When looking at the ingredients of an energy bar, have you ever wondered what some of them are?
There’s a reason that each of my top-three bars has a list of ingredients you KNOW AND RECOGNIZE. You need to look for real-food ingredients, things you can pronounce, things that would make your grandmother smile.
8 To The Bar
Organic Gluten Free Oats, Almonds, Raw Unfiltered Honey, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Walnuts, Organic Pepitas, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Sesame Seeds, Organic Dried Figs, Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, Organic Coconut Butter, Dried Cherries
LARABAR Organic Superfood (hazelnut, hemp & cacao bars)
Dates, Hazelnuts, Cacao Nibs, Hemp Seeds, Almonds, Cacao Powder
FlexxBar (peanut butter fantasy bars)
Gluten-Free Oats, Peanuts, Peanut butter, Agave, Shredded coconut, Coconut oil, Chocolate chips, Raisins, Chia seeds, Vanilla extract
Ingredients in my not-top bars include …
1. Soy lecithin, whose side effects can include diarrhea, nausea and inflammation
2. Erythritol, which can cause digestive issues
3. Palm kernel oil, high in saturated fat and therefore risky to overall health, andenvironmentally toxic
4. Glucose syrup, which can correlate to weight gain
5. Natural flavoring … for instance, beaver butt– one of more than 100 questionable substances that manufacturers use to enhance flavor under the guise of calling them “natural” < See me! ;) >
By contrast, my less preferred choices, below, ARE BARS YOU SHOULD AVOID. THEY ARE TOXIC. NONE OF THESE ARE FREE OF ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS THAT CAUSE SEVERE INFLAMMATION. (If you have no other choice, and need to fight off hunger pangs, grab a handful of raw, organic, unsalted nuts.)
Quest
Pure Protein
Think Thin
Clif
Zone
Kind
Balance Bar
Power Bar
Luna
Kashi
Pick up one of these bars and read the label side by side with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – and see if you are really making a healthy choice. Probably not!
Yes, you will probably have to shop a bit harder – and more creatively – to find my top three. Just do it!
Don’t get used to plucking a bar off the kiosk that is front and center at most convenience stores. Your health should be worth more to you than simple convenience.
EAT REAL FOOD!