Do You Know My Friends LUNA and CLIF?



On Monday I received a really nice and colorful surprise.... a box full of LUNA bars, CLIF bars and CLIF SHOT BLOKS... to sample and review.

There were 3 LUNA bars:

• Lemon Zest
• Nutz Over Chocolate
• Chocolate Peppermint Stick

And 4 CLIF bars:

• Peanut Toffee Buzz
• Coolmint Chocolate
• Chocolate Chip
• Black Cherry Almond

And 4 CLIF SHOT BLOKS:

• Cran-razz
• Citrus
• Margarita
• Mountain Berry

I was so excited to try them all, I had a tough time deciding where to start... but it was teatime on board The Goodship Lollipop just about the time I was opening the box, so The Captain poured us each a cup of spicy chai, and I opened up the Nutz Over Chocolate LUNA bar and cut it in half.



We savored every little bite, along with our tea.  Lovely!  I really like LUNA bars because they are not too sweet, and are full of organic, natural ingredients that I know are good for us.  They make a wholesome,  really delicious snack between meals, and satisfy the 'need' for a treat as well.   This bar has 9g of protein and 3g of fibre.  No wonder it is so satisfying.

After dinner, The Captain was wanting a little something, and knowing how much he loves lemon, I decided to open the Lemon Zest LUNA bar.  I cut it in half.

I opted to cut my half up into smaller bits and enjoyed it as a crunchy topping to some vanilla yogurt.

This bar is delightful!  The lemon flavor is very natural and has just the right amount of tang.  This bar also has 9 g of protein and 3 g of fibre.  No snacks needed tonight!



I was a little apprehensive about trying the CLIF SHOT BLOKS.  I have no experience at all with energy fuels... gus, gels, shots,  or these somewhat odd-looking SHOT BLOKS.  The package was cool in my hand and felt squishy, somewhat like large, very soft, gum drops.



I looked at the CLIF web site and learned that CLIF SHOT BLOKS are made with 95 percent organic ingredients, and they provide an optimum blend of carbohydrates and electrolytes for essential energy and proper muscle function.  Some have caffeine, and one has added sodium.

"Shaped like small cubes, BLOKS taste great and are easy to chew. Plus they’re simple to handle mid-run or mid-ride with their performance-friendly FASTPAK packaging that makes one-handed, on-the-go usage a breeze."

Okay then.  I decided to take a package along on our Tuesday run, so we could try them out to see how they go down while running and how they taste and how they make us feel.  There are 6 BLOKS in a package and each BLOK has about 30 - 35 calories. 

Before we set out, I reached into the goodie box and pulled out the Cran-Razz BLOKS and put the package into a small zip lock bag in my jacket pocket.  Our run was 74 minutes long and I decided we would do run/walk intervals of 9/1.   At the 39 minute point, during our walk break, I handed the package of SHOT BLOKS to The Captain. He opened it very easily and slid the first BLOK into his mouth and then I took one as well.... what a great surprise! 

The BLOK was soft and tasty and it was very easy to chew as I started into my next run interval.  It didn't stick to my teeth at all, as I had feared it might.  It went down very easily and didn't feel cloying or taste sickeningly sweet.  I quite enjoyed it and The Captain did too.  His favorite candies are gum drops and gummy bears and he said he really liked the BLOK... it reminded him of Turkish Delight.  And although we did both have a sip of water afterward,  neither of us felt like we had to wash the BLOK down with water.

At the 59 minute mark, we both ate another one.  Same good experience.  The BLOKS went down easy, tasted great and neither of us felt any ill effects stomach-wise, which I do know is a problem for some runners with some energy fuels.

Normally when we finish a run of this duration or more, I am ravenous afterwards... can hardly wait to get a nutritious snack down.  But today, I didn't feel that way.  I am sure it was because the BLOKS gave me just enough sugar and sodium and potassium to take the edge off as I ran and then completed my cooldown walk and stretches.  We are definitely going to be trying CLIF SHOT BLOKS on our longer runs as we go forward with our half marathon training.  And I am excited about all the other flavors, too.

We have been eating and enjoying CLIF bars for several years. I usually buy them by the case when they are on sale at a local grocers... and I always buy the same flavor, Crunchy Peanut Butter.  At about 250 calories, CLIF bars are almost a meal in themselves.  I always have some in the glove box of the car, and I take them along on long walks, bike rides, and hikes.  They are a handy, filling, and nutritioius snack when we are sailing and have our hands so busy that we couldn't possibly eat a regular meal. They don't melt and are not sticky.  I am confident in the ingredients and know from years of experience that they will satisfy me for a few hours.  When I am needing food and know that I am not going to get a real meal for some time, I will opt for a CLIF bar.

We opened the Peanut Toffee Buzz CLIF bar on Tuesday evening, for a snack while watching tv. 

I cut it up into several piece so we could take our time with it.

It really gives the Crunchy Peanut Butter a run for its money... not sure, but it could become my new favorite!

I hope you will take a few minutes to check out LUNA bars and CLIF SHOT BLOKS and CLIF bars for yourself. 

And thanks to LUNA and CLIF for all of these wonderful samples and for introducing me to the BLOKS - I know that they will be part of our running and working out regimen now, too.

I was given these products to sample and review at no cost to me, but the opinions expressed are 100% my own.