Field Report

Humm Foods LÄRABAR  

March 5, 2006

Name: Kevin Pferdner

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Height: 5' 11" (1.8 m)

Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)

Email address: kpferdner@yaho.com

City, State, Country: Cottonwood Heights, Utah, USA

Backpacking Background: I have been backpacking for nearly 20 years. Most of my experience has been in Utah with exception to one trip in the Wind Rivers in Wyoming. My trips cover from one to six days in the backcountry and can cover terrain from a few to over 50 miles (81 km) in one trip. I usually cover higher elevations of 8,000’ (2,438 m) to 13,500’ (4,115 m).  My experience has been limited to 3 seasons as I usually take the time in the winter to backcountry ski instead of taking multi-day backpacking trips. I consider my backpacking style to be moderate in weight.

Product Information

Company: Humm Foods

Website: www.larabar.com

MSRP (US): $1.65 per individual bar or $27.00 per box of 16 bars

Product                                    Weight Stated                        Weight Received                    Calories

Cherry Pie                                1.7 oz            (48 g)               1.9 oz            (54 g)               190

Ginger Snap                             1.8 oz            (51 g)               1.8 oz            (51 g)               220

Chocolate Coconut Chew         1.8 oz            (51 g)               1.9 oz            (54 g)               220

Cashew Cookie                        1.7 oz            (48 g)               1.9 oz            (54 g)               230

Apple Pie                                 1.6 oz            (45 g)               1.9 oz            (54 g)               190

Banana Cookie                         1.8 oz            (51 g)               1.9 oz            (54 g)               210

Pecan Pie                                 1.6 oz            (45 g)               2.0 oz            (57 g)               220

Cocoa Mole                             1.8 oz            (51 g)               1.9 oz            (54 g)               200

Product Description:

LÄRABAR’s are energy bars that are packed with uncooked raw ingredients. Humm Food’s philosophy is to build on a foundation of a health, mind body and spirit by the use of foods that are consumed in their whole and natural state. Their website is full of all sorts of information on their products. What makes LÄRABAR (per their website) unique is:

• LäraBar is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from 100% whole raw food, each flavor contains no more than 2 to 6 ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended. ™
• LäraBar is free of: gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, corn, added sugars and sweeteners, preservatives, fillers, colorings.
• LäraBar is rich in: fiber, antioxidants, heart-healthy Omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids, beneficial carbohydrates.

Field Conditions:

I was able to test the LÄRABARs during a variety of activities. Here is the list of activities where I used the LÄRABARs:

•  Alpine skiing at Alta Ski Area. Temperatures were in the range of 30-40 F (-1 to 5 C) with elevations of 9,000-10,500’ (2,700-3,200 m). Wind was low to moderate. Terrain was mountainous and rugged with snow depths around 140” (356 cm). I ski hard from 9AM-4PM skiing straight without a break for lunch. I ski groomed runs, moguls, steeps, powder bowls and mix in some traverses and short hikes to get to remote parts of the ski area. I consumed 2 bars each day of skiing, one in the morning and then the other as soon as my legs start dying near 1 PM.
• Backcountry skiing in the Wasatch Mountains. Temperatures were near 20 F (-7 C) with an elevation gain around 2,000’ (610 m). Terrain was mountainous and rugged with snow depths around 140” (356 cm). Backcountry skiing involves “skinning” or cross country skiing up-slope with traditional alpine gear, which can be quite heavy on each foot. I always have a pack with snow safety equipment, water, maps, food and other items that can weigh up to 15 pounds (7 kg). My ski touring was approximately 5 miles (8 km) in length. I took 1 LÄRABAR with me to give me the boost for getting up to the top.
• 4-mile (6.5 km) run. Elevation was near 4,000’ (1,200 m) with temperatures near 40 F (4.5 C). Terrain was mostly flat with mild hill climbs and descents. I run in the mornings and used the LÄRABAR as a post run snack to help me out for the rest of the morning.
• Camping in snow caves. Temperature was near 5 F (-15 C) with an elevation near 8,000’ (2,400 m) and no wind. Snow depth was around 100” (254 cm). I didn’t pack in since it was only a few hundred yards/meters away from the parking lot. However it is work to dig and prepare snow caves and food is extremely helpful in keeping warm in cold conditions. I ate one LÄRABAR right before going to bed to help stoke my internal fire to keep me warm during the night.
• Snowshoeing in the Wasatch Mountains. The hike was about 4-miles (6.5 km) in length. The elevation was 8,000-9,000 feet (2,400-2,700 m). Temperatures were near 25 F (-4 C) with light winds. I ate 1 LÄRABAR half way through the hike.

