FitSugar

New Flavors For Larabar Lovers

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 PST

One thing I love more than Larabars is new flavors of Larabars! They just came out with four exciting flavors, so if you're a fan, you need to give these a try. The Peanut Butter Cookie is now my all time fave. These bars are made with nuts and dried fruit so they offer healthy fats, fiber, and protein for a quick and healthy snack, perfect for before or after a workout. I like to eat half before and save the second half for my post-workout treat.

If you're interested in seeing the nutritional info,

Favorite Energy Bar

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:30:00 PST

If you lead a busy life, you need snacks for when you are on the go. I try to keep a few emergency energy bars in my purse and gym bag, for my low-body-sugar moments. Plus, they are great to have around for when the girls get cranky. When, I am looking for an energy bar I want one with a little protein and no sugar substitutes. It was cool to see that my two faves were also yours - great minds think alike, right?

Luna Bars holds the top position as the favorite energy bar of you, FitSugar readers, and LARABARs holds the silver spot as the second, favorite energy bar. The least favorite was the Soy Joy, and while that doesn't surprise me, I am happy to see that the bar has some loyal fans.

Gaining Weight? Blame It on Your Co-Workers

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:30:00 PDT

We spend a lot of time at work, and if you're anything like me, when other people are snacking, it's hard to resist the urge not to snack too. It seems like it's always someone's birthday, or someone's mother made homemade cookies, or someone ordered afternoon pizza.

Here are some tips to help you stay healthy and fight the urge to over-eat...

Eat a delicious and wholesome breakfast before you get to work. That way if someone is going for a Dunkin Donuts run, you won't be tempted to get something unhealthy.
You don't have to skip going out to lunch all the time. Denying yourself is no good. Instead designate 1 day out of the week for eating out. Try to find a place that serves nutritious soups, sandwiches, or salads. If you know a portion is huge, share it with a friend, or save the other half for tomorrow's lunch.
Pack your own lunch the other days. That way you know you'll like it and you'll know it's good for you. Plus it'll save you time if you're too busy to pick up lunch.
Try to take at least 20 minutes away from work to eat. Get outside, eat at a park, or go to your break room. We tend to eat too fast and overeat when we are mindlessly shoveling food in our mouth. So concentrate on just eating, so you can really enjoy your food slowly. It's a great time to catch up with a co-worker and give your mind a break too.

Want to hear the other tips? Then

Make sure your lunch has a lot of protein, whole grains, and veggies. These types of food will give you more sustained energy than say a high carb meal like an order of spaghetti or a bagel. A high carb meal will make you feel sleepy, and you'll hit a slump around mid-afternoon. Then you'll crave a sugary snack or a soda to pep you back up. Great lunch ideas could be: grilled chicken on a salad, black bean soup with a piece of whole grain bread, or vegetable quinoa.
Pack healthy snacks in your desk or work fridge for emergencies such as LARABAR, nuts, fruit, yogurt, fruit leather and carrots and hummus. That way when others are scarfing down Susi's homemade brownies, you can enjoy your own healthy snack and not feel left out of snacktime.
I'm not saying you should deny yourself any and all treats that come through your office door. If it's someone's birthday, enjoy a little piece of cake, but resist the urge to have 2nds and 3rds.
Stress at work can cause you to reach for a snack. So try to stop stress before it happens. Slow down and take some deep breaths, get organized, go for a walk, make a to-do list, or do some relaxing yoga poses.
Keep a bottle of water (preferably a reusable one from Nalgene or SIGG) on your desk and take sips often. It'll satiate your need to put something in your mouth, plus staying hydrated will keep you alert and healthy (it'll prevent an uncomfortable UTI).

Source

LARABAR Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:00:00 PDT

I am a huge fan of LARABARs, as you all must know by now. I've raved about their Cashew Cookie, their Banana Cookie, and the Jocalat bars too, but I really do love all their flavors (except for the Pistachio, but that's just me).

I always keep half a dozen different kinds lying around, just in case I need a pre or post workout snack. They taste great and the nuts give me lots of "get up and go" energy.

