Gnu Foods Fiber Love Bars! Review of the best bar ever!

Fiber One, move over! Someone has taken your place... And done it 100 times better. 

Who, you ask, is so special that I would start a blog post calling out the ever-popular Fiber One Bars? Keep reading, and allow me to blow your socks off...

A company who goes by the name of Gnu Foods has perfected 10 different "bars" packed full of fiber (48% daily fiber, in fact), delicious-ness and all healthy, Non-GMO Project Certified ingredients.

With real fruit, and flavors like coconut macaroon, carrot cake, banana walnut, orange & cranberry (which I just had), blondie, and the 2 to-die-for cobblers: apple cobbler and blueberry cobbler,  there's a flavor for virtually everyone. If you're like me, all 10 flavors are for you. And I'm about to give you lovely folks a review on every single one of those flavors!

Add to the already pleasant experience -- the total lack of artificial crap ingredients in the Fiber Love Bars, & you really get the taste of perfection (and the rare experience of real food) without the aftertaste of un-natural flavors or that dreadful heaviness in your stomach, or the sugar-film that coats your tongue and teeth. 

Those are just some of the many differences I've detected after this granola-bar-loving girl made the switch to trying Gnu Foods' totally natural, organic Fiber Love bars.

 Totally. Worth. It.

Taste

I'm going to start the review aspect of this post on taste since taste is pretty much the most important aspect of food because even if it is as healthy as these fiber bars are & made with the best ingredients, the decision of whether you will eat it or not is going to depend largely on how it taste, am I right?

I mean, it could cure cancer and if it tastes and smells like fried death, most people are not going to be able to eat it. 

Well, unless there was a way around tasting something that had the flavor of fried death (crush it up and make a capsule/pill-form of the fried-death-tasting-cure?)

   

 Sorry for that. I figured, it really wouldn't be realistic that most people would not eat something that could cure cancer, even it it was something dead, so I had to be logical here and well, it wouldn't be logical to think there wasn't a way around tasting something in this day and age when we can turn anything into a pill-form, or just crush up whatever it is we're wanting to consume without tasting it, and buy empty capsules to put it in. In that case, most people would definitely be able to tolerate swallowing anything.

Okay then! 

Let's just move on and get away from that. The taste of Fiber Love Bars. That's what we were talking about...

Flavors/Taste

At this time, I've tried the following Fiber Love Bars: Blueberry Cobbler, Apple Cobbler, and Orange Cranberry.

Since Blueberry cobbler was the first one I tried (blueberry cobbler has always been one of my favorite desserts since childhood,  making it the perfect comfort food), I'll go in order & begin with it, and I will update on the other flavors as I try them. 

Blueberry Cobbler:
Oh my! The taste of a homemade blueberry cobbler is nothing short of heavenly. Gnu Foods did a splendid job at creating our favorite comfort foods into an easy to gobble bar.

Surprisingly, it does resemble all the flavors in a homemade blueberry cobbler, and with every bite comes a chunk of real blueberry. 

As with all 10 Fiber Love Bars, the blueberry cobbler is very soft, chewy and with the tiniest crunch of the seeds and grains -- a combination that equals perfection.

Coconut Macaroon: If you've ever had a coconut macaroon, there isn't much difference between those and the Fiber Love bar, except texture. As all of the bars are, the coconut macaroon is also super soft, chewy and with various seeds and oats throughout. I have to say, there isn't a coconut overload in the bar like you get with a coconut macaroon. The shreds of coconut are thin and hardly noticeable, which will please many haters of the coconut texture.

Apple Cobbler:
Yum! Apple cobbler is one of my favorites. It reminds me a lot of the apple cinnamon packet oatmeal. Even the apples in the fiber bar taste just like those in oatmeal that comes in packs. There's a cinnamon flavor mixed in as well. I think most people are going to be a fan of this flavor.

Orange Cranberry:   
With squishy bits of satisfying orange and cranberry, I taste the orange the most in this bar.
Orange cranberry taste mostly like oranges. Actually, the bits of orange are more aromatic than they are flavorful, but good none the less. The aroma of orange peel (especially if you've ever squeezed the peel, it puts off a strong orange oil scent) is so strong that I didn't taste anything else. The cranberries went un-noticed by my tongue, but I really loved this fruity, sweet fiber bar! The seeds and oats work really well in combination of the oranges.

