Pure Organic Raw Fruit and Nut Bars Review

I am always on the look out for new products to try, so when I got two trial size Pure Organic Raw Fruit and Nut Bars from the store in the flavors of Cherry Cashew and Chocolate Brownie, I was excited about the flavors and the 'health food' aspect. In my excitement, however, I failed to pay close attention to the ingredients list (under the wrapper seam fold). Had I done so, I would have gone from excited to disappointed.

I first tried the Pure Cherry Cashew bar. I enjoyed the texture and taste immensely. It was chewy, but not too much and the flavor was perfectly balanced between fruit and nut. Even though it was a trial size bar, I felt it was a satisfying snack.

I read the ingredient list and was, at first, pleased. There weren't many ingredients and all were real food. At the end of the ingredient list it states, "and that's all! Nothing cooked. Nothing processed. Completely PURE."

As I was reading the label, I gasped in horror about the same time as my tongue began to feel weird. I am allergic to walnuts. Unfortunately for me, cashews are not the only nut in the Cherry Cashew bar. It also contains almonds and walnuts. The sample I had just consumed had originally sold me on buying a box of full-sized product. However, the inclusion of walnuts in it prohibits me from doing so.

I decided before going further I should carefully review the ingredients list on the Pure Chocolate Brownie bar. It also has walnuts. Additionally, it contains cashews and almonds.

Perhaps the three nuts are the foundation of every bar flavor. Regardless, I would strongly advise anyone with any kind of food allergy to carefully read the ingredients list before consuming. I usually do, but got lazy and just assumed a Cherry Cashew bar would have only cashews. I was wrong . . .in a very uncomfortable way.

This brings me to a review of the Pure Chocolate Brownie bar. Since the worst thing that happens when I eat walnuts is my mouth breaks out and hurts for a minimum of several hours . . .and it was already doing that, I decided to eat the small Chocolate Brownie bar sample I had in order to complete this review. I know, I know . . .the sacrifices a writer/reviewer makes . . .

The Chocolate Brownie bar was a lot like a compact, slightly chewy brownie. The flavor was just right and the texture was like a combination of a brownie and a chewy power bar. It was a delicious treat, and was it not for the walnuts, it would be something I would be interested in keeping around for a quick snack.

As with the Cherry Chocolate bar, the Chocolate Brownie bar is all real food ingredients "and that's all!"

Each bar label lists a series of "YES!" and "NO!" items about the bar. The "Yes" items include certified organic, gluten-free, full serving fruit (in full sized bars), organic protein, rich in omega-3s, fiber, raw and vegan.

The "No" list includes refined sugars, gluten, dairy, soy, cholesterol, trans fats, preservatives, GMOs and 'artificial nothing'.

On the sample size packages, there is no nutrition label, so I don't have calories, fat and other related information for that size. Frankly, I think the sample size (0.7 oz) is perfect for a snack because the bars are so satisfying, but the bar comes in a larger size normally.

The company reports a package makeover as of June 14, 2010. The design on front is different, but there is no indication as to whether more than the front design was altered.

Pure Organic offers six flavors in their raw fruit and nut bar line: apple cinnamon, cherry cashew, chocolate brownie, cranberry orange, trail mix and wild blueberry.

These snack bars can be purchased online directly from PURE or at any number of retailers that carry them. The Pure Organic website offers a store locator feature to help consumers find a retailer near them where they can purchase Pure Organic raw fruit and nut bars.

Reference:

Pure Organic. http://thepurebar.com/