Customer Reviews

Clif Bar Builder's Bar, Chocolate, 2.4-Ounce Bars, Pack of 12

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm 26m, 6' 185 and growing. Work out regularly, mostly weights and basketball. I'm allergic to peanuts, which makes most protein bars off-limits for me. This is the only bar I've found where the non-peanut flavors don't contain trace amounts of peanuts to set off my allergies. Incredible, if for only that reason. But there's more.

20g of protein. Wow. This can be a meal replacement if you're on the road or it can be the mid-morning, early-evening or even late-night snack, especially if you're trying to build lean muscle and shooting for 1.5 or more grams of protein per pound of body weight. It's an easy 20.

The carbs are real, as another review says. It's clean energy, to be effective either before or after a workout. I prefer to take in liquid protein after a workout, the body absorbs it faster, but in a pinch this would be a great choice. Beyond that it's a little crispy and a little chewy, there's a physical satisfaction from eating it that makes the experience complete. But, as another review said, this isn't intended to be a diet bar, it is for men & women who work hard and use lots of energy throughout the day, hence the name "Builders Bar." I guess if you ate half of one instead of a meal, it might work that way.

Finally the taste is outstanding, when stacked against other bars (although I haven't tried many, due to peanut allergies). If you close your eyes and pretend, it really could be a dessert. I stick to the cookies & cream or chocolate. Chocolate is yummy dunked in hot coffee mid-morning.

I buy a box every two weeks and keep stocked at home, work and oftentimes one in the car just in case I get hungry. Another review said the outside chocolate got crumbly, this is true, if it gets hot and melted. When the things solidify they crumble. Doesn't change the taste but it's messy. Keep them cool and you're in good shape. I've even tried putting them in the freezer prior to eating, not bad but no significant difference.

Thank you Clif!

I read in Bicycling magazing that riders who ingest protien within the first 15 minutes of completing a ride, have faster muscle recovery rates and are in better shape for the next day.

Last year I was always sore the next day after a long ride. After reading this article, I box some Clif Builder Bars due to their high protien content (20g). I have since been religiously eating them after each ride. I have yet to have sore muscles yet this year.

In one of the local stores there is a Chocolate Mint flavor. It is yummy.

I bought these because I love the regular Clif bars. I ride my bike to/from work, so I thought I would use these as a kind of "breakfast replacement". They taste very good and they definitely hold you over until lunch. Although, I highly recommend having a glass of cold milk handy to wash it down.

I am a vegan who struggles to get my full 50g protein per day, and these bars are a lifesaver. I like the Chocolate best - it's incredibly rich and very satisfying. I usually eat half for lunch and half for dessert!

My only issue is that it has a ton of sugar (20g) and is relatively high calorie (270). Granted, it has the best calorie-to-protein ratio of any food I eat, but I feel like they could cut the sugar in half and it would still taste good. That's not stopping me from eating one every day, but people who have a less restrictive diet should think about looking elsewhere.

My dad is 68 years old and he is a big fan of these bars. He has been in the Miami VA hospital since August. The food there is like that in the Woody Allen joke--terrible, and such small portions. My dad supplements his protein intake with these bars. I suspect they are contributing to his long and difficult recovery in a significant way.

These don't taste anywhere near as good as a candy bar, but how could they when they have ingredients that are actually good for you? ;-)

They do taste good, though, and far better than many of the other bars out there that taste like cardboard. They are substantial in size, and can easily be used as a meal replacement.

On a good day, which is getting to be one that I don't need a walker quite yet, I manage an hour and a half in the local Y's gym. That's thirty minutes not drowning during laps in the Olympic Jr. pool, thirty minutes staggering on the crosstrainer, and the rest spent in the weight room or just navigating the stairs between floors. When I'm all done and totally knackered, I get my reward - usually the Breakfast Burger at a well-known fast food emporium: beef patty, fried egg, bacon, cheese, and hash browns on a bun. But, for a change of pace recently, my positive reinforcement for fitness training was a chocolate BUILDER'S bar - a "cocoa dipped double decker crisp bar" from Clif.

Within the genre of "meal replacement bars", there are some - those that have the consistency of pressed sawdust, playdough, or dry shoe leather, with tastes to match - that stretch the aesthetic definition of "foodstuff". But the BUILDER'S bar is of standout palatability.

The list of ingredients begins dubiously with "soy protein isolate", "chicory syrup", and "organic brown rice syrup", none of which I remember being in Mom's kitchen. However, there're also "organic rolled oats", "unsweetened chocolate", "cocoa", "cocoa butter", and "organic dry roasted almonds", all of which sound reassuringly familiar. Once you've taken a chomp out of the bar and look at it end-on, you'll see a gratifyingly thick layer of smooth chocolate topping a lumpy one; the latter provides the crunch. And a thin layer of chocolate enrobes the entire bar, which has the taste of dark (rather than milk) chocolate, and which demands an accompanying glass of moo juice - the non-fat variety, of course. On the comfort food satisfaction scale, it compares favorably with a half-dozen chocolate and nut covered chocolate cake buttermilk donuts - not that I'd eat all six at one go, mind you.

The bar's wrapper screams "20g protein". Getting out the reading glasses and inspecting the nutritional information, I see that the 68g serving includes 8g of fat (saturated 5g, trans fat 0g), 30g of total carb, the 20g of protein, and 0.51g of sodium plus potassium for a total of, lemme see here, um ... 58.51 grams. So, what comprises the remaining 9.49 grams? Inquiring minds want to know. Gee, I hope it's nothing fed to rats in carcinogenicity experiments.

Now, just between you and me ... After chowing down the BUILDER'S bar, I went and had that Breakfast Burger also. Let's just say I had dessert first, shall we?

The first package I received was great. Unfortunately, this last was not; the chocolate flakes all over the place as if it is old and/or melted and not kept in good conditions. I am certain that this could be fixed by Amazon, I just have not had the chance to make them aware of the problem yet.. And I'd rather not have had to.

I just finished a 4 day golf tournament that was brutal. 6 hour rounds played in 95 degree heat with high humidity. During a practice round a couple of days before the tournament started I really got drained of energy and strength after about 12 holes. I was unprepared and it made a sport that I normally enjoy into an unpleasant experience.

For the tournament rounds I packed a small cooler with Gatorade to replace electrolites, Nature Valley Fruit and Nut bars for protein and carbs, and chocolate flavored Clif Builder's bars for an extra protein boost. I drank water and gatorade throughout each round and alternated the bars every 3-4 holes. It really made a difference. Each day I felt like I had the energy, strength, and endurance for a great round. If only my golf game was as good as these bars.

These bars measure out at 270 calories with ~25% fat. They have 4 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugars and a whopping 20 grams of protein. They tasted great and keeping them in a cooler kept them from melting in the heat. I highly recommend Chocolate Clif Builder's bars.

Kevin Decker

I sent these as a donation to Soldiers' Angels who , in turn, sent them to our brave men and women who bravely defend our freedom.