So I was wondering how they compared nutritionally. Are you wondering too? To find out,

1 bar	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugar (g)	Protein (g)
Cashew Cookie	210	12	2	23	3	14	6
Cherry Pie	190	8	.5	28	4	21	4
Ginger Snap	220	13	1	22	5	18	5
Key Lime Pie	200	10	3.5	28	4	20	4
Cinnamon Roll	210	12	1	27	4	20	4
Apple Pie	180	10	1	23	4	17	4
Pecan Pie	200	14	1	22	4	16	3
Lemon Bar	210	11	1.5	26	3	18	6
Banana Cookie	210	10	0	24	5	17	6
Chocolate Coconut	220	13	2.5	25	5	18	5
Jocalat Mint	190	9	2	25	5	19	5
Jocalat Chocolate	190	10	2	24	5	18	5
Jocalat Coffee	190	11	2	24	5	19	4

Fit's Tips: So they're all fairly the same. Remember that LARABARS have a high amount of total fat because they are mostly made of nuts. These are healthy fats though, and these bars are great energy-packed snacks to include in your diet. Foods that are high in saturated fat are ones that you need to watch out for.

More LARABAR Love

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:30:00 PDT

You know what a huge fan I am of LARABARs. I love how they taste, but most importantly, I love that the ingredients are just fruit and nuts.

Another thing I love is that there are so many different flavors to choose from like Cashew Cookie and Chocolate. I recently tried Banana Cookie. Want to take a peek at the nutritional info? Then

Serving Size	1 bar
Calories	220
Total Fat	11g
Saturated Fat	1g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	0mg
Potassium	460mg
Carbs	28g
Fiber	5g
Sugar	17g
Protein	6g
Ingredients	almonds dates unsweetened bananas

They could not have come up with a better name for this bar - it seriously tastes just like a homemade banana cookie. It's the perfect blend of chewiness from the dates and bananas, and a slight crunchiness from the almonds. This could be my new favorite flavor. Did you see there are only three, that's 3 ingredients listed. Which gives me peace of mind that there are no hidden ingredients. Fit's Tips: I know it may seem like the fat content in this bar is high, but the fat comes from nuts, which are healthy fats your body needs. If you want to see how a LARABAR compares to other energy bars, then check out this post.

Go Nuts! Eat Healthy Fats

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:30:00 PDT

Women are scared of FAT. We think that if we eat fat, we'll become fat. It's true that certain types of fat are unhealthy for us. Trans fat should be avoided like cigarettes. Also, foods high in saturated fat like butter, cream, sausage, bologna, and bacon can clog up your arteries, so moderation is key when it comes to those fats.

Then there are unsaturated fats. Nuts, olives, olive and canola oil, avocado, and pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds all contain these healthy fats. Some people avoid nuts like walnuts, almonds, cashews, and peanuts because of their high fat content, but most of the fat is monounsaturated (a kind of unsaturated fat) - which can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol.

Besides lowering LDL cholesterol, nuts are great sources of protein, fiber, Vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, potassium, riboflavin, and selenium.

Fit's Tips: Try to include a variety of these heart healthy fats in your diet. You can replace unhealthy saturated fats with these healthy fats by spreading peanut or almond butter on your toast instead of butter. Also instead of adding chocolate chips to your cookies, add walnuts. You can also eat snacks that contain nuts such as LARABARs and KIND Fruit + Nut bars.

Source

My LARABARS Arrived!!!

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:15:00 PDT

Recently LARABAR offered FitSugar readers free samples of their tasty energy bars? (Sorry - if you haven't requested them yet, the deadline has passed, but you can still pick some up at your health food store.) Well, mine just arrived - wasn't that fast?! I requested samples of their new chocolate flavored bars that they call JOCOLAT. They were so tasty I had to write about them. Chocolate has that effect on me.

Out of the Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Coffee, the plain old Chocolate LARABAR was my favorite. I swear if I closed my eyes, it tasted like I was eating a decadent walnut fudge brownie. When I looked at the ingredients, all I saw were organic dates, organic almonds, organic walnuts, organic cocoa powder, organic cocoa mass, and organic cashews. That's it. Nothing but healthy stuff.

