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We Ate It: Custom-Made Energy Bars from YouBar

By: Stepfanie Romine : 3/26/2009 10:34:00 AM : 113 comments

I am a BIG fan of bars. Energy bars, breakfast bars, granola bars--you name it, I like it! They're portable and great for eating before or after the gym, during a long afternoon meeting or on a road trip.

Recently I learned about YouBars, which are customized bars. I contacted the company and asked if we could sample some products. They let me design a bar for us to try (and you can, too!) and then sent along some of their more popular bars.
UPDATED: YouBar's co-owner just contacted me. He is offering dailySpark readers a 10% discount!

He wrote: "Thank you so much for the wonderful article about our company. We
have received quite a response from your readers.

I was reading over the comments on the article and I noticed that
people thought the bars were a little out of their price range. I
would like to extend a 10% discount to your readers. All they have to
do is type in "dailyspark" in the coupon code section of the shopping
cart page and they will receive the discount on the entire order."

What they say:
"After years of being enthusiastic consumers of commercially available nutrition bars, L.A. mom Ava and her USC business student son Anthony got fed up with buying mass-produced bars that reflected generic tastes.

"Ava wanted bars that weren't too sweet with loads of protein to fuel her days teaching snowboarding and bellydancing. Anthony, a marathon-running athlete, needed high carbs and no milk products (he's allergic). The nutrition bar craze went wild at the beginning of the new millennium, but the number of commercial bars Anthony and Ava (that's us!) could eat actually decreased....So we took the bar by the horns and began making our own nutrition bars at home. It was as though we'd died and gone to heaven, except for the dishes we had to clean! We finally had nutrition bars with the exact ingredients that we wanted free from preservatives and corn syrup, freshly made and as delicious as Mom Ava's fluffy wholegrain pancakes. And they never got boring either: smooth, crunchy, chewy, sweet and savoury to suit any mood!

"We began making customized nutrition bars for the rest of our family and friends' the response was great. (Dad didn't even mind the messy kitchen!) We learned we weren't the only ones fed up with eating mass produced bars. 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.

"We've been making our own nutrition bars for over two years and now you can too. Try creating your own nutrition bar it's fun, easy, fresh and most importantly tastes like you want it to with the nutritional content that you choose. You are what you eat (as Nana used to say), so choose!"

What we say:

Our bars had the YouBar recommended base of almonds and dates, rice protein, almonds, walnuts, organic flaxseeds, dried blueberries, cocoa powder and agave nectar. My blend will be different from anyone else's!

You can include tons of ingredients: Start with a base, add nuts/seeds, protein powders, dried fruit/berries, grains/cereals, and seasonings like ginger, cinnamon, and coffee powder. You can even add infusions such as bee pollen, fiber or stevia. I had so much fun trying to pick out a

These bars are good. I really like them! I�m allergic to peanuts, so I like that the base is almonds. They remind me of LaraBars, which I LOVE. I love that I can make custom blends. I think these would be a cool birthday gift for a friend--or a neat favor for wedding guests.

They're higher in calories than a granola bar; I liken them to an after- or pre-workout protein bar. I think they taste delicious, like they are full of REAL, healthy ingredients.

It was actually really good. I was a little hesitant because sometimes I hate energy bars. But the consistency was good, not flaky and it filled me up. I like the fruit mixed in, it provided a moist refreshing taste. It was extremely filling, I ate the bar around 5:30 and was full until about 9. Good for energy and to keep your workouts going.

It tasted great, actually. My only complaint is it is a little small... and so sweet that it makes me want to eat more food now that I'm done! Maybe better for a snack than for breakfast. Now I know! In any case, I haven't had that style of bar before, but I like it.

These bars are a little pricey, but I think they are a neat product--and a delicious one. I would definitely eat these again, and I would recommend these to anyone with a food sensitivity and allergy.

