Updated 11/25/2012
BUY IN A STORE
Note: Most of the items below, including things like Lara bars, have enough sugar that they really should be considered a dessert or more akin to a candy bar. Remember, Paleo does not always mean healthy! So, if you’re just trying to satisfy that sweet tooth, then let me recommend the tastiest candy bar I’ve had in ages: Justin’s Almond Candy Bar. This bar is not Paleo, but has high-quality ingredients which you can check out here http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/productsCandy.php. The taste is similar to a snickers or a Mar’s bar, but much less sweet and with higher quality ingredients. You can order them from the website above, but I’m trying to find a place to get them in town.
Dessert-type Things:
Almond Butter Cocao Truffle (agave), Two Moms brand, Roots $3.99/3oz. Rating = 3. I was very optimistic about these treats, but they were just okay. They tasted kinda like the Chocoalate coconut chew Lara bar, but with a substantially higher pricetag.
Caveman Alpine cookies (honey) – To me, these are really sweet. The texture is a bit like a Lara bar, but the tiny cookies didn’t have much of a taste aside from the honey. Rating = 3.
Gopal’s Nature’s Gift Almond Raisin cookie – (5g sugar per 1 g protein) -This has a firmer texture than a Lara bar, which is nice. However, the flavors don’t quite work for me. The almond and raisin combo is okay, but they’ve added a heavy dash of cardamom (which I generally like) that seems to not mesh with the rest of the ingredients. Rating = 3.
Raweo! Live Cookies (honey) – Alive & Radiant Foods brand, Mom’s $7.47/7oz (4g sugar per 1 g protein) – These are cute looking cookies that taste amazingly bad. I don’t know how you can put together such tasty ingredients (almonds, honey, cashews carob, coconut, cinnamon, and vanilla) and come up with this product. They smell odd (maybe from the carob?), have a Lara bar texture, and a non-descript flavor. Rating = 0.
Energy Bars:
Bearded Brothers
Colossal coconut mango energy bar (chia seeds) – (3g sugar per 1g protein, 9g protein total)- This has a texture similar to a Lara bar. It’s a little on the sweet side, but a tasty way to eat 9g of protein. Rating = 4.
Gopal’s Rawma bars.
Pumpkin & date (less than 2g sugar per 1g protein, 9g protein total) – If you like figs, this is a great alternative to all the date-based energy bars. It contains dates, but you don’t taste them and there is no pumpkin flavor to it, just pumpkin seeds. It has the texture of lots of seeds packed into a Fig Newton. Rating = 4.
Pineapple & nut (6g sugar per 1g protein, 3g protein total) – This sounds like it would taste awesome, but you’ll be disappointed. It’s bland and nothing to write home about Rating = 3.
Lara Bars.
Banana bread (3g sugar per 1 g protein, 6g protein total ) Rating = 2.
Carrot cake (8g sugar per 1 g protein, 3g protein total ) Rating = 2.
Cashew cookie (3g sugar per 1 g protein, 6g protein total ) Rating = 3.
Cherry pie (5g sugar per 1 g protein, 5g protein total) Rating = 4 (on taste alone it would be a 5, but the sugar/protein ratio is pathetic).
Chocolate coconut chew (4.5g sugar per 1 g protein, 5g protein total) Rating = 3.
Coconut cream pie (8g sugar per 1 g protein, 3g protein total) Rating = 3.
Ginger snap (4g sugar per 1 g protein, 5g protein total) Rating = 2.
Pecan pie (6g sugar per 1 g protein, 3g protein total) Rating = 3.
Two Moms in the RAW
Gojiberry Nut Bar (agave), (~2g sugar per 1 g protein, 4g protein total ). This has a firmer texture with whole nuts and seeds. Rating = 4.
Banana Chips, vacuum fried from Trader Joe’s. These are a lot like the astronaut food – it’s an interesting novelty but doesn’t really taste very good. Rating = 3
Pineapple Chips, vacuum fried from Trader Joe’s. These get points for novelty but that’s it. Rating = 2.
Dried fruits, soft – fruit bliss brand at Roots – these are dried in a way that it preserves the moisture of the fruit and makes it very soft and delicious. You can get figs, plums, apricots, or a variety pack. Very tasty with no preservatives but has to be stored in the fridge after opening. Rating = 3.5.
MAKE YOURSELF
Paleo PBJ – Spread some almond or any other nut butter into a Coconut wrap (see bread items), chop up a banana, add some cocoa nibs, and roll into a tasty snack. Rating = 5. There is a similar snack where you halve a banana, put on nut butter and add toppings, but this wrap is much tastier.