Peanut Chocolate Chip:  Peanut chocolate chip tastes a lot like dark chocolate. There's a minor hint of peanut throughout, but it could easily go un-noticed. I liked this one and think it'll also be a fan by most people, especially if you're  a chocolate lover. It's the perfect alternative to a candy bar. That's my favorite thing about these Fiber Love bars -- they truly do the trick, leaving me with a feeling of satisfaction rather than that crappy feeling of just wanting more, which I really hate!

Banana Walnut:
Carrot Cake: As someone who isn't a carrot cake fan, I was surprised to like the carrot cake fiber bar! Thankfully, it doesn't really taste like a carrot cake too much. It taste more like a sweet granola bar with some spice in it. I did enjoy the shreds of carrots within the bar, though. The subtle, but sweetly satisfying flavors are just right when you want something a bit dessert-ish but not sickingly sweet, or fruity.

Cinnamon Raisin:  I expected cinnamon raisin to taste much like an oatmeal cinnamon raisin cookie, but it didn't. It's just like an oatmeal raisin cookie without the oatmeal. Seeds and oats replace the oatmeal, but its equally as satisfying. The cinnamon isn't overpowering and the raisin in every bite makes this filling and delicious. 

Blondie: The blondie bar has a rich dark chocolate brownie flavor, which is the absolute perfect fix for a brownie lover or craving. Almost exactly like a chocolate brownie except I detected the real cacao in the awesome blondie bar!

Chocolate Brownie:  The chocolate brownie tastes just like, you guessed it, a chocolate brownie! It and the blondie bar are very similar in their brownie-likeness and their rich, dark chocolate taste. The chocolate brownie also tastes of real cacao. So rich and chewy and gourmet-like!

Note: I originally intended to do separate reviews for each bar, but I think it's going to be more logical to put it all in one post since I'm including all the other information on them and not just flavor info. I also wanted my readers to be able to find all the information in one place rather than have to keep viewing different pages of my blog to get the info they want.

 If for some reason, any of you prefer separate reviews, please let me know & I'll do that instead & just try to get all the other information that's universal to all the bars (such as price and health info) into each review as well. Believe me, nothing will be left out about Gnu Foods' Fiber Love Bars in this review!

Health Benefits/Results:

  By "results," I'm referring to the changes that I noticed while eating these. Even if it's just a food, when you make a healthy (or un-healthy) change in your diet, it's not un-common to feel changes in your body, so I like to include any of that information in a review when I do notice changes.

Digestive: The ingredients in the Fiber Love Bars, like the fiber content, real fruit, etc. can have a positive effect on our digestive system. When introduced to new or more fiber into your diet, like I have done since eating a Fiber Love Bar every day, it's possible to feel changes such as more regular bathroom visits, easing of constipation, etc.

As you'll see on the back of the label, "regularity," is something to expect if you're getting more fiber every day. This is something folks with digestive issues like IBS may welcome, including myself. The real fruit is also going to contribute to healthier bathroom visits. As many know, blueberries (and fiber) can help relieve constipation.

Perfect Alternative to Sugary Cravings

It's hard to find a healthier alternative to sweet treats. If you're a hardcore sweet lover who, like me, who can't seem to quell the irritating need for a sweet nagging at you until you give it what it wants, then you're going to love these Fiber Love Bars.

I tend to crave cake, cookies, chocolate, etc. at all hours of the day, and while I can ignore them for hours at a time, at the end of the day, the irritation in the back of my mind begging for sweets can be overwhelming. For a long time now, I've tried ways to change this -- by ignoring it all together (didn't work, and left me feeling irritable and un-satisfied any time I did eat), trying alternatives (which either tasted so badly that they didn't do anything for the craving for real sweets, or they tasted so unlike a sweet treat that it didn't offer any satisfaction at all, and in the end only intensified the sugar craving.

There have been some "alternatives" that were healthier than say cake and cookies, but their ingredients have been about as negative on my health as the real crap. 

Then there's the alternatives marketed as diet beverages and foods. Those have offered some decent results for me during the first several tries, but in the end, I've not been able to replace my sweet junk craving with them. They tend to put me back at square one -- feeling deprived or just un-satisfied.

So, these healthy, filling Fiber Love Bars have been the most satisfying thing all around for me as far as hunger and sweet cravings go.

