FitSugar

DIY: Fruit and Nut Bars

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:23:42 PST

I'm a huge fan of Lärabars, but at $1.50 a pop, I can't afford my addiction. Plus each one is around 200 calories, which is slightly high when noshing on one for just a snack.

Check out these simple instructions on how to create your own dried fruit and nut bars. You'll not only save money, but since these bars are slightly smaller, they make the perfect 150-calorie snack or dessert. These bars are made with almonds, dates, and raisins, but you can get creative and experiment with different nuts and dried fruits. I can't tell you how addicted I am to these bars!

If healthy cooking is one of your goals for 2012, be sure to enter to win a Magimix food processor and a year's worth of Kind bars.

7 Gluten-Free Energy Bars

Heather Dale — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:07:30 PDT

With so many surprising food items containing gluten, you can only imagine how difficult it is to find the following commonly flour-filled snack, minus the gluten.

Energy bars can be a great way to get a quick nutritional boost while also making a quick, healthy snack. But just like anything else, you need to be careful you're choosing a kind that is packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals, rather than high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Here are my top choices for energy bars that are not only good for you, but safe for people with celiac disease or an intolerance or allergy to gluten.

A Reader Recipe: No-Bake Apricot Balls

Fit Community — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 03:05:54 PST

Need some healthy treats to power you through the weekend? These no-bake fruit and nut balls that reader be-healthful posted in the Healthy Recipe community group may be just what you need.

See the recipe when you

5 Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars Compared

Angelica Marden — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:30:41 PST

I aim to eat fresh real food whenever possible, but early morning workouts and a rushed commute to work means I occasionally reach for energy bars on the go. My flavor of choice is peanut butter and chocolate (because how could you not love the salty and sweet combo?!) and I've tried more varieties than I care to admit. Some are protein-filled and a delight like candy, and others taste like cardboard. It's hard to pick a winner, but my recent go-to has been the Think Thin Chunky Peanut Butter Bar, which packs 20 grams of protein and no added sugar but somehow satisfies my sweet tooth.

Are you a choco-nut too? Check out nutritional breakdowns and reviews of some of other popular choices.

Carbohydrate Mouth Rinse: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:00:54 PDT

Eating gels, energy bars, and goo is so passé. As reported by the New York Times, athletes can get the same burst of energy from just gargling a carb solution. No eating, no wrappers, no muscle cramps - just gargle and spit. A study found that just having the carbs enter your mouth tricks the body into thinking energy is on the way, which provides the extra energy your body needs to perform. In studies, athletes who rinsed their mouths with a carb solution performed as well as those who fueled up on food or a sports beverage. They also outperformed athletes who were given a placebo mouth rinse.

Of course, spitting out a carb rinse won't satisfy hunger, so endurance athletes are probably better off getting the added nutrition from eating or drinking during a race. And while you can buy carbohydrate mouth rinses at some health stores, you can also make your own. Keep in mind that using artificial sweeteners will have no effect though.

Food Review: Forze GPS Shakes and Bars

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:46 PST

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.

Sports Energy Products Explained: Bars

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:30:25 PDT

If you're a fan of longer workouts, or are in training for a big race, you can't exercise without refueling your energy. Sport drinks offer energy plus hydration, and gels and chews offer bite-sized energy in convenient packages. There are also energy bars. You can eat them before, during, or after your lengthy workouts, and they're better than sport drinks or gels because not only do they contain carbs for energy, but they satisfy your hunger too.

Many companies make energy bars these days including Clif, PowerBar, and Balance. If you're confused about how to choose one keep reading

Element Bars: Build Your Own Energy Bar

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:30:22 PDT

Many FitSugar readers often enjoy an energy bar since they're great pre- or post-workout snacks. They tend to be under 200 calories, full of fiber and protein, and can satisfy that craving you have to eat something chewy. If you're getting tired of the ones you usually eat, why not make your own? Element Bars allows you to customize all the ingredients so you get the taste and consistency you want.

Build a bar by choosing:

Core (base): chewy, oaty, crispy, or datey
Fruits: apricots, blueberries cherries, cranberries, prunes, or raisins
Nuts: almonds, cashews, flaxseeds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, soynuts, walnuts
Sweets: agave syrup, brown rice syrup, honey, maple syrup, chocolate chips, M&Ms, pumpkin spice
Boosts: whey protein, soy protein, immunity, omega-3, fiber

A box of 12 bars costs $36. Not only would it be fun to make your own to eat, but you can also get a friend a gift certificate, or get a bunch of boxes made for party favors.

Food Review: Dr. Melina Protein Bars

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:00:00 PDT

When it comes to pre-workout snacks, I like to mix things up, so when I spotted a new-to-me brand, Dr. Melina Protein Bars, at my corner store the other day, I snapped one up.

I was excited to learn that the brand was created by a female doctor who resides in Sugar's fair city of San Francisco, an internist and nutritionist named Dr. Melina Jampolis. To find out how they taste,

read more. These protein-packed bars come in four flavors: chocolate peanut, double chocolate acai, lemon raspberry, and cinnamon almond, which I tried. Fans of Luna Bars will love Dr. Melina bars too; they're pretty comparable in terms of flavor, sweetness (note the hint of icing), texture, and nutrition. The bar I tried had a bit more crunch than Luna, sort of like a Rice Krispie treat, which was a nice touch. The cinnamon and almond flavors tasted very natural and not overly sugary, and with 14 grams of protein, the bar left me feeling very satisfied. Check out the chart below to see how it compares with a similarly flavored Chai Tea Luna Bar.

	Dr. Melina Cinnamon Almond	Luna Bar Chai Tea
Serving Size	One bar (45g)	One bar (48g)
Calories	180	190
Total Fat	6 g	5 g
Saturated Fat	2 g	2.5 g
Cholesterol	5 mg	0 mg
Sodium	80 mg	95 mg
Carbs	21 g	26 g
Fiber	5 g	3 g
Sugars	11 g	12 g
Protein	14 g	9 g

Aside from a few key differences, these bars are pretty comparable. Interested? You can buy Dr. Melina bars by the box here. If you've tried this or any other flavors, let me know what you think.

Food Review: Gnu Flavor & Fiber Bars

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:00:00 PDT

Perusing the well-stocked snack bar section at Trader Joe's the other day, I was hoping to find something a little lighter than the typical energy bar. Gnu Flavor & Fiber Bars ($1.69 at TJ's, $1.99 online) seemed just right: with fewer calories than most bars, 50 percent of my daily value of fiber, and sweetened with 100 percent fruit juice, the colorfully wrapped bars seemed too good to be true.

I scooped up three of the five flavors, each of which was deliciously moist and chewy. Because Gnu is entirely natural, I didn't miss the strange aftertaste other bars often have. I tried the Orange Cranberry, Peanut Butter (don't worry, they weren't recalled), and Chocolate Brownie and plan on picking up the Banana Walnut and Cinnamon Raisin on my next grocery run. To see what the Orange Cranberry bar looks like and the nutritional information,

read more. Each bar has 130 to 140 calories and 3 to 5 grams of fat depending on flavor, plus 12 grams of fiber and 3 to 4 grams of protein. The ingredient list on these bars is reassuringly short and recognizable - love that. Are you a Gnu fan?