Luna was created in 1999 from Clif Bar & Company. It was the first plant-based nutrition bar marketed towards women and started by women. The bar focuses on nutrition specific to women and also donates 1% of all product sales to charities including the Breast Cancer Fund. Luna is also dedicated to women’s equality in the workplace and women’s pay. Unlike many nutrition bar companies, Luna provides free tips, strategies, guides and in-person workshops (in select cities) to help women negotiate equal pay. The company also started LunaFest in 2000, a philanthropic film festival that includes only films written and directed by women. Since its inception in 2000, LunaFest has raised over a million dollars for various organizations.
Inspired to sustain local communities, Clif Bar company launched the Luna Pro Team, a women’s mountain biking team. The program has since expanded to 26 Luna Chix teams, a network of women’s teams focused on staying active, sports, and raising money for the Breast Cancer Fund. The Pro Team and Luna Chix teams now include mountain biking, running, cycling, and triathalon teams.
To support these philanthropic endeavors, the Luna bars are at the forefront. Luna has the original bars, 5g sugar bars, protein bars, and rica bars. The original Luna bars come in eleven vegan gluten-free flavors including Blueberry Bliss, Chocolate Cupcake, Caramel Walnut Brownie, Chocolate Dipped Coconut, Chocolate Peppermint Stick, Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter, Lemon Zest, Nuts over Chocolate, Sea Salt Caramel, S’mores, and White Chocolate Macadamia. The huge variety of flavors is great if there are certain flavor profiles you are sick of (like the typical chocolate peanut butter) or certain flavors you don’t like (like chocolate). The Luna bars all source none genetically modified ingredients and some are nut-free along with being gluten-free and vegan.
One of the most refreshing and unique flavors in Luna’s offerings is the Lemon Zest Luna Bar. It contains soy (as most of the Luna Bars do), but the plant-based nutrition bar is nut-free and gluten-free. I’m excited to try it out. Spoiler alert: even though the bars are marketed towards women, my husband loves them and if you or a loved one are looking for a plant-based nutrition bars in zestier, fruitier flavors, check out Luna Bars on Amazon for a plethora of options. Keep reading to see how this bar stacks up on taste and nutrition!
Taste Experience – 9 out of 10
The simple act of opening the package and my senses are greeted with the fresh burst of lemon! I can already tell this is going to be a refreshing taste compared to all the chocolate and peanut butter flavors out there.
The bar is mostly comprised of light airy crisps stuck together with light syrup. The bottom of the bar is covered in an off white creamy coating that is supposed to have even more of a lemon taste.
At first bite, my taste buds light up with the zest and perk of the lemon that is equally balanced with the slightly crunchy but airy crisps. The bar is sweet but slightly tart with the lemon burst. This bar would be perfect for breakfast or a mid-morning snack when I want more of a fruity taste. Anyone else feel me?
The plant-based nutrition bar is not dry, chalky, or crumbly nor does it leave an aftertaste. In fact, I could eat this nutrition bar in a couple large bites because it’s not heavy or particularly large but man oh man does it taste delicious! It definitely does not taste like most plant-based nutrition bars. I especially love the perk of the lemon coating and the blend of the crisps with the creamy coated bottom. These Luna vegan nutrition bars are incredibly addictive! See what I mean by heading over to Amazon and ordering these Luna Lemon Nutrition Bars today – you might need more than one box!
Nutrition – 9 out of 10
Luna bars are marketed towards women with slightly less calories than most nutrition bars (190 calories per 1.69oz bar) and added vitamins and minerals. The Lemon Zest vegan Luna Bar has 6 grams of fat with only 2.5 grams of saturated fat making it a heart healthy snack option. There is only 95 milligrams of sodium, which is comparatively low when looking at other plant-based nutrition bars. This will help keep blood pressure regulated but replace any lost sodium stores if using the bar like a post-workout snack or mini-meal. The bar has a small amount of potassium (120 milligrams) per vegan nutrition bar to help with electrolyte balance.
There are only 26 grams of total carbohydrate including two grams of fiber and nine grams of sugar per bar. Most nutrition bars have more sugar than this and most candy bars have easily double this amount of sugar without any fiber or protein.
Speaking of protein, you’ll find eight grams of protein per bar. This isn’t a huge amount compared to what you would find in protein bars (see past reviewed protein bars on the right side of the website). However, this is an adequate amount for a snack or mini-meal and would be enough to increase overall satisfaction without the bar tasting like protein powder or leaving an aftertaste. Eight grams is a happy medium to maintain great taste and provide adequate nutrition. The protein source for all Luna plant-based bars contains soy but is gluten, dairy, and nut-free. It’s a vegan protein blend with soy protein isolate, organic rolled oats, organic rice flour, and organic roasted soybeans, organic soy flour, and organic milled flaxseed. This combination is what forms the light and airy crisps in the Luna Bars.
Like other bars in the Clif Bar & Company portfolio, Luna Bars add a significant amount of vitamins and minerals to provide additional nutrition. General nutrients of concern for women are calcium, vitamin D, and iron. Each plant-based Luna Lemon Zest Bar helps alleviate these concerns by providing 35% daily value for calcium, 15% daily value for vitamin D, and 20% daily value for iron. See the nutrition label below to see all the other vitamins and minerals included. The Luna Lemon Zest bar definitely provides a boost of nutrition on all levels. Boost your nutrition with Luna Lemon Zest Bars.
The Non-Vegan Review – 7.5 out of 10
Lemon zest! Love me some zesty lemon flavor. These Luna Lemon Zest bars are flavorful and have a ton of vitamins in them. I’m surprised that the yogurt-like coating doesn’t have any dairy in it, but it doesn’t. These Luna bars are 100% vegan, just like my carrot-dipping wife likes them. I really love the lemon flavor. It’s nice and strong and gives you a zesty jingle through your jigglies. I just love saying the word “zeessty”, in a not-so-innocent sorta way. Yeah baby, you’re all kindsa zeeessty…. Overall, these Luna Lemon Zest bars are really great. Tons of flavor with a nice vegan cream coating and a chewy oats and puffed rice center. If you’re going to buy these online, please consider using one of my wife’s links on Amazon. Non-vegan husband out.
Parting Thoughts
Luna Lemon Zest Plant-Based Nutrition Bars are zesty and flavorful with the perfect texture and flavor combination to start your day to refuel midday. The creamy lemon coating balances out the sweet protein filled crisps so well that you’ll be going back for bite after bite. The Luna Lemon Zest nutrition bar packs a refreshing and delicious taste with a hefty dose of nutrition with eight grams of protein and a ton of added vitamins and minerals. Give yourself this delicious boost of goodness and taste the deliciousness for yourself buy buying Luna Lemon Zest Vegan Nutrition Bars!