FitSugar

Yo!Naturals: Healthy Vending Machines

FitSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Wouldn't it be great if you could get your favorite health food from a vending machine? Well, my buddy YumSugar just told me about the San Diego based company YoNaturals, and they are bringing health food to the ultimate icon of snacking convenience - the vending machine.

YoNaturals is on the front line in the battle against junk food vending machine, and I wholeheartedly applaud their efforts. In their Yo!Zone and Yo!Thirsty machines you won't find the junk food staples of your youth. Gone are the fluorescent orange cheddar crackers filled with hydrogenated oil laden peanut butter, in their place you will find Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies and Pirate Booty. Instead of candy bars, you can choose from a selection of energy bars, like some of my faves - Luna, Clif and LARABARS. Soda is replaced with organic milk and organic juices. Yippee!!!

Yo!Naturals distribution is growing ever wider and you should be on the look out for their machines in hospitals, hotels, offices and schools - you know large, kind of institutional places. Just the kinds of places where you need a snack and can never find anything healthy to satisfy your hunger.

LARABAR: Cashew Cookie

FitSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 14:30:00 -0700

At my yoga studio yesterday, they were giving away free samples of LARABARs. Of course I had to try them and report back to my fellow health nuts.

I've told you about them before, but I thought you might like a little bit more info considering there are so many energy and granola bars out there - it's hard to keep them straight and know which ones are good.

I tried Cashew Cookie and it was delicious. The thing that is so great about LARABARs is that they're made with real food and each bar contains no more than 6 ingredients. There were only 2 ingredients in the one I tried: Cashews and Dates. That's it.

LARABARs have no added sugar, they're raw, unprocessed, non GMO, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, and kosher. If you check out all the other exciting flavors, all you'll find are unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices. It's energy in its purest form.

These are great to have in your purse, in the car, in your desk drawer and in your gym bag. They are all natural, wholesome, and simply scrumptious.

Want to see what they really look like? Then read more

View 6 Photos ›

New Tastes Coming in Energy Bars: Luna and Lara

FitSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Both my favorite brands of energy bars are coming out with new tastes this Spring. Luna Bar has updated its recipe, and Larabar will be debuting three new flavors soon. For me, and the stash of energy bars I keep in my purse and gym bag, this is exciting news.

The Luna Bar recipe revamp includes a new vitamin blend to better address women's nutritional needs. One addition is vitamin D to support calcium absorption. The flavor and texture have both been tweaked, and I feel these changes are for the better. Look for the blue leaf tag that says "new recipe" to try Lara Bar's updated flavor. You should be able to find the "new recipe" bars everywhere by mid-June. Also check out the brand new bar, White Chocolate Macadamia - I found it tasty.

Learn what is happening on the flavor front at Larabar when you read more.

You should expect to see these three new Larabar flavors in stores soon:

Peanut Butter and Jelly - tastes just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, minus the crust, so my daughters love this flavor.
Tropical Fruit Tart - reminds me of a piña colada, but chewy with a bright refreshing flavor.
German Chocolate Cake Jocalat bar - tastes a bit like a brownie, but not as sweet.

Out of the three new flavors, the Tropical Fruit Tart is my favorite. Unfortunately the Jocalat bar did not remind me at all of German chocolate cake, but is was certainly chocolaty. Are you looking forward to trying these new tastes from Luna and Larabar?

Lara Bars

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 07:30:00 -0800

When you are on the run and want to make sure you have enough energy for your run, reach for a Lara Bar.

These energy bars are chock full of goodness and have only a handful of ingredients - the most any bar has is 6. They are made from unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Each contain 1 1/2 servings of fruit and are generally around 200 calories. They are vegan. They are raw. They are kosher. They are tasty.

The bars are made from a base of dried dates so they are quite chewy and moist. Plus they come in a wide variety of flavors Lemon Bar, Cashew Cookie and Pecan Pie are my favorites. You can order them directly from the company from their website or use their handy on line store locator to find a retailer near you.

If you need an energy bar these are the real deal made from real food.

Food Review: Forze GPS Shakes and Bars

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:46 -0800

I'm typically wary of fitness drinks with gold packaging; they remind me of the weird muscle-building brands I see at the gym. But when I read the label on Forze GPS shakes and bars, I was intrigued.

This line of snacks, including chocolate and vanilla shakes and four flavors of energy bar, is described as a "weight management tool designed specifically for athletes." They promise to activate your appetite control signals, so they can be used as a between-meal or pre- or post-workout snack. Hear what I thought about their taste and the results.

Some Peanut Butter-Based Bars Are Safe, Others Are Not

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:30:00 -0800

When it comes to pre-workout snacking, energy bars are up there on my list of favorite quick fixes that get me through my workout. After hearing that some bars have been recalled because they could be tainted with salmonella, I was paranoid to touch any of the bars I had previously purchased. Ignoring the products isn't getting me anywhere, so I've been looking into which ones are safe for me to eat and which should go in the trash, once and for all. Now I can feel OK snacking on certain bars without any sense of salmonella doom.

The FDA developed a handy widget that allows you to scan by product group, and in my case I was interested in snack bars. I was bummed when I first saw LaraBar on the list, but after clicking on the brand name I saw that only one of its products has been affected (Peanut Butter Blisscrisp snack bars). Check out the widget for the items that you should avoid; you'll see familiar names like Clif, Luna, and Zone on the list. See the rundown when you read more.

Source

Give Your Host a Healthy, Homemade Gift Basket

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:30:00 -0800

Hostess gifts are often an afterthought when preparing for a stay away from home, so why not do things differently this holiday season? Give a thank-you gift that will be appreciated and remembered by creating a healthy gift basket for your host. The fact that you did it yourself, rather than purchasing a prepared fruit basket, will stand out as an extra-thoughtful gesture. Consideration toward your hostess gifts doesn't have to take a whole lot of time, just a little forethought.

Your instinct might be to get a basket before you go shopping for the contents, but you don't want to buy a basket too big or small for the items you want to include. Start by making a list of things you want to include and buy your basket after you've collected everything. This is your opportunity to be creative and have fun with giving. To see some ideas for what to include in your healthy gift basket, read more.

Organic coffee beans
Homemade granola
Dark chocolate
Bag of snack-size rice cakes
Energy bars like Lara, Clif, or Luna bars
Homemade, guiltless cookies, like flourless chocolate-walnut cookies
Green tea
Seasonal fruit, like pomegranates
Almonds or mixed nuts
If your host has a Christmas tree, consider including an ornament
If your host celebrates Hanukkah, add a package of beautiful menorah candles

Source

Fit Finding: Energy Bars

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 11:30:00 -0800

A while back I told you all about the Lara Bars - energy bars made from wholesome and simple ingredients. I know there are so many energy bar, protein bars and (oh I do hate this name) meal replacement bars out there - so let's go Fit Finding for some more. I like to have choices, don't you?

Be sure to tag your finds with the phrase energy bars.

If the term "Fit Find" is new to you, please read and watch geeksugar's excellent explanation of our bookmarking system.