CLIF Whole Lotta Bars are one of the newest product lines from this household brand. Unlike other CLIF bars, Whole Lotta Bars are packed with “a whole lot of” nuts, seeds, and dried fruits instead of being oat based or protein powder based. There is some added pea protein but most of the taste and nutrition comes from the wholesome nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. CLIF Whole Lotta Bars are all vegan without any honey or animal products and come in four flavors: Tart Cherry Almond, Salted Dark Chocolate, Roasted Peanut Chocolate, and Spiced Almond Ginger. Today, we’ll be reviewing the Tart Cherry Almond flavor that you can find on Amazon in a 12 pack box of just Tart Cherry Almond or try the variety pack (that’s what I like to buy) that gives you 8 bars – 2 in every flavor so you won’t burn out of one flavor and you’ll get a nice variety of flavors!
CLIF Whole Lotta Bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, soy free, non-GMO, and without any added sugar….but without all of that…how do they taste and what’s the nutrition like?? Let’s take a closer peek…
Taste Experience
Immediately when opening the vegan CLIF Whole Lotta Bars in Tart Cherry Almond, they smell sweet like dried cherries but it looks like a confetti bomb of nuts and seeds and I don’t actually see any cherry pieces (turns out the cherries are part of the base with the cashew butter and pea protein). At first bite, I’m surprised at how the CLIF Whole Lotta Bar is softer than I expected. I expected a harder bar (like KIND or Cavemand) but it’s quite pliable with just small chunks of the harder nuts and seeds. The nuts and seeds are chopped, making the entire bar blend together more and honestly taste better in my opinion.
If I hadn’t looked at the ingredients, I wouldn’t have known that the majority of the base of the bar is cashew butter and pea protein. Fortunately, these are such subtle flavors that I don’t recognize either one. The cashew butter and pea protein help hold the nuts and seeds in place but when mixed with the strong dried cherry taste, that’s all I could notice (which I really appreciated).
In general, this bar isn’t as sweet as I expected although it has a lot of dried cherries. I think the cashew butter and protein powder help balance it out. I really love the texture of this vegan protein bar – it’s soft and chewy without being sticky or falling apart. As someone who thinks the traditional CLIF Bars are just ok, the CLIF Whole Lotta Bar is pretty outstanding! The Tart Cherry Almond bar is the perfect combination of sweet with a dash of salty nuts and soft with enough texture. I would definitely recommend stocking up on CLIF Whole Lotta Bars or at least trying the variety pack on Amazon.
Nutrition
Each CLIF Whole Lotta Tart Cherry Almond vegan protein bar contains 240 calories with most of that coming from the 14 grams of fat (3 grams of saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat). This is an appropriate amount of calories for a snack for most adults but if you need more calories or a bigger snack, eat with a handful of almonds or slab on some almond butter to help sustain and nourish you.
In that same serving size, there is 170mg of sodium which is comparable to a handful of roasted and salted nuts. Honestly, with the dried cherries, it doesn’t taste like there’s this much sodium in there at all! The sodium is balanced out with the 398mg of potassium in every bar from the date paste base.
There are 24 grams of total carbohydrate with 4 grams of fiber and 17 grams of sugar without any added sugar. The carbohydrate sources are the date paste and the dried cherries but otherwise, you won’t find any additional sweeteners added to these vegan protein bars – which I think is really great and isn’t the case with many protein bars, even other CLIF products!
When it comes to protein, there is a whopping 10 grams of plant-based protein from the pumpkin seeds, cashew butter, almonds, pea protein, and sesame seeds. With all this variety, you can be sure that you’re getting in a wide variety of nutrients including 6% of your calcium needs, 10% iron needs, 8% potassium needs, 10% Vitamin E needs, 20% phosphorus, and 25% magnesium. These percentages are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Without adding any vitamins or minerals, by relying on quality, wholesome plant-based foods, you can get a boost on your daily requirement.
If you’re looking for a snack bar or vegan protein bar that not only tastes fantastic but that’s made with simple, wholesome ingredients, I think you’ll love exploring the CLOF Whole Lotta Bars on Amazon. 
Parting Thoughts
CLIF Whole Lotta Tart Cherry Almond Bars are fantastic for life on the road and on the go. The soft but subtle texture of the bar is a pleasant surprise – especially with chunks of nuts, seeds, and other goodness. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the soft, freshly baked taste of these (especially after yoga!) but the vegan bars are also sweet without being overpowering or “fake” tasting. It’s really quite the combination and even though I thought I was writing off CLIF bars entirely (the traditional CLIF Bars just aren’t my jam), but now I work from home and am constantly trying to find new snacks – CLIF Whole Lotta Tart Cherry Almond Bars are such a treat and I can’t wait until you get your hand on a box of Whole Lotta vegan protein bars!
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CLIF Organic Nut Butter Filled Vegan Bar Review – Blueberry Almond Butter
CLIF Bar Nut Butter Filled Vegan Bar Review – Coconut Almond Butter
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