Energy on the go!

If there is a recurring theme to this blog it is that eating healthy on the go is a must! I am constantly running around, from school, to my various volunteer jobs, to the library, to the yoga studio and so on. Lots of times I have to put off eating until I have time, which is not the best thing especially since I have been told that I get “grumpy” when I am hungry. The best solution for me on days like this is to grab an energy bar. Let me start by saying that there is a lot of crap in most energy bars. I am not really into functional food, I like to eat for enjoyment, so I want a bar that tastes good and isn’t loaded up with a bunch of supplements that I don’t need. There is a lot of energy bars on the market right now because most people are like me, they want to eat healthy and they need to grab something quick because they are starving and on the go. Food manufacturers take advantage of consumers in this way because they market their junk food like health food because they know that is what people want. We as consumers NEED to start reading and understanding labels in order to get what we really want, which is food that is good for us!

Here is a mini lesson in label reading. Both of these labels are from chocolate energy bars:

Label #1: C2 MAX CARBOHYDRATE BLEND (ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE SYRUP, MALTODEXTRIN, FRUCTOSE, DEXTROSE), OAT BRAN, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, ALKALIZED COCOA, BROWN RICE FLOUR, AND 2% OR LESS OF CANOLA OIL, VEGETABLE GLYCERIN, SALT, CHOCOLATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, NONFAT MILK, ALMOND BUTTER, PEANUT FLOUR. MINERALS: CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, FERROUS FUMARATE (IRON). VITAMINS: ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), VITAMIN B6 HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1). CONTAINS ALMOND, MILK, PEANUT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES WHEAT.

Label #2: DATES, ALMONDS, WALNUTS, UNSWEETNED COCOA POWDER, UNSWEETNED COCONUT

Let’s look at label #1; the VERY FIRST ingredient is sugar. On the nutrition label the ingredients are listed by weight, which means that bar #1 is mostly made of sugar. Is this where we really want to be getting our energy from? Another ingredient that is high up on the list is soy protein isolate. Sounds harmless, right? Soy is a good source of protein, right? Not so much. Soy protein isolate is a highly processed product that is snuck into health foods because our government subsidizes farmers to grow soy. This leaves us with a surplus of genetically modified soybeans that have to go somewhere. Food manufacturers thought, why not market it as health food?! This is not health food; it is actually questionable whether this is food at all. Reading on, you can see that there are many other questionable ingredients such as natural flavor aka chemicals and vegetable glycerin (what the hell is that?).

On to label #2. Pretty simple, right? Dates are sweet; they provide the natural sugar and have other nutritional qualities to boot. Almonds and walnuts are packed with protein and healthy fats. Cocoa powder provides powerful antioxidants and the chocolatey taste. And coconut, our love affair must never come to an end, you provide me with soluble fiber and short chain fatty acids, which are essential for optimal gut health! Bar #2 has everything that I need to get me through to my next meal and it tastes suspiciously like food. Oh wait, that is because, it is! Label #2 comes from a chocolate coconut Lara Bar®. I highly recommend Lara bars because they are so yummy and good for you. They come in all sorts of delicious flavors, are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, non-GMO, and kosher. Kids also love these tasty treats, so throw a couple in your grocery cart and give them a try.

Image uploaded from: www.slashfood.com/.../ 02/bunnyfoot-lara-bar.JPG