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We work hard to ensure our foods can fit into a plant-based diet. That means packing our snacks with delicious plant-based ingredients such as whole grains, nuts, wholesome rolled oats and dried fruit. But are Clif foods vegan? And do any Clif Bar foods contain animal products?
Many vegans eat Clif foods and consider most of our plant-based energy* snacks vegan. For example, when they want a vegan energy* bar, they'll grab a CLIF BAR®. When they want a wholesome and delicious vegan snack, they may turn to a CLIF BAR® Minis or CLIF® Nut Butter Bar. Though we don't consider our foods vegan, Clif foods are an excellent choice for anyone on a plant-based diet looking for a snack that provides nutrients and energy.* Here's why.
*CLIF BARs provide at least 100 calories per reference amount and serving of stated size.1
Do Any Clif Bar Foods Contain Animal Products?
We don't intentionally add animal-based ingredients to any of our foods sold in Canada. However, they may be made in a bakery that use dairy-based ingredients. In those cases, we note the potential for traces of dairy on our packaging to inform consumers trying to avoid dairy (such as vegans and those with allergies).
There are a few products sold in the U.S.A. to which we add animal-based ingredients such as whey and honey. In those cases, these animal-based ingredients contribute to the foods' purpose or predominant flavour.
What Is a Plant-Based Diet?
Plant-based diets such as vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian (or flexitarian) and pescatarian diets feature mostly plants, including whole, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes. Except for vegan, these diets might occasionally contain meat, fish, seafood, eggs or dairy.
Bottom line, when you follow a plant-based diet, you’re opting to eat more plants and fewer animal products than you would on a standard Western diet.
How to Incorporate Clif Foods Into a Plant-Based Diet?
Like Clif foods? Then you'll like this: All Clif foods can fit within a plant-based diet. That's because we use wholesome, plant-based ingredients in our products, making them a delicious complement to whole foods when you're on the go.
Why Plant-Based Foods Matter to Clif Bar
At Clif Bar, we believe that plant-based eating patterns can help support not just healthier bodies but also a healthier planet.
How are plant-based foods good for the body? They provide essential vitamins and minerals, fibre and beneficial plant nutrients, all of which contribute to overall well-being. Several studies have shown that plant-based eating patterns support a variety of health outcomes, including a healthy heart and healthy weight.2,3
How does plant-based eating benefit the planet? A diet higher in plants and lower in animal-based foods How does plant-based eating benefit the planet? A diet higher in plants and lower in animal-based foods is associated with less of an impact on the environment than a typical Western diet.4,5 Many experts say that a global shift to eating fewer overconsumed animal products and more predominately plant-based foods could help reduce environmental impacts while also reducing food waste.4,5
How Clif Bar Encourages Plant-Based Eating
Since Clif Bar's founding in 1992, we've been crafting food that fuel our bodies while also building a more just and sustainable food system.
In 2003, we began using organic, plant-based ingredients in our CLIF BAR. Today, we continue to prioritize the use of organic, plant-based ingredients that are grown and produced according to rigorous sustainability standards. Organic and more sustainably grown ingredients are the link between people’s well-being and a healthy planet.
References
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Specific nutrient and content claim requirements. Energy and calorie claims. Modified 2021 March 23. Available at: https://inspection.canada.ca/food-labels/labelling/industry/nutrient-content/specific-claim-requirements/eng/1389907770176/1389907817577?chap=2#s1c2. Accessed 2022-6-4.
- Kim H, Caulfield LE, Rebholz CM. Healthy Plant-Based Diets Are Associated with Lower Risk of All-Cause Mortality in US Adults. J Nutr. 2018;148(4):624-631. doi:10.1093/jn/nxy019
- Satija A, Bhupathiraju SN, Spiegelman D, et al. Healthful and Unhealthful Plant-Based Diets and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in U.S. Adults. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017;70(4):411-422. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2017.05.047
- Rose D, Heller MC, Roberto CA. Position of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior: The Importance of Including Environmental Sustainability in Dietary Guidance. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2019;51(1):3-15.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2018.07.006
- Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, Springmann M, Lang T, Vermeulen S, Garnett T, Tilman D, DeClerck F, Wood A, Jonell M. Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet. 2019 Feb 2;393(10170):447-92.