Commonly used as snack-on-the-go bars, the Larabars are promoted as gluten-free snacks made of a blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices with no more than 9 ingredients, and minimally processed.
The Original Larabars are definitely suitable for vegans. In fact, of the 30 different flavors highlighted on the brand’s official website, all 30 of them are vegan.
In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Larabars, and even break down each Original Larabar into its individual components.
What Are Larabars?
Larabars are snack bars mostly made of dates, nuts, and other fruits and spices.
They’re useful for long activities such as climbing, hiking, skiing, and many others that require you spend a lot of time away from home. Despite not having many ingredients, they pack a variety of nutrients, as well as enough calories to give you the energy you need to spend more time outdoors.
For example, Cashew Cookie, a Larabar flavor, has only two ingredients (cashews and dates), but 220 calories, which is quite significant for a 48g serving.
Larabars are also healthier compared to many other snack bars on the market, as the brand minimizes the use of processed ingredients, namely sugars, oils, and flours.
Are The Original Larabars Vegan?
There are 30 varieties of Original Larabars, each one with its own ingredient mix, so we’ve taken the time to look at each one, enumerate the ingredients, and determine its vegan status.
Check out below which original Larabars are suitable for vegans:
Larabar Original: Almond Butter Chocolate Chip
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Almond Cookie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Apple Pie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Banana Bread
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Banana Chocolate Chip
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Blueberry Muffin
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Carrot Cake
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Cashew Cookie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Cherry Pie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Chocolate Chip Brownie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Cinnamon Raisin Cookie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Cinnamon Roll
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Cocoa Coconut Chew
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Coconut Chocolate Chip
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Coconut Cream Pie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Gingerbread
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Key Lime Pie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Lemon Bar
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Mint Chip Brownie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Peanut Butter & Jelly
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Peanut Butter Banana
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Peanut Butter Cookie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Pecan Pie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Pumpkin Pie
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: SnickerDoodle
Status: Vegan
Larabar Original: Strawberry Chocolate Chip
Status: Vegan
Are The Original Larabars Healthy?
Larabars are pretty healthy overall.
The reason I’m telling you this is because I’ve looked at the ingredients present in 30 different Larabars, and the ingredients I found were derived mostly from natural sources.
Ingredients like dates, almonds, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, and unsweetened chocolate are among the few ingredients I found inside the different Larabars. These are healthy, plant-based ingredients.
Naturally, you still have to consume them in moderation because they’re rich in natural sugars and fats, but they’re certainly a better option than their highly processed counterparts (i.e: refined sugar, refined oil, etc).
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 24g of sugar per day for most women and no more than 36 grams of sugar for most men. Larabars have between 13g and 20g of total sugar per bar; so as you can see, a single Larabar can get you close to both numbers very quickly.
My suggestion would be for you to consume the Larabar with the least amount of sugar, as that would be the healthiest option in my opinion.
Do The Original Larabars Have Added Sugars?
Some Larabars have added sugars, while others do not and mostly get their sugar from natural sources like dates, and in some cases, fruits.
Some Larabars also contain chocolate chips, which also have a considerable amount of sugar.
Here are all the Larabars that contain added sugars:
- Almond Butter Chocolate Chip
- Banana Chocolate Chip
- Chocolate Chip Brownie
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl
- Coconut Chocolate Chip
- Mint Chip Brownie
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip
And these are the Larabaras that don’t contain added sugars:
- Almond Cookie
- Apple Pie
- Banana Bread
- Blueberry Muffin
- Carrot Cake
- Cashew Cookie
- Cherry Pie
- Chocolate Coconut Chew
- Cinnamon Raisin Cookie
- Cinnamon Roll
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Gingerbread
- Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Bar
- Peanut Butter & Jelly
- Peanut Butter Banana
- Peanut Butter Cookie
- Pecan Pie
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Pumpkin Pie
- Snickerdoodle
While it’s true that processed (or added) sugars are unhealthy, it’s also true that overconsuming high-sugar fruits like dates can also cause problems.
If you have health conditions like diabetes or obesity, it might be a good idea to opt for options that don’t have as many sugars per serving.
Here are the Original Larabars with the lowest sugar content (from lowest to highest):
- Almond Cookie (13g)
- Cashew Cookie (15g)
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (15g)
- Almond Butter Chocolate Chip (16g)
- Chocolate Coconut Chew (16g)
- Lemon Bar (16g)
- Peanut Butter Banana (16g)
- Pecan Pie (16g)
The Almond Cookie is the option I would choose, mainly because it’s the least harmful.
Summary
Fortunately, all the Original Larabars are suitable for vegans.
Not a single flavor/variety contains animal ingredients and the fact that Larabars stick to natural ingredients means it doesn’t have shady ingredients from questionable sources.
Larabars are also quite healthy when compared to other offers on the market, so they’re certainly an option that would cater to a more health-oriented vegan.
