Raising the bar, Part 2
Ready for more food? Read on...
The Bar: Special K Protein Meal bar
The Hook: Eats like a meal
The Price: $1.29 per bar or $5.99 per box of six
Special K Protein Meal Bars come in Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate and Strawberry and with 10 grams of protein, it’s like eating a few slices of turkey but with no refrigeration required! Just a shade under 200 calories, a good source of 13 vitamins and minerals and an excellent source of calcium. I toss these in my laptop bag with me and eat them on the run…not necessarily as a meal replacement, because I tend to need more to fill me up, but as a hearty, healthy, chocolate-y snack.
Learn more at: http://www.kelloggcompany.com Also available at retail stores nationwide.
The Bar: NutriFit High Energy bar
The Hook: Made by celeb nutrition coach Jackie Keller
The Price: $18.95 per dozen
Nutrition expert and wellness coach Jackie Keller, author of Body After Baby: A Simple, Healthy Plan to Lose Your Baby Weight Fast (Avery/Penguin; 2007), has worked with Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Uma Thurman, Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz, and more. Her company, NutriFit, makes baked energy bars in raisin, chocolate, orchard fruit, pineapple and cranberry flavors
Low in fat and calories (about three grams and 180 calories, respectively), these are thick and chewy, like chunky Rice Krispie treats. It’s starting to get interesting, seeing the gigantic difference that exists between bars – this one is brick-sized and a workout for the mouth, whereas, say, SOYJOY Bars are smaller and crunchy. Try these if you like something light and fruity, not dense or too filling.
Learn more at: www.nutrifitonline.com
The Bar: Detour bar
The Hook: Sport-specific bars (The Runner Bar; The Biker Bar; The Core Strength Bar)
The Price: $1.39 - $1.69 per bar
As far as I know, these are the only bars out there aimed specifically at certain sports: cycling, running, and
core-strength. Each bar line contains a special ingredient targeted at your sport and its recovery: The Runner Bar has MicroLactin (a milk protein) for healthy joints. Core Strength bars have whey protein and ribose to aid in muscle recovery; the Biker Bars have Rhodiola, a natural stamina enhancer, for increased energy reserves.
These are lower in sugar (between seven and 10 grams), zero trans fats, about 200 calories and 12 to 15 grams of protein. The Biker Bar in Toffee Almond tastes practically buttery but has a moderate five grams of fat.
Learn more at: www.detourbar.com Also available at 7-11 and GNC, and grocery and drug stores nationwide in the fall.
The Bar: Bellybar
The Hook: Designed with the nutritional needs of women before, during and after pregnancy in mind.
The Price: $2.29 per bar
Bellybars are a special treat for pregnant women, new moms and those with baby fever. The bars contain the nutrients found in pre-natal vitamins, including iron, folic acid (200% RDA), vitamin B6, protein, and zinc. The four flavors include Mellow Oat, which is especially good for soothing morning sickness (or so I’m told) and Baby Needs Chocolate. The bars are ahead of the curve because they contain Omega-3 DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid which may play a role in supporting healthy pregnancies, helping a mother’s emotional well-being after birth and supporting the mental and visual development of infants. A separate supplement is usually needed, but with Bellybars, it’s built right in! Brooke Shields, Melania Trump and Tori Spelling are all fans.
Learn more at: www.nutrabella.com Also available at Whole Foods, Babies R Us and more.
The Bar: LÄRABAR
The Hook: Minimalist chic – each flavor contains no more than six ingredients
The Price: $1.69 per bar
At first glance, the LÄRABAR seems really tiny – and it is. But packed into that harmonica-sized package is a whole serving of fruit, no added sugar, only two to six ingredients like unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices and lots of natural, delicious taste. For instance, Cherry Pie LÄRABAR contains dates, almonds, unsweetened cherries. Bam. That’s it! Other flavors include Ginger snap, Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Coconut and more.
They’re dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, began, kosher (your mother would be so proud), and are unprocessed raw so the essential enzymes necessary for the digestion and utilization of nutrients remain intact. My panel agreed, upon tasting the Cinnamon Roll flavor, that LÄRABAR was a surprising winner – very wholesome, nutty and moist.
Learn more at: www.larabar.com Also available at stores nationwide.