I will definitely be buying these - I'll keep a stash in my purse and gym bag, so I'll have a healthy snack that'll fill me up, give me energy, and satisfy my sweet tooth.

Want to see the nutritional info and a photo of what it really looks like? Then

Serving Size	1 bar
Calories	190
Total Fat	10g
Saturated Fat	2g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	0mg
Carbs	24g
Fiber	5g
Sugar	18g
Protein	5g
Ingredients	organic dates organic almonds organic walnuts organic cocoa powder organic cocoa mass organic cashews

Fit's Tips: I know it may seem like the fat content in this bar is high, but the fat comes from nuts, which are healthy fats your body needs. If you want to see how a LARABAR compares to other energy bars, than check out this post.

If You're Craving Girl Scout Cookies, Try These Instead

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:13:50 PST

It's Girl Scout Cookie time! Noshing on these fund-raising treats seems like an American pastime, but it can be challenging to keep a snack session of these seasonal sweets in check. If you can enjoy your cookies in a reasonable manner, then good for you! But if you're looking for a way to scratch that sugary itch without killing your healthy eating agenda, here are some healthier alternatives.

Do-Si-Dos
Two-cookie serving: 120 calories, five grams of fat, seven grams of sugar

Quick Fix: The Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie is a perfect substitute since it's so filling - I usually only eat half of a bar at a time. One bar contains 220 calories, seven grams of protein, and four grams of fiber. Made out of dried dates, one bar equals one half serving of fruit. There are 18 grams of sugar in this bar, but the sugar content is not added; it naturally occurs in the dates. The other two ingredients in this bar are peanuts and salt.

DIY Fix: Make your own tasty peanut butter treat! Blend a little peanut butter, apple sauce, and raisins for a sweet, satisfying, and nutritious homemade spread. Two tablespoons of this peanut butter raisin spread offers almost five grams of protein and two grams of fiber.

Don't see your fave cookie? Keep on reading!

100-Calorie Sweet Treats to Satisfy PMS Cravings

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:51:25 PST

If decadent desserts are what you crave that time of the month, here are some sweet, low-calorie, healthy options you can feel good about indulging in.

One small apple (77 calories) drizzled with half a tablespoon of honey (32 calories): 109 calories
Six dried apricots: 100 calories
Yogurt and fruit: Half a container of vanilla Greek yogurt (60 calories) and half a cup of frozen organic blueberries (35 calories): 95 calories
One and a half Newman's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: 90 calories
30 frozen grapes: 101 calories
One four-ounce cup of Santa Cruz Organic Applesauce (50 calories) topped with eight chopped peanuts (47 calories): 97 calories
One Julie's Organic Sorbet Bar: 60 calories
One So Delicious Mini Chocolate Sandwich: 90 calories
Two clementines (70 calories) and two pieces of Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate with Cherries (36 calories): 106 calories
Half a Cherry Pie Larabar: 80 calories

Source: Flickr User slgckgc

Food Combos With 10 Grams of Fiber

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:10:41 PDT

A woman is supposed to eat 25 grams of fiber every single day. It help cleans out your system to prevent bloating and flatten your tummy, and also satiates your hunger, which is great if you're trying to lose weight. Getting your daily dose of fiber also lowers your cholesterol, prevents heart disease, and reduces your risk for breast cancer. That's a lot of good reasons to get your fiber-fill, but most women have a hard time meeting their daily quota. Since most foods don't contain a ton of fiber on their own, here are eight combinations to add more fiber to your diet.

One cup of raspberries (8g) plus 15 almonds (2.1g): 10.1 grams of fiber
One large pear (6.5g) and two tablespoons almond butter (4g): 10.5 grams of fiber
Half-cup cup dry instant oatmeal (4g), one extra small banana (2.1g), and two tablespoons shredded coconut (5g): 11.1 grams of fiber:
Half an avocado (6.7g), two tablespoons unsalted sunflower seeds (1.8g), plus eight cherry tomatoes (1.6g): 10.1 grams of fiber

Keep reading to see what other food combos contain 10 grams of fiber.