Luna Versus Pria Protein Bars

The popularity of protein bars is understandable. They are portable and nutritionally balanced. They are easy to keep in your desk at work or in your purse or briefcase for a meal on the go or a snack. There are many different brands and flavors. They are advertised as great tasting and good for you.

Luna and Pria are two popular brands specifically marketed for women. They have a lower calorie count than traditional protein bars. Luna's website claims "The entirely natural whole nutrition bar for women". Pria's website states "Great tasting nutritious bars for women".

I am going to compare each brand on different categories.

Available Flavors
Price
Nutrition
Taste

Available Flavors
The Challenge: To see which brand offers the most flavors
Luna's flavors include Carmel Nut Brownie, Peanut Butter Cookie, Iced Oatmeal Raisin, Cookies 'n Cream Delight, Nutz Over Chocolate, Lemon Zest, S'mores, Chocolate Pecan Pie, Toasted Nuts 'n Cranberry, Chocolate Peppermint Stick, Dulce de Leche, and Chai Tea.
Pria's flavors include Chocolate Peanut Crunch, Double Chocolate Cookie, French Vanilla Crisp, and Mint Chocolate Cookie. They also carry a line of lower carb bars called Pria Carb Select and a line of bars containing whole grains called Pria Grain Essentials. The low carb bar flavors are Cookies 'n Cararmel and Peanut Butter Caramel Nut. The whole grain bar flavors include Chocolate Almond Bliss, Orchard Apple Cinnamon Crisp and Country Honey 'n Oats.
And the winner is: Luna technically won this challenge with twelve flavors. Pria only had 10 total, but they also had different types of bars. I will have to call this one a tie.

Price
The Challenge: To see which brand costs less.
I purchased each brand at my local WalMart. The Luna bar cost $0.98 and the Pria bar cost $0.96. Both brands have an option on their website to purchase them online. Luna bars can be bought directly from Luna's website. They come in a box of fifteen for $18.75 plus the cost of shipping. Pria has a link on their website to www.rei.com where you can purchase their bars. They sell them individually for $1.00 each, plus the cost of shipping.
And the winner is: Pria technically won this challenge; although it was almost too close to call. I have determined it is better to purchase them locally if they are available. The price may vary by location and store.

Nutrition
The Challenge: To see which bar contains more nutrients.
Walmart did not carry all the flavors and types of each brand. I picked one bar from each brand that seemed the most similar. I picked Nutz Over Chocolate from Luna and Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisp from Pria. The Luna bar contains 180 calories while the Pria bar only contains 170. I will list the rest of the nutritional facts below for each bar:

Luna:
Total Fat 4.5g
Saturate Fat 2.5g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 190mg
Potassium 190mg
Total Carbs 25g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Insoluble Fiber 1g
Sugar 9g
Other Carbs 13g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A 25%, Vitamin C 100%, Calcium 35%,Iron 30%, Vitamin E 100%, Vitamin K 10%, Thiamin 80%, Riboflavin 80%, Niacin 80%, Vitamin B6 100%, Folate 100%, Vitamin B12 100%, Biotin 80%, Pantothenic Acid 80%, Phosphorus 30%, Iodine 35%, Magnesium 20%, Zinc 35%, Selenium 35%, Copper 25%, Manganese 25%, Chromium 25%, Molybderum 25%,

Pria:
Total Fat 6g
Saturate Fat 3.5g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 170mg
Total Carbs 22g
Dietary Fiber 5g
Sugar 7g
Sugar Alcohol 8g
Protein 11g
Vitamin A 15%, Vitamin C 60%, Calcium 40%, Iron 20%, Vitamin E 60%, Vitamin K 15%, Thiamin 30%, Riboflavin 30%, Niacin 30%, Vitamin B6 30%, Folate 60%, Vitamin B12 60%, Biotin 30%, Pantothenic Acid 60%, Phosphorus 15%, Iodine 15%, Magnesium 15%, Zinc 15%, Selenium 15%, Copper 15%, Manganese 15%, Chromium 15% Molybdenum 15%

And the winner is: Pria! I picked Pria to win this one based on the nutrients that are bold. Luna did have less fat, although it had more sugar. Luna also had a bit more iron. Pria had more fiber, protein, and calcium. The Pria bar did, for the most part, contain less of the rest of the nutrients. Pria's win was not by a landslide.

Taste
The Challenge: To see which bar tastes the best.
Judging flavor and taste is a matter of opinion and personal preference. I picked flavors I knew I would like. I am only testing one flavor from each brand, Nutz Over Chocolate from Luna and Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisp from Pria. I tried to be as scientific as possible in my judgment.
Both bars look like they are made from similar ingredients although the presentation is a little different. The Luna bar looks like a crisped rice and peanut butter mix with the bottom dipped in chocolate. Breaking the Pria bar in half reveals the same crisped rice and peanut butter mixture, but the whole thing is coated in chocolate. The amount of chocolate appears the same even though the Luna bar has only one side of chocolate because it is thicker.
After biting into each bar I prefer the Luna bar. The Pria bar seems a little hard and chewy and bland. The Luna Bar was softer and the chocolate, especially, had more flavor. The Luna bar was easier to eat because it was softer. The Pria bar hurt my jaw after finishing the whole bar. Both bars had a bit of an after taste.
And the winner is: Luna! While neither bar tastes like a Snickers candy bar, you have to remember they are a much healthier option. Luna barely won this one on texture alone.

Other Observations and Conclusion
Pria is distributed by PowerBar, a recognizable leading brand. Luna is distributed by Clif Bar and Co., also a leading brand. Luna's wrapper says "70% Organic" and "Entirely Natural".

My conclusion was that there was not a clear winner. I was hoping to be able to tell everyone which bar to buy, but I really can't. Both bars were very similar. Either bar will do its job when you are running late to a meeting and don't have time for lunch.