I find that after almost finishing a Fiber Love Bar (before it's even gone, usually), I'm not only already feeling full, but I feel like my craving for sweets has been completely satisfied! And it doesn't come back. So far, one Fiber Love Bar a day (in fact, most of those days, I don't even finish the full bar!) has been plenty for me. Unlike with cookies and cake and candy -- including some "diet" cookies I've tried that contained little sugar and a lot of healthy ingredients), although plenty delicious, I'd eat one and only want more and more -- the craving completely subsides for me. So, I'm highly impressed on that aspect.

This is something I love about these bars as much as I do their flavor.

Filling and Satisfying: As I've said, the Fiber Love Bars are very filling, which I didn't expect when I first saw their size. They're somewhat thin and short -- a perfect serving size, but I was afraid that like cake and cookies, I'd only want more after I finished that last bite. This has not been the case, and they leave me feeling just full and satisfied enough to kill any hunger or snack craving from creeping up for hours. I typically get hungry as a hippo in the early evenings, which is when I tend to down the most sweets because I'm not quite ready for a meal, and my mind says "just have a cookie." Yet that leads to more, and within the hour, my stomach is growling again, which leads me to... Well, you know the never-ending cycle of this nightmare! 

Extra Information on Health and the Fiber Love Bars

As printed on the back of each individually wrapped bar's label, these Fiber Love Bars contribute to good health: Heart health, weight management, and natural regularity. 

Aside from the healthy benefits of eating something that tastes so divine and with the perfect hint of natural sweetness, the bars also contain 12 grams of natural fiber and 6 grains and seeds.

Also noted on the label is the important fact that "diets rich in fiber and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease." 

And "fiber, along with a healthy diet & exercise may help maintain a healthy weight by increasing satiety and curbing appetite."

Those are just some of the great reasons I was so interested in these awesome Fiber Love Bars. 

The fruit in each bar comes with their own extra health benefits. For instance, the blueberry cobbler bar, provides antioxidants and vitamins (such as C) in the orange cranberry, etc. Talk about icing on the er, fiber bar?

Ingredients & Specs for Each Bar:

About 130-140 calories per bar.
3-5g total fat

12g fiber (8g soluble, 4g insoluble)

10g sugar, and 3-4g protein.

***The psyllium contained in the bars, like the blueberry is also widely used for its digestive and regularity benefits.

Blueberry Cobbler

Cal: 130   10 grams sugars  3 grams protein  12 grams Fiber

IngredientsGnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, plums, blueberries, non-GMO canola oil, raisins, vegetable glycerin, wheat protein isolate, blueberry juice concentrate, natural flavors, aluminum-free baking powder, lemon juice concentrate


Banana Walnut:

Cal:  140  Fiber: 12 Protein: 4 g  Sugars: 8 g 

 (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, apples, non-GMO canola oil, walnuts, rice, plums, banana, wheat protein isolate, natural flavors, aluminum-free baking powder

Apple Cobbler: 
Cal: 140   3 grams of protein   12 grams Fiber 
 Sugars: 10 g

IngredientsGnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat  flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, apples, plums, non-GMO canola oil, raisins, vegetable glycerin, rice, apple juice concentrate, wheat protein isolate, natural flavors, cinnamon, aluminum-free baking powder, salt


Blondie: 

 Cals: 140  Fiber: 12   Sugars: 11 Protein: 3

IngredientsGnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, organic white chocolate chips (cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, lecithin, vanilla), plums, organic chocolate chips (cane sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, lecithin, vanilla), vegetable glycerin, rice, non-GMO canola oil, wheat protein isolate, vanilla, natural flavors, aluminum-free baking powder, salt

Carrot Cake:  

Cal: 140  Sugars: 8 grams  Fiber:  12 grams  Protein:  3 grams
Gnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, plums, walnuts, non-GMO canola oil, raisins, vegetable glycerin, carrots, carrot juice concentrate, natural flavors, rice, wheat protein isolate, salt, aluminum-free baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice


Chocolate Brownie:    

Fiber: 12 g  Calories: 140   Protein:  4 g  Sugar:  9 grams

IngredientsGnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, organic chocolate chips (cane sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, lecithin, vanilla), plums, non-GMO canola oil, vegetable glycerin, cocoa powder, wheat protein isolate, rice, natural flavors, vanilla, aluminum-free baking powder, salt