Nutrition:
Nutrition will vary based on what you use in your bar. We had a lot of nuts and seeds, so our calories and fat are higher than the average granola or cereal bar.

Price: $38.87 (for 13 bars) plus $7.99 shipping
Where to buy? www.youbars.com

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Comments (Scroll to end to leave a comment)

MYOWNHERO 3/2/2010 2:57:06 PM	Pricey, but a fun gift. I ordered some for a loved one with Crohn's Disease so I could specify the ingredients. He loved it! Now he can carry one with him when it will be difficult to find something he can eat on the road.	113
TRAINER_T 7/22/2009 2:51:04 PM	What an excellent idea! I love that is all natural and can be changed to suit the needs of those with special dietary needs wow what a break through! I hope this company succeeds, but with shipping at $3.80 a bar its going to be high for many. Once they get bigger I wonder if they would consider muliti-box rates like at say GNC where you buy a box get one 1/2 price? Thank you for the discounted price for Sparks, thats wonderful!	112
MICHELLEMYBE11 4/14/2009 6:22:41 AM	I can understand that for some the bars truly are cost prohibitive, but I will gladly pay the extra expense for a bar made from real ingredients� and trust me, I�m no Martha Stewart or Donald Trump. Part of the lifestyle change we have implemented in our home since joining SP includes trying to eat food closer to the forms in which they were grown. It seems to me that this company is making strides to provide a product that is just that and I commend them for creating a bar that is minimally processed, and certainly not laden with HFCS or other additives that you�ll find in most �health food� bars in the supermarket. Maybe instead of being so turned off by the price we should try shifting the focus� consider the cost of TRUE health food products as an insurance policy of sorts to ensure a longer and healthier life. -Michelle	111
LIVINHEALTHY9 3/31/2009 6:09:30 AM	What a great idea! And it's nice they are offering a discount to Spark members. Thanks for the article.	110
STDSLE01 3/30/2009 9:47:11 AM	Well Luna bars and the like run around 2 bucks, but if these are customized towards you, it may be worth it. I would be hopeful they would taste better.	109
1234BARB 3/30/2009 6:36:32 AM	THEY SOUND REALLY GOOD	108
WALLOWA 3/29/2009 3:12:34 PM	Fun idea, and I love that they give SP folks a discount.	107
GENEVIEVE34 3/29/2009 9:05:21 AM	Excellent idea, but a bit on the pricey side (though I can understand why). It might be a bit problematic trying to sell them at that price in today's economy. That being said, I understand that they're probably doing the best they can, given the fact that food prices from many company suppliers are through the roof.	106
RAMONAFAY 3/29/2009 8:13:21 AM	To expensive--But I love the idea though!	105
APRIL66 3/28/2009 10:56:44 PM	Price is not an issue for me if it's for food that's good for me. I'm a vegan and slowing gravitating to being a raw foodie as well. Fruits and vegetables are not inexpensive, but they're better for you than a cheap twinkie so, for me, they are worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately, these bars (from what I can see) are not vegan. I currently buy Dr. Weil bars and Lara bars. It's great that this company is using real ingredients for the bars, but including animal parts and bi-products in them in a real downer!	104
FLOWINGWATER 3/28/2009 2:19:32 PM	I like the idea, but I can't get past the price. Even with the discount it's too high for us right now. Hopefully, their company continues to succeed, and they'll be able to drop prices some.	103
CRAFTYC 3/28/2009 1:08:00 PM	With the discount, $3.30 each... great idea, but not very practical for me! I just need to figure out how to make my own. I sure hope they've found a commercial kitchen to produce these in! (maybe that's why the cost is so high? - small business and really high rental fees for the commercial space?)	102