The Bar: KeriBar Energy bar
The Hook: Developed by Keri Glassman, RD, author of The Snack Factor Diet
The Price: $1.99 per bar
* Error: KeriBars are NOT gluten-free - they contains oats and rice, but no wheat
Like LÄRABAR, the KeriBar has lots of good-for-you things going on - no artificial sweeteners, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, Kosher, no fillers or preservatives, yada, yada (though these are not raw.). There are fewer grams of sugar in a Keri bar than in a piece of fruit, the Web site says. If you’ve never really tasted flax, it might take you a few minutes to get used to – kind of a nutty flavored seed – but I found it made me feel quite wholesome and virtuous.
J. Lo reportedly likes the Strawberry Chip KeriBar (my fave, too!) Other celebs who nosh on KeriBars: Drew Barrymore and Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child. At about 160 calories and six-seven grams of fat, they have a solid five grams of fiber (19% DV) and healthy omega-3s from flax. Apple Peanut Butter is tasty, too.
Learn more at: www.keribars.com Also available on QVC, Exhale Spa, Liz Lange stores in NY and LA and more.
The Bar: Atkins Advantage Peanut Fudge Granola bar
The Hook: Low sugar, high protein and fiber
The Price: $1.99 per bar
Um…yeah, we were fighting over this one because basically, it tastes like a candy bar. The newest flavor in the Atkins Advantage granola line – it just hit the shelves this summer – the crunchy, chocolate-covered peanut granola bar is low in sugar and boasts 16 grams of protein, seven grams of fiber, plenty o’ vitamins and minerals and no trans fat. That said, it does contain 10 grams of fat – half of that, saturated – so at 200 calories, almost one-half is fat. No wonder it tastes so yummy! But if you follow a high protein/low carb diet, this could work for you. One of my new-mommy friends went right out and bought a box!
Learn more at: http://www.buyatkins.com Also available at most major retailers.
The Bar: thinkThin Pink bar
The Hook: Ten cents of every bar benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure
The Price: $1.69 per bar
Developed by a former model, this protein powerhouse (20 grams per White Chocolate Raspberry or Peanut Butter Caramel) is literally so dense, it’s a workout just picking it up. The obvious advantages: It will keep you full for a long time; it’s for a good cause (and the pretty pink wrapper will remind you of that); plus these bars are sugar- and gluten-free, which means women with celiac disease can try them. They also provide a good chunk of your DV of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and iron. However, they are a bit high in fat – eight grams…3.5 of them saturated. I’d suggest eating half one day and saving the other for tomorrow.
Not surprisingly, the panel loved these – one new mom went straight back to her apartment and to the website to order them. She plans on eating a half at a time, since they are higher in fat. They do taste really decadent so I understand her thought process – tasty PB or white chocolate raspberry flavor, tons of protein to fill her up…plus she loved the packaging (pretty pink wrapper.)
Learn more at: www.thinkproducts.com Also available nationally this October in grocery, drug and natural food stores.
The Bar: Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Fruit & Nut Bars Cranberry, Raisin & Peanut
The Hook: What you see is what you get
The Price: $3.39 per six-bar box
These are so nutty/natural, they’ll make you feel like hiking a trail and then showering outdoors. Low-cal (130), low-fat (3.5 g), not too much protein, but tasty, chewy, fruity, nutty goodness. (Do NOT eat if you are allergic to nuts. Come to think of it, don’t eat anything on these pages if you’re allergic to nuts, just to be on the ultra-safe side.) When you want to eat something that just tastes healthy and will tide you over or an hour or so, this is like tossing back a few handfuls of trail mix but portable. And you can actually see every Virginia peanut, each California almonds, all the yummy cranberries, raisins and oats. Also available in Berry & Almond flavor.
Learn more at: http://www.nutri-grain.com Also available in grocery and drug stores nationwide.
Comments
Hi Leslie,
I have a question for you. Please refer to the blog entry titled "EDs aren't just for teenagers." Thank you! =)
Clif Bars! You forgot Clif Bars! They are soooooo delicious and are really filling. One of those and a piece of fruit is great for a lunch on the go. Too much sugar, though, but plenty of fiber and protein! They are also vegan and organic.
I don't know much about this blog (first time I've been here) but I guess I'm surprised to see such promotion of "diet food". Anwyay, I have found bars to be the huge waste of money and totally unsatisfying. I just don't get it. I'd rather eat a banana, or a chocolate bar. And those soyjoy ones- BLECH.
