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.

Food Review: Luna Sunrise Bars

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:30:00 -0700

We love Luna Bars on FitSugar; in fact, you guys voted them your favorite energy bar for '07. So have you tried Luna Sunrise Bars? Though you can eat them anytime of day, these bars are made for breakfast, and I definitely recommend them if you're looking for a snack before your morning workout.

Sunrise bars come in four flavors - Blueberry Crisp, Strawberry Crumble, Vanilla Almond, and the new Apple Cinnamon - all of which are very breakfast friendly, unlike some of the regular Luna Bars. (Not that I don't love the S'mores!) Also, like regular Luna Bars, all of the Sunrise bars contain fewer than 200 calories. For my opinions on them, read more.

Each Sunrise bar has 5 grams of fiber, versus 3 grams for a regular Luna bar, as well as 8 grams of protein (compared to 10 grams for the regular Luna). The added fiber and whole grains are designed to keep you full until lunch, and the vitamins, particularly vitamin D, help you start the day eating healthy.

The iced bars have a chewier texture than regular Luna bars, which I like, and the flavors are evocative of fruit, yogurt, and cereal. My favorites are the Vanilla Almond and Apple Cinnamon, because they taste more real and less sweet. The Blueberry Crisp is also good, with its creamy berry taste, but the Strawberry Crumble is probably my least favorite. It just tastes a little too artificial.

Have you tried these yet? If so, which flavor is your favorite?

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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?

Luna Bar Women's Triathlon

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:35:00 -0800

The Luna Bar Women's Triathlon is back for its 4th year at Rancho Seco Park.

They're having the same friendly 1/2-mile swim in Rancho Seco Lake, followed by a beautiful scenic 16 mile bike ride on closed roads in the park, and it finishes with a fun 3 mile run.

The race is not until Sunday, August 26, 2007 - So you'll have plenty of time to start training for it.

You can register online - if you're in a relay team of 2 or 3, it costs $110, or $70 if you're doing the whole race solo. Check out the website for rules and details.

If completing a triathlon is top on your list, this would be a great one. Plus, all athletes receive a goody bag filled with Clif Bar products. Sounds good to me.

Luna Tea Cakes: Vanilla Macadamia

FitSugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:45:00 -0800

Have you guys ever tried Luna Tea Cakes? Since you all are such big fans of Luna Bars I thought I'd give these a try. Although the package claims the snack is good "for mood balance," since it contains a lot of antioxidants from the Rooibos Red Tea and some omega-3s, I am more interested in how it tastes. Really, I am more interested in how my energy bar measures up nutritionally instead of psychologically.

Interested in those details too? Then read more.

This tea cake tasted like a healthy cookie, chewy and sweet. I liked that whole goji berries were visible in the bar. Not that I believe all the hype about this fruit, but those berries remind me of The Inappropriate Yoga Guy that GiggleSugar introduced me to.

Serving Size	1 Tea Cake	1 Peanut Butter Cookie Luna Bar
Calories	150	180
Total Fat	4g	6g
Saturated Fat	1g	3g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg
Sodium	140mg	150mg
Carbs	28g	23g
Fiber	4g	3g
Sugar	8g	12g
Protein	2g	10g

Anyway, I posted the nutritional info for a regular Luna Bar as well, and as you can see there isn't a huge difference. They both tasted pretty good, but if I had a choice, I'd probably go for a regular Luna Bar instead since it has more protein and fiber, and less sodium. If I wanted to eat a healthy cookie, I'd probably just make some myself like these Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Good Tips for Choosing a Great Breakfast Bar

FitSugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:30:00 -0700

Breakfast bars are a great idea, in theory. However, some mainstream breakfast bars are high in sugar, low in protein and very low in taste. So before you buy a box of new breakfast bars, be sure to check out these requirements for picking a good bar:

It should not have more than 15 grams of sugar.
It should have 5 grams or more of fiber.
It should have at least 5 grams of protein.
It should contain 25% of the DV for calcium.

A good pick: Luna's Whole Grain Sunrise Bars have 8 g of protein and 5 g of fiber, plus 35% of the daily value for calcium. (180 cal, 4.5 g fat, 2 g sat fat). You can buy a box of 15 for $19.99 online at LunaBar.com.

Get Outside and Play With Team Luna Chix

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:00:00 -0700

If you love working out in the great outdoors, but don't like going it alone, then check out Team Luna Chix.

There are 27 Luna Chix teams in over 20 cities in the US dedicated to biking (both mountain and road), running, swimming, and racing. The teams are diverse groups of women, including weekend warriors and serious competitors, who come together to train in a supportive environment and have fun doing it. As well as all the fun fitness activities, each independent chapter of the Luna Chix raises money for the Breast Cancer Fund.

Although these teams are the brain child of the company that makes Luna Bars, these teams are more like grass roots organizations. Team leaders organize group trainings as well as fundraisers, from 5k races to silent auctions, that benefit the BCF. Talk about a double incentive to exercise.

Find links to a handful of teams when you read more.

Arizona
Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Boston, MA Cycling
Madison, WI Cycling
Montana
New York Mountain Biking
Seattle
SF Bay Area Cycling
Washington, DC

You can find more teams listed at the Luna Chix website. Like their motto states: Get outside and play!

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More Peanut Butter Involved in Salmonella Scare

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Last week we learned that peanut butter might be the culprit in the latest salmonella scare. First, King Nut and Parnell's Pride peanut butter were recalled, but now the list grows as more companies pull their products from the shelves. The FDA has traced the tainted peanut butter to a Georgia plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America, which distributes peanut butter and peanut flavor to numerous companies. Since six people have died from salmonella poisoning, the FDA is taking no chances and advising everyone to stay away from all products containing peanut butter including cookies, crackers, cakes, energy bars, and ice cream.

Some known foods to avoid are Little Debbie snacks, Kellogg Keebler crackers, and some Luna, Clif, and ZonePerfect bars. The companies who make Jif, Smuckers, Eagle Brand, and Peter Pan peanut butter said their products are safe.

For a complete list of products involved in the recall, check out the FDA's website.

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.

Energy Bar Breakdown

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 07:30:00 -0700

When I walk into the grocery store, I must admit I get a little overwhelmed by the vast selection of energy bars. I made a nutritional break down comparing some of the popular choices so the decision is easier to make. If you want to see it then read more

1 Bar	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Clif Bar (Crunchy Peanut Butter)	250	6	250	40	5	18	12
Clif Nectar Bar (Lemon Vanilla Cashew)	160	6	5	27	6	17	4
Clif zBaR (peanut butter)	140	5	170	20	3	11.7	3
Luna Bar (Peanut Butter Cookie)	180	6	150	23	3	12	10
Luna Sunrise Bar (Vanilla Almond)	180	4.5	95	29	5	10	8
Power Bar Performance Bar (peanut butter)	240	4	200	42	2	22	10
Power Bar Pria (Chocolate Peanut Crunch)	110	3.5	85	16	1	10	5
Balance Bar (peanut butter)	200	6	230	22	1	12	14
LARABAR (cashew cookie)	210	12	0	23	3	14	6