Cinnamon Raisin:  

Cal: 130  Fiber:12 g  Sugars:11  Protein:3g

Ingredients:Gnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, raisins, non-GMO canola oil, apples, plums, rice, wheat protein isolate, vanilla, cinnamon, aluminum-free baking powder


Coconut Macaroon: 

Cal:  160   Fiber:  12g  Sugars:  8g  Protein:  3 g

IngredientsGnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, coconut, plums, non-GMO canola oil, almonds, vegetable glycerin, rice, natural flavors, wheat protein isolate, apple juice concentrate, aluminum-free baking powder, salt

Orange Cranberry: 

Cal: 130   Fiber:  12  

Sugars:  11  Protein:  3

IngredientsGnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, raisins, apples, non-GMO canola oil, plums, cranberries, rice, natural flavors, wheat protein isolate, aluminum-free baking powder

 


Peanut Chocolate Chip 

Cal: 160  Fiber:12   Sugars:8  Protein:4

Ingredients:
Gnu High Fiber Blend™ (whole rolled oats, organic whole wheat flour, wheat bran, organic KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat, psyllium, flax, millet), chicory root inulin, fruit juices, rice dextrins, peanut butter, organic chocolate chips (cane sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, lecithin, vanilla), plums, non-GMO canola oil, vegetable glycerin, peanuts, natural flavors, wheat protein isolate, salt, aluminum-free baking powder.

 

Pricing/Purchase Options

  I have actually enjoyed the Fiber Love Bars so incredibly much after I tried them that it's something I really, really want to keep on hand. They've been the perfect snacks for me in so many ways. So I went on to see my options for buying them & of course, in my area they aren't available in-store (many things aren't.) So, I wanted to check out my options for ordering them. Thankfully, Gnu Foods has a "club member" option (described below, along with prices) that appears to be the best deal for me. It' would also mean I'd be able to keep them on-hand pretty regularly.

 On the Gnu Foods' website (at the time of this writing), you can choose from a single bar ($1.99), a 5-pack (5 bars) at little under $10 or the 16-pack (16 bars) for $28. And shipping a little less than $5.

I also saw an option to join "the club," which is supposed to get you 30% off and free shipping. The information detailed on their club member page also says you can choose to receive your order every 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. You can change this shipping schedule as you wish. There is a 30-bar minimum requirement, though, if you're going to use the "club" option to order Fiber Love Bars. So you have to order a total of at least 30 bars at a time this way. You can choose from all the flavors, and mix it up any way you want.

I am thinking the club member option is a better deal since your total for just a single bar would come out at something like $14. And the regular price (non club member ordering) of 35 bars would be 76, while with the club option, 35 bars turned out to be $48.65.

Oh, and my total (for the 35 bars, 2 weeks that I described above) did in fact include free shipping! 

So, I myself am considering joining the Fiber Love Club for 4 or 6 weeks next time, that way I can continue to have them right at home & not have to remember to order them every 2 weeks. Now if you do have a place that carries Gnu Foods' products, then you might be able to find them in-store somewhere near you. You can check to see if they are available in your area by using their store locator here.

You can also do what I've done & follow Fiber Love Bar on Facebook to keep up to date with their products & for possible deals.









What do those of you who've tried any of these Fiber Love Bars think about them? Do you have a favorite flavor? Are these bars something you love or could do without? Did any of you ever notice any improvements in health or "regularity"? I'd especially love to hear from my fellow IBS (and other folks with digestive issues) about how these might've affected you.

*Want to share your thoughts on my review format, style, or anything else? Please don't hesitate to leave feedback!

For example: Was this post easy to follow? Did the review include enough information that you could comfortably make a well-informed decision on whether or not the product I reviewed is a fit for you or did you feel that any area was lacking? What could I have done better? Are my reviews reader-friendly or is there something I could include to make them easier on you? Something else you would change? 

** It's really important to me that the reviews here at Ribbons & Pearls are as well-done and informative to you guys as humanly possible, so help me to make sure I keep bringing you the best! Feedback is always welcome (you can leave it via email, as a comment on the blog here, through Facebook, etc.)





Disclaimer: I am not a specialist, expert, professional or doctor of any kind. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with any company mentioned on this site. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.