FitSugar

New Flavors For Larabar Lovers

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

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, read more.

How do these compare to the other Larabar flavors? Check out the Larabar Breakdown to find out.

Favorite Energy Bar

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:30:00 -0800

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 -0700

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 read more

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).

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LARABAR Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:00:00 -0700

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, read more

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 -0700

Go Nuts! Eat Healthy Fats

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:30:00 -0700

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 -0700

Kind Fruit + Nut Bars

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Walking through the health food store, I am always looking for new snacks to try. I look for ones that have few ingredients, so when I came upon KIND Fruit + Nut Bars, and I could see the whole nuts and pieces of dried fruit, I had to pick some up.

There are tons of flavors to choose from like Macadamia & Apricot, Walnut & Date, and Banana & Oat Bran. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, have no trans fat, no GMO, are a good source of fiber, and have no added preservatives, colors, or flavors.

How do they taste? So delicious! They're got a great chewy and crunchy texture that was very satisfying. All the natural ingredients make this bar so flavorful, and a great afternoon snack before or after a workout. Plus, they're conveniently wrapped, so you can stash them in your desk, purse, or gym bag.

They're made in Australia with all natural ingredients, and 5% of the profits go to OneVoice, a PeaceWorks foundation that fosters co-existence in the Middle East, so they're good for your body and for the world.

Want to see the nutritional info? Then read more

These bars reminded me a little of LARABARS, so here's a chart comparing the two:

1 Bar	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)	Ingredients
KIND Bar (Almond & Coconut)	190	14	25	14	4	11	4	almonds, honey, shredded coconut, coconut chips, glucose, puffed rice, chicory fiber, soy lecithin
KIND Bar (Almond & Apricot)	170	11	25	16	5	13	3	almonds, apricots, honey, shredded coconut, coconut chips, glucose, puffed rice, chicory fiber, soy lecithin
LARABAR (cashew cookie)	210	12	0	23	3	14	6	cashews, dates
LARABAR (Key Lime Pie)	200	10	0	28	4	20	4	dates, cashews, almonds, unsweetened coconut, lime juice concentrate

I know at first glance it looks like these have a lot of fat, but keep in mind that the fat comes from the nuts, so it's healthy fat your body needs.

Fit's Tips: If you want to see how these compare to other energy bars, then check out this Energy Bar Breakdown.

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 ›

thinkOrganic Bars

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:45:00 -0700

I was in the airport recently and I stopped at one of those little stores to get some snacks for the trip. Among all the candy bars and gum, I saw thinkOrganic bars. When I looked at the ingredients, and saw dates and nuts, I had to give them a try.

As I was eating the Cashew Pecan bar, it reminded me a lot of LARABARS. While they taste pretty similar, the difference is that these thinkOrganic bars contain a few extra ingredients - pectin, and ascorbic acid - which I wasn't that psyched about.

I did like that the cashew and pecan pieces are a little bit bigger, but it made the date taste a little bit more prevalent. Eating these thinkOganic bars were just like taking a handful of nuts and a date and popping them in your mouth. The LARABARS, on the other hand, have a more unique flavor.

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

I compared the ThinkOrganic bars to LARABARS, just so you can see how they match up nutritionally. Make sure you note that even though a serving size is 1 bar, the LARABARS are a little bit bigger, so that's why they have more calories and fat. Also remember that the fat content in both bars comes from the nuts, which are a healthy fat your body needs.

Since LARABARS are bigger, I thought they'd have more grams of sugar, but they actually have 3g less than the thinkOrganic bars. Hmm, it must be from the lemon juice concentrate, or maybe thinkOrganic bars are made with more dates and fewer nuts. I honestly didn't notice that one bar was sweeter than the other.

Even though the thinkOrganic bars are made with organic ingredients, I'm more of a fan of the fact that LARABARS contain minimal ingredients. As far as taste goes, I did like them both, but LARABARS have so many more flavors to choose from, so I think it makes them more exciting. It's good to know that both bars are vegan, gluten free, soy free, and dairy free.

Try them both and see for yourself. Let me know which ones you like better.