[dragonlilly]

Energy Bars have been my breakfast of choice lately. Admittedly not the best breakfast, but since I really don't have time for a sit-down breakfast -it is what it is...

Anybody else an energy bar connaisseur? What is your favorite brand, flavor?

 

[Freddy]

I tend to avoid them, but I like Oh Yeah bars. I haven't had a bar in at least six months though.

 

[Pomander]

I used to be totally enamored of Clif Bars..they taste good, come in amazing flavors and keep me full and happy for 3 to 4 hours. Lately they've started giving me heartburn so I don't eat them anymore. I also like Luna bars, which are made by the same company.

If there's a Whole Foods near you, they make their own homemade chewy bars that are fantastic! They come in big blocks of sticky granola and taste like nuts and vanilla. So those are probably my favorite right now.

 

[dragonlilly]

That sounds delicious. I'd like to learn how to make my own.

Right now I'm less into granola and more into fruit and nut bars (training to stay away from grains). I like the Nectar Bars (i think they are made from Cliff too) and I recently fell upon Think Green bars which are significantly less expensive b/c they are not organic. They have powdered greens and they actually keep me pretty full up until lunch and my lunch time is 1:05 - so that's a pretty good go.

Do you live in a city, Pomander?

The closest Whole Foods to me is in Manhattan. I am hoping they take out a Wal-mart and put in a Whole Foods or Trader Joes soon

It could happen!

 

[Pomander]

^ Nope, suburbia

Think Green bars sound fascinating--what do they look like? I love health food but tend to be picky when it comes to things that look like barf. The Nectar bars also look really good, maybe I'll give them a try!

On the other hand, I met this girl over the summer who was horrified by how many granola bars I ate (this was during my Clif Bar love affair), because supposedly the rice syrup they use to hold the stuff together is bad for you. Then again, this is the same girl who eats the whole apple, including the core and sometimes the stem. So i took it all with a grain of salt, lol

 

[dragonlilly]

lol... she's tough!

But she's actually right. Many commercial granola bars are processed and corn syrup is actually one of the main ingredients in the "rice syrup." There's actually a new documentary out called "King Corn."

Now home-made granola bars wouldn't necessarily use corn-syrup and if they are made health mindfully, then they are sweetened with honey, agave, or raw sugar instead of refined white sugar.

The core and stem of an apple are not bad for you. I'm not sure why she's doing that unless it's a "circus trick" but it def. won't kill her. The core and seeds are probably a pretty good source of fiber. But your digestive system has got to be "tough" to handle it. It is still better for you than corn syrup or refined sugar ... let's put it that way.

 

[Pomander]

haha yeah, she was very into doing everything the natural way, like eating mostly raw foods. She even had a "wholesome" way of drinking water and walking. Strange girl.

 

[Freddy]

Isn't arsenic derived from apple seeds?

 

[dragonlilly]

Is it? I never heard of that!

 

[Freddy]

Sorry it was cyanide

snopes.com: Apple Seeds and Cyanide

 

[dragonlilly]

Wow! you are right. I never heard of that. And it's not just apple seeds- it's in many kinds of fruit seeds.

But after reading from a few sources, I also learned that the risk of poisoning is very low. The average person would have to eat the seeds from 20 or more apples in one sitting to get a reaction. And the risk is even lower when you consume the entire fruit (skin and all) with the seeds.

Thanks again for contributing to making me a more informed person

 

[Mari]

There's a health food store in a nearby city that I visit regularly -- I always buy their just made peanut butter -- but the store has the yummiest energy bars. The ingredients are listed but the bars are homemade (the fruit ones are the best). Anyway I googled "recipes for homemade energy bars" and there's a number of sites with recipes.

 

[dragonlilly]

okay... thanks. Maybe I'll try to make me own this weekend while I use my oven to help heat my apartment!

 

[Pomander]

There was an article about this in the NY Times today! They talked about Lara Bars, Raw Revolution Bars, Clif Nectar, and a couple others. I really want to try the Clif Nectar ones now, because it said they have the fewest calories and the most fiber.

But I forgot to mention Lara Bars! They taste AMAZING and they're really really good for you--and it's mostly fruit and stuff, I don't know if theres any grains in them at all.

 

[dragonlilly]

i have seen Lara Bars but i never tried them b4. The flavors did not sound appealing to me. But if you try them let me know. I'm willing to try a flavor if it is recommended

Raw Revolution bars are delicious but they have about 16 grams of fat - its good fat - but still that's over 25% of an average person's daily intake. That's a lot.

Nectar bars do have a lot fiber - 6 grams per bar (25% daily intake) and they are relatively low fat (6 grams). My favorite flavor is lemon cashew YUM.

 

[Pomander]

If you want to try lara bars, I'd recommend the lemon kind or the apple pie kind (it actually tastes like real apple pie!!)

 

[dragonlilly]

I just had my first Larabar this morning. The grocery store was out of my usual bar so I thought I'd give it a shot. Plus, there was a sale 4 for $5 - pretty good deal.

I actually got the apple pie kind - it was okay. I'd eat them again but not the best I've ever had. I'll try the lemon next time. Thanks, Pom!

 

[dragonlilly]

I have been eating LaraBars for about two weeks now. I found a really good deal on them (4 for $5) plus they have the ingredients and nutrients I am looking for.

I have tried the Apple Pie and the Cherry Pie. I'm not crazy for the taste but it fills me up and keeps me going at least until my 1:00 lunchtime on most days. I really miss my Think Green bars but I think I'll eat LaraBars for another week and then make my drive to Highland to get some Think Green Bars.

Bars every morning sounds so rigid, doesn't it? I don't have the creativity or the energy in the morning to think of another fast breakfast that has the same nutritional components. I hate cereal!

 

[Mari]

Check if your Energy Bar is on the banned "salmonella contamination" list -- mostly bars that contain peanuts. Unfortunately some deaths and a lot of very sick people - mostly US & Canada.

 

[Freddy]

Damn, that sucks.