Vegan – Kosher. Quite a nice list!

I’ve had a bunch of LARABARs since that first one, including Banana Cookie, Cherry Pie, Cinnamon Roll, and Chocolate. Banana Cookie is my favorite because it tastes just like fresh-cooked banana bread. Pecan Pie and Cherry Pie were good along with Cinnamon Roll. I wasn’t too fond of Cashew Cookie, though. I like cashews but that bar just didn’t seem to have that much flavor. The chocolate Jocolat bar interesting; it was certainly a raw, bland chocolate, which was pretty good, although I preferred the other bars.

So the bars taste good, but do they make good energy bars?

They are great for snacking since they’re all-natural and deliver some fruit and healthy fats, but I have yet to try one during a bike ride. However, I assume they will work just fine. Dates are full of carbs for energy, and that’s all that really matters, right? Sure all the good fats and protein come in handy, but we need energy to ride. Looking at a Cherry Pie wrapper, I see 190 calories, 28 grams of carbs, 4 grams of protein, and a total 8 grams of fat. That sounds good to me. Granted a Powerbar usually has 230 calories and 45 grams of carbs, that’s not always necessary.

If you’re just looking for lots of carbs and nothing else, the Powerbar might be the way to go. But I recommend checking out the LARABAR if you want a healthier option for on-the-go snacking. It is “energy in its purest form” according to LARABAR.

My final verdict is…

Try a couple LARABARS – I suggest a Banana Cookie and a Cinnamon Roll. Based on the ingredients (or lack thereof), I can actually suggest this bar easily since it’s real food and not full of processed crap! You might even like these if you hate all the other energy bars.

Since they’re only a buck or two each, it’s not a huge loss if you don’t like them. And if you do like them, it’s a great way to get a serving of fruit during your ride.

Official website: www.LaraBar.com.

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