BDETTE263 3/28/2009 9:10:05 AM	WOW! I hope the hand that was holding that bar was a really big because those bars are really little and very expense even with the 10% discount	101
LEARNINGTOLUVME 3/27/2009 10:58:15 PM	I would love to try them but the price isn't something I can just look past. Just wanted to mention something to the people that were commenting on the 17g of sugar. These bars are customized by you so its based on what you pick. The way they picked their bars got them to 17g. I just messed around on the site choosing different things and I never got to 17g of sugar. I will definately come back to the site and if the price is better I will buy for sure.	100
PAYITFWRD4LIFE 3/27/2009 9:32:18 PM	It is a bit pricey and my funds don't allow for it now but it is a facinating concept and I certainly wish YouBars well! I will try them in the future when money permits and I did bookmark their page for when I come back. Thanks for the post!	99
KEYLADY78 3/27/2009 8:50:27 PM	A bit pricey for my budget!	98
LEEPFROG95 3/27/2009 8:32:47 PM	Sounds really cool to do but at $3.00 per bar before the shipping cost I think I would try making my own before spending $3.65 for a bar that looks so small. $7.99 shipping seems HIGH for only 13 bars which look so small...	97
JOHNAIDAN22 3/27/2009 5:18:02 PM	Great concept - too pricey	96
AOGOAE 3/27/2009 2:45:47 PM	this would make a cool gift, especially for an athlete or college student	95
JESSICA.HODGSON 3/27/2009 2:38:21 PM	Love the idea and would love to try them but the price is still a bit much. :) They look delicious though!	94
HEALTHY4NOW 3/27/2009 2:13:51 PM	Would be fun to have a SP create-a-bar challenge with healthy ingredients. I've tried replicating healthy bars and they're quite delicious but, tougher to track calories. Almond flour, eggs & egg whites, bran, oats, nuts, dried apricots, dates, golden raisins, sesame seeds, sweetened with Splenda or fruit juice, almond flavoring. Adaptable for nut, soy, gluten allergies. I call them "Lava Bombs". Almond and apricot are my two favorite flavors.	93
OREAD_1 3/27/2009 1:16:30 PM	I love the concept. I would have ordered them when I worked those long hours and didn't have time to make my own. But now that I am older and wiser (and poorer) I know I can't eat whey (milk protein). And make my own breakfast muffins. I will be looking for more "egg white protein" since I found that rice protein is way too gritty for my taste in my home made stuff. And I don't do soy anymore.	92
JMSURPRENANT 3/27/2009 1:14:28 PM	For that kind of money, I can buy real food...still a cool concept - they just need to find a way to get their retail price down.	91
COFFEE-MATE-Y 3/27/2009 1:03:10 PM	I just went on and ordered a box!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for letting us know about the product! I really hope that it tastes as good as it sounds!	90
AZMOM1 3/27/2009 12:58:29 PM	For that much, I'd make my own bars!	89
NARNIA9334 3/27/2009 12:56:03 PM	It would make a nice gift!	88
*AMBER512 3/27/2009 12:36:26 PM	Even with the discount the price is ridiculous. This is not the kind of economy for me to spend that kind of dough on bars. No matter how tasty.	87
ELLENIP 3/27/2009 12:30:29 PM	I spend about $1 to $2.00 for Lara bars which are similar to these. I suppose you have to spend more in order to have the luxury of customization. Take in account someone is putting together your ingredients, then baking them, then producing a custom package for them, placing them in that package and shipping them to you. Its a little bit more then just making an energy bar or buying crap from a supermarket. I applaud them on their ingredients; it�s great to see a list of natural/organic ingredients and not a bunch of HF corn syrup and sugar. It�s amazing what some people eat just to save a buck! I will forgo a personal expense if I have to in order to eat healthy!	86
