LUNA Bar Review/Giveaway- A More Nutritious and Delicious Alternative

When you're a busy mom on the go, you'd best have a stock of healthy snacks readily available! Sometimes though, carrot sticks just don't do it for me. I have a pretty serious sweet tooth, but I know a Snickers bar isn't a great option. Alright, it's the worst option. So when my sweet tooth kicks in and I'm on the run, I usually grab a protein bar, (I also love them for a post-workout snack after the gym when I'm still out running errands). I've tried just a couple kind of bars, and I admit, I don't love them, but they satisfy my sweet tooth to a point, and the protein helps me feel full longer. I was recently sent a sample pack of LUNA bars to try. LUNA bars come from the CLIF bars company, and are bars made specifically with women in mind. There are a few things that drew me to LUNA bars.

• LUNA bars are 100% natural; no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
  
• Each bar contains essential vitamins for women like folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and iron: Nutrients that many women often lack in their regular diets.
  
• LUNA bars are low-glycemic

• No artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup or trans fats, and no ingredients sourced from genetically modified organisms.

• LUNA bars have gluten free and dairy free options

LUNA bars have about 180 calories with 9-10 grams of protein and 3-4 grams of fiber. I was able to try an assortment of the new LUNA bars coming to stores this month, like the Chocolate Dipped Coconut and Chocolate Chunk, (perfect for my sweet tooth and chocolate addiction) and Vanilla Almond and Blueberry Bliss (great paired with fruit or yogurt for a breakfast on-the-go).

The other protein bars I've been eating are basically a nougat texture with a chocolate coating, (not my favorite texture in the world, but I didn't know any differently) so that is what I was expecting from LUNA. I definitely wasn't expecting a crunchy/chewy granola bar texture, which is what I was thrilled to find in LUNA bars. And OH MY WORD...the taste is incredible. There wasn't one that I didn't LOVE. They were better than my favorite granola bar, and every one was tons better than the protein bars I was eating before. The Chocolate Dipped Coconut was by far my favorite. It was amazing! In fact, I had to write LUNA right afterwards to ask them if they were in stores yet. It looks like a granola bar dipped in chocolate on one side, sprinkled with coconut, and I can't tell you how much it beat my old protein bars in taste. I will NEVER go back.

I also tried LUNA's new bar: LUNA protein. LUNA protein has all the great nutritional benefits as the regular LUNA bar, but has 12 grams of protein. AND...still under 200 calories. So I thought for sure that these higher protein bars would for sure have that nougat/gritty texture protein-bar taste that I was used to. They didn't. I was shocked to find a little bit of crunch to them and no unpleasant grittiness or protein aftertaste. And...you know when you buy a chocolate chip cookie dough protein bar, (or worse-chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream) and there's no cookie dough in it? Or mint chocolate chip ice cream with like 4 chocolate chips in your bowl? That's the worst! Thank you LUNA. I loved the Mint Chocolate Chip and Cookie Dough because they actually HAD chocolate chips in them! And a good amount too, (not like my old Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough protein bars; if I found 2 chocolate chips in the whole bar it was a good day).

So if you're pregnant and having those sweet cravings or breasfeeding and need a healthy snack, (or me and need to lose the pregnancy pounds), LUNA bars are a great tasting alternative to high sugar candy bars with no nutritional value. You can pick one (or in my case, a box) up at your local grocery store, Target, or Walmart. Or, you can them online directly from LUNA here.

LUNA is giving away a sample pack of their bars (both their regular LUNA and LUNA protein) to one lucky reader! You'll be able to try all of the flavors I did, as well as some additional flavors.


Win It: (Submit a comment with EACH entry completed)

Mandatory Entry:

1. Follow this blog (in the right column under followers)

Additional Entries:

2. "Like" Milan Maternity on Facebook

3. Tell us your favorite "go-to" snack for those busy on-the-go moments

4. Enter any of our current giveaways

5. Share this giveaway in your facebook status with the link (2 entries)

6. Sign up for the LUNA newsletter to get coupons, free samples, and hear about promotions


Giveaway open until Friday, February 4th 11:59 PST to US residents only. Winner will be chosen by random.org.