Impressions:

After previewing the ingredients I had imagined LÄRABARs to be nothing more than gooey GORP (good old raisins and peanuts). I was extremely wrong. I was very impressed with these bars. They are the same size as most energy/candy bars. The ingredients are very simple as stated in my initial report. However the most dominating ingredient in all these bars was dates. It’s a good thing I like dates or else I would have been highly disappointed. I was impressed with each bars fresh taste and the softness of each bar. I have had many energy bars that have frozen up in cool temperatures and I didn’t see that as much with the LÄRABARs. I always kept the LÄRABARs in my ski shell pocket, which probably kept it from freezing on all of the above activities.

I have been impressed with the variety of flavors:

·        Apple Pie:  My first bar was the Apple Pie which even though it was the first bar I tried, it has remained my favorite bar of the bunch. The apple tasted fresh and gave a semi-tart taste to the bar. The only problem was that I wish there was more of it.

·        Chocolate Coconut Chew:  I had expected a chocolate coated bar or chocolate chips mixed in the bar. This was not a sweet tasting bar. I liked the coconut in this bar more than the unsweetened chocolate.

·        Cherry Pie: This was another favorite, maybe since I like tart foods. Even though dates seem to dominate most of the LÄRABARs, the cherry helped control most of the flavor. I also like the nuts that helped mellow out some of the tartness of the cherries.

·        Banana Cookie: As soon as I opened the package the smell of banana hit me like a wall. I am usually quite a fan of bananas but for some reason this flavor just didn’t do it for me. I think the problem for me was that the bar tasted like over ripened/rotten bananas where as I like bananas that are still a little green. I was still fine with the bar but it was one of my least favorite bars out of the group.

·        Ginger Snap: This was by far the worst bar I had. It’s not a bar that I ever would have purchased for myself since I have never been a fan of ginger bread. The ginger was too strong. I just couldn’t stomach eating it and left the other ¾ of the bar uneaten. Just to make sure that I was not being overly sensitive, after I got back from backcountry skiing I let my wife give it a try since she likes ginger bread. She also thought it was on the strong side and didn’t care for it either.

·        Cashew Cookie: I used this bar as a post-running snack. I thought it was good but dry. This is one bar that you need some water to help wash it down. The flavor is very mild. There are only 2 ingredients in this bar, which are cashews and dates. It’s actually a good mix and was nice to have after eating the Banana Cookie and Ginger Snap bars.

·        Cocoa Mole: After being disappointed with the Chocolate Coconut Chew not being sweet, I was not expecting this bar to be sweet either. I only tasted a hint of the cocoa powder and the dates really overpowered this bar. In fact I don’t recall tasting the cinnamon or chili that are listed in the ingredients. It was a good tasting bar but not quite what I had expected.

·        Pecan Pie: This bar was similar to the Cashew Cookie in that it was also very mild. If you like nuts, this is where it’s at. I think the only reason dates are in this bar is to keep the bar glued together. I also need something to drink with this bar to help wash it down.

Availability:

I have been to a few local grocery (Albertson’s and Ream’s) and outdoor retail stores (Gart Sports and Dick’s Sporting Goods) and have been unable to come across these bars. I was surprised about Gart Sports who recently merged with Sport Authority since their corporate headquarters are right in LäraBar’s backyard of Englewood, CO. According to LäraBar’s website I should be able to find their product at any Wild Oats, REI or Kroger’s store (here in Utah that would be Smith’s Food & Drug). I was able to find them at REI and Smith’s Food & Drug but only a limited variety of flavors were found. Neither store had all 8 flavors available. They can also be ordered via an easy search on the web with many retailers that will ship them straight to my home mostly by the box. From the pricing that I have seen in the stores, they seem in-line with other similar energy bars.

Conclusion:

I think that the LÄRABARs gave me about the same energy as Clif Bars which have always been my companion previous to this test. I will be adding LÄRABARs to my future adventures but will still keep the Clif Bars around since they seem to be sweeter. LÄRABARs have never made me nauseous. Nor have they left me feeling empty or like I needed another. LÄRABAR’s aren’t at all sticky, don’t leave unpleasant after tastes and don’t crumble.