CINDYROD82 3/27/2009 11:44:37 AM	I think this will mainly benefit people with allergies (unless you're allergic to almonds) or who are really picky about taste. I love the bars they sell at the stores, especially chocolate and peanut butter bars. And these bars are definitely out of my price range.	85
JUSTCHECKING1 3/27/2009 11:21:54 AM	They sound good but the price. I don't think I'll be buying any of these.	84
FIT_HAWG 3/27/2009 11:01:32 AM	I actually make my own energy bars... I make them once a week for the whole week. I started doing that to save money, and I use organic ingredients. Energy/protein bars were costing me a small fortune!	83
HOJISCOTT 3/27/2009 10:24:41 AM	Yeah, gotta agree about the price, totally impossible (even with a 10% discount) and then you add the shipping!!!! Maybe for Martha Stewart or Donald Trump, not for real life folks.	82
VMIGUEL 3/27/2009 10:20:40 AM	it's still a little pricey for me (family of 4 on a budget) and we buy food it's for everyone I don't think I would want to share for the price. BUT maybe it's worth a try just once.	81
WILD4STARS 3/27/2009 10:04:25 AM	I think it would make a really unique gift for a health minded, hard to buy for person. But even with the discount, pretty pricey for regular consumption.	80
SHANTODD420 3/27/2009 9:58:06 AM	Holy cow I could more boxes of fiber one and kellogs fiber plus anitoxants compared to that. To expensive for my liking. You can make your own bars for that price.	79
GRAYGRANNY 3/27/2009 9:53:33 AM	PRICEY?????????? Uh, yeah!!!!!!!	78
SPANKIE3 3/27/2009 9:48:38 AM	Even with a 10% discount, I wouldn't spend that kind of money per bar. I have bought granola bars, fiber bars at Walmart, Woodman's, etc. They are very reasonable and delicious. They come out to be about .50 to .75 a bar. What would you rather spend? 2.99 per bar or .75 per bar.	77
MRS4WHEELBOB 3/27/2009 9:06:25 AM	There are so many options. I think I am going to get a box made for my husband for our anniversary. He always uses bars on his hikes and these would be perfect. I may even have a go of them myself.	76
WILLDOITTODAY 3/27/2009 9:00:39 AM	I thank it would be fresher and less money to make them a home.	75
MSALWILLIAMS 3/27/2009 9:00:30 AM	Even with a 10% discount these are way to expensive. I think most people can find ones at the store that work for them and if not most people should be able to fit in some time on their days off to make their own.	74
DODANEODWYER 3/27/2009 8:45:18 AM	Nice idea - probably useful for people who either don't have the time to make their own or have tons of $$. Not practical in this economy for me	73
LIZABAKER 3/27/2009 8:45:10 AM	Hurray - love to see their list of ingredients and attitude. But hate the price. Homemade would be best if you can't afford this bar. SP has some wonderful recipes!	72
JEWITCH 3/27/2009 8:05:07 AM	Sounds good but a little to expensive for me.	71
SUEBEE42 3/27/2009 7:44:19 AM	HOLY expensive, Batman. I agree, with a little knowhow, you can probably make them yourself at home.	70
OLDTOWNGYM 3/27/2009 7:23:35 AM	For that price I can make them at home, thank you very much.	69
CYNTHIAS48 3/27/2009 7:11:05 AM	Definitely not doable on my budget ! That's almost 2/3 of our weekly food budget!	68
SHAYLA-SHAYLA 3/27/2009 6:19:42 AM	It does sound pretty neat but with the discount the bars are still about 2.69 each (with shipping not added in yet). That's way more than I could justify spending.	67
FINALLYFIT08 3/27/2009 6:02:17 AM	How about a small bag of trail mix?	66
CGG111 3/27/2009 5:17:34 AM	I agree with some of the others...this product is too expensive even with the discount. Lara bars also gets my vote for value and quality.	65
QUILTHORSE 3/27/2009 3:59:58 AM	Even with a 10% discount by the time I pay for the bars and the high shipping, it's $3 a bar! Even Lara bars are cheaper than that at my local store. I can also make my own for evn less than Lara bars, and I can control how they're made. To me, there are better snacks than this for the money and the calories! Beth G	64