At the 2008 PF Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Arizona I was introduced to Larabars. They had a booth where they were giving away adorable, tiny versions of their bars. I went to the booth, looked at all the flavors and said, “I don’t know how I’m ever going to pick!” The rep just laughed and said, “No, take one of each flavor!” I felt a little like I’d hit the jackpot.

(Obviously that was before they started their current ruling of 2 mini-bars per person. I’ll blame the economy on this change.)

When I trained to do the San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon with Team In Training, I took a Larabar with me to eat after my long runs. After running umpteen miles, I usually need something in me pretty quickly, was often a good distance from my house and these really hit the spot.

The beauty of the Larabar is in the ingredient list. They never contain more than six items and each item is a REAL FOOD, not something that sounds like a lab experiment. They are uncooked, unprocessed and all the sweetness comes from fruits. If you shy away from health foods, you may think that this doesn’t sound like it would be tasty. But you would be dead wrong, they are truly some of the most delicious bars I’ve ever eaten.

Since I received a wide assortment of the bars at the race in 2008, I got to try most of the flavors. Since that time they’ve released a few other flavors (Coconut Cream Pie, Peanut Butter Cookie, Tropical, etc.) and I’ve made a point to try those as well. I have yet to find a flavor I like!

I kind of got out of the habit of eating these, but a few weeks ago Jillian at Finishing is Winning had a surprise giveaway for people who had commented on one of her posts. So because I left her a few song recommendations, I was the recipient of the surprise – 3 Larabars! Opening that box was a great present!* And that has re-affirmed that I really do like these bars and should eat them more often.

The bars range from 180-220 calories (roughly) and contain good fats/sugars from natural sources (like nuts and dates). Since I’m trying to consume more dietary fat right now, these are a great option.

Amazon.com usually has boxes of 16 bars for a better price than buying them individually, some are variety packs but those don’t often include some of my new favorites (Coconut, Peanut Butter, PB&J!). I have to seek those out from Whole Foods or some place like that and purchase them individually.

I do really like the mini bars they give out at expos and wish they would sell those in stores, they’re a good size.

Do you have a favorite Larabar flavor?

*These would make a great Valentine’s gift for someone!

This review was prompted by my own love for this product.