If you’re like me, consuming an energy bar is like eating a bar of lies. I don’t mean that they conceal their ingredients or exaggerate their benefits (although I’ve yet to find a bar that makes me float above the street, a la Marty McFly). What I mean is that I will never, under any circumstance, use an energy bar to:

A) run a marathon
B) power-hike along the Appalachian Trail, or
C) lift something 20 times my body weight, in homage to the noble ant

My lifestyle does not involve a Jeep. Nor does it include Timberland hiking boots, a Nalgene bottle, or a dog with a bandanna tied around its neck. Rather than utilize energy bars for their intended purposes, I use them to silence my grumbling stomach as I drive to work, or elevate my blood sugar levels during lectures I would otherwise sleep through. Truth be told, most of the time I don’t even buy these products, since their marketing seems specifically designed to shame my slovenly ways.

Take Clif Bars, for example. Their wrappers feature a man scaling a mountain. Legs flailing, he clings to a granite outcropping with all this might, his battered fingernails digging into the stubborn rock before him (the man has just enough energy to hold on, thanks to that 3 oz. of granola he ingested before climbing). Ah, the average Clif bar consumer! Always spending his free time dangling above certain death!

So, if you couldn’t already tell, I’m glad that Clif has come out with a less intense snack. Because frankly, some of us just can’t handle the X-tremeness of the standard Clif Bar product.

For the most part, Clif’s Mojo bars are just like any other quality granola product on the market (I’m thinking specifically of Nature Valley’s trail mix bars). They have granola, glaze, and a few tantalizing ingredients designed to grab your attention. In this case, those ingredients are whole peanuts and an appetizing base of dark chocolate. Mmmmm.

Overall, the taste was subtle and comforting. The chocolate blended well with the honey roasted peanuts, and a dash of sea salt endowed this snack with a pleasant savoriness. And with no trans fats and a lot of protein, health-wise you could do way worse with your granola bar choice.

Most importantly, however, was the eating experience. I had way more fun munching this Mojo than I ever have eating a Clif bar, which I think has to do with the fact that my snack and I were being honest with each another. As both the Clif company and I know, when someone purchases a chocolate-dipped peanut treat, they have no intention of hiking later. They just want a snack - something to fill the gap between brunch and lunch, or linner and dinner. It’s not rocket fuel; it’s a tasty tidbit to pass the time.

God bless ‘em, Clif even deleted that rocky mountain from its Mojo packaging. They’re finally starting to speak my lazy, lazy language.

• Clif Mojo Bar Website

Buy Clif Mojo Bars Online:

• at Amazon.com