Have It Your Way with YouBars Products

A few weeks ago, Joel from YouBars graciously sent me samples of some of the company’s products to review.  YouBars is a Los Angeles-based company that allows consumers to custom-make their own nutrition bars, trail mixes and protein powders.  “Almost everyone we knew lit up at the possibility of creating bars tailored to their own tastes and dietary dreams. And so You Bar was born.”

The Best Trail Mix

Review: I loved feeling indulgent and eating candy for breakfast.  The salt of the nuts and sweet of the fruit and chocolate were the perfect addition to my oatmeal.  Would I buy this? I usually make my own trail mix out of bulk fruit and nuts, but if I saw this at the store and needed a quick snack, I’d feel comfortable choosing it.

Review: I love the diced dried apples! The combination of fruit, cereal, chocolate-covered raisins and peanuts makes a satisfying and healthy addition to yogurt or oatmeal.  Would I buy this? Again, I usually make my own, but this mix will definitely inspire future LVP creations.

Breakfast Bar

Review: Very sticky! You can really taste the dates.  It reminds me a bit of a No Pudge Brownie or a raw vegan brownie.  It’s very dense, but I like that it’s very low in fat while still being hearty. It tasted more and more like a brownie with every bite! It’s not overly sweet, and not at all like a Larabar in terms of texture.  It has no nuts, and isn’t raw or vegan, but tastewise it’s comparable.  Ironically, I ate it as a post dinner (and post-dessert!) snack at 1 AM when I couldn’t sleep, and I love that I didn’t wake up feeling like I gorged.  Would I buy this? Definitely.  There is nothing about it I didn’t like.

Great Dates w/ Chocolate YouBar

Review: Very similar to the Breakfast Bar, and very chewy.  Reminds me of the Dark Chocolate Walnut Clif Nectar bar; there are bits of nuts inside which were not listed under the definitive ingredients list;  I enjoyed the surprise texture, but it may be a problem for those who have allergic reactions from more than a “trace” of nuts.   Would I buy these? Yes.  They’re hearty without being a “caloric commitment” and I felt good about snacking on this.

Review: It’s crumbly and crispy, and nothing like the textures of the other bars.  The consistency is a bit like dry cashew buter.  The honey taste is flavorful but not overpowering.  The texture itself is a bit odd, but I really like it.  Would I buy this? Yes.  I think this might be my favorite of the YouBars!

YouShake Blended Bliss Protein Powder

Review: This must be blended really well in order to get rid of the powdery clumps.  I used 1/4 packet in a serving of nonfat yogurt,  and really enjoyed the subtle fruit flavor.  It would probably be delicious in a smoothie.  Would I buy this? Maybe.  When I do buy protein powders,  I usually go for more neutral flavors like vanilla or plain.

YouShake Vanilla Dream Protein Powder

Review: The powder has a light, sweet taste.  I used it to make a Breakfast Cookie- the only time I really use protein powder on a regular basis- and the cookie turned out a little fluffier than usual, which I loved.  There was no bitter aftertaste (a common side effect of other powders I’ve encountered).  Would I buy this? Again, I don’t use protein powder as much as I used to, but should I be in the market again, would consider buying this one.

Thanks again to YouBars for giving me the opportunity to review these products! For a 5% discount on all YouBars products, enter code Lilveggiepatch at checkout.