My informal guide to protein bars

Last night I went out with a friend from yoga to catch up, and she had asked for my opinion on a few things. Our discussion led to protein bars - which ones are worth buying, when to eat them, and so on. She said she felt completely overwhelmed walking into a store and seeing the selection of various bars and had no idea which ones to buy. After we talked, she joked that I should write a blog post on protein bars for her reference. Well, here you go.

First of all, I just cannot imagine replacing an entire meal with a protein shake or a protein bar. I always have to supplement it with something else, whether it's a side of veggies, some whole grain cereal or chip, or fruit, depending on the size and macros of the bar.

My general rules for protein bars are this:

1. High fat and/or quick release carbs pre-workout

2. Low to moderate fat and high protein post-workout

Pre-workout:

Mmmm, pie

Larabars are some of the simplest, most natural nutrition bars that are widely available. I love that the ingredient lists are typically short, including fruit, nuts, and spices. Every flavor I've tried does a pretty good job of mimicking the taste of what the label says, especially apple pie and peanut butter & jelly.

I really enjoy Larabars, though I rarely eat them, especially during warmer months. They get sticky and melty in the heat...not my thing.

Kind bars

Kind bars have a huge variety of bars to suit individual needs and taste buds. My favorite line of Kind bars are the Nuts & Spices lower sugar bars. The sea salt dark chocolate is SO DELICIOUS. Any of their bars are perfect for pre-workout because of the natural sugars (especially in the fruit & nut line), higher fat content for satiety, and moderate protein. Again, simple, whole food ingredients.

I am intrigued by their new line of savory, higher-protein bars, Strong & Kind. I just don't know how I feel about a nut bar flavored like thai sweet chili. I'm also about savory/spicy, but it's just so odd to me.

I feel like I should also mention that Kind granola is bomb.

ThinkThin crunch

ThinkThin Crunch Mixed nut bars fall under the same guidelines as Kind bars for me. The coconut chocolate is definitely my #1 choice in this line.

Post-workout:

Photo borrowed from here

ThinkThin bars aren't the most "natural" bars, but I like them a lot. Great flavors that taste like candy bars, and are especially yummy frozen in the summer or after hot yoga. With 20g of protein and no sugar in their high-protein line of bars (with chocolate covered strawberry as the exception with 15g protein), these bars are great for a quick protein boost and muscle repair.

ThinkThin has changed some of the flavors and added a couple of new lines, including a candy bar line and a protein & fiber bar. I won't lie, I'm dying to try some of the flavors in the protein & fiber line, like the chocolate peanut butter toffee and chocolate almond coconut. I've yet to find these in stores though :(

Of their original line, creamy peanut butter will forever have my heart. And I'm missing the lemon cream pie bars. Why, ThinkThin, did you discontinue this flavor?!

QUEST BARS ♥  

Quest bars are hands-down my absolute favorite protein bars. Ever. Yeah, yeah, yeah, another blog post raving about how delicious Quest bars are. Do you think Quest is getting tired of it? Doubt it. Therefore, I feel no guilt. The nutrition stats are fantastic: 19-21g of protein per bar, 5-10g of fat, high fiber, and 1-4g of sugar in any given bar. I love that the fat and calorie content varies in each bar based on nutrition needs. Some days I have trouble meeting my fat intake goals, so a peanut butter & jelly Quest bar gives me that little extra edge with 200 calories and 10g of fat as opposed to 160 calories and 5g of fat in the chocolate peanut butter. I also like that some flavors are sweetened with stevia.

I could eat these things every day. There is such a wide variety of flavors and I love them all. My absolute favorite so far are the coconut cashew, cookie dough, and white chocolate raspberry (my enjoyment of which was a true underdog story, I really had low expectations for this flavor).

Most bars need to be heated up a bit in the microwave to bring out the true dessert-like quality of these bars...sitting out by my mat during hot yoga also does the trick.

I have yet to try the cookies & cream bar, vanilla almond bar, and the Quest cravings cups. They need to get in my belly ASAP. A quest for Quest may be in order soon.

My friend mentioned that she started eating Clif bars, which, in my personal opinion, are sugar bombs. Yes, they are made with some decent ingredients, but the sugar content is out of control for what I would consider a snack. The only time I could see myself eating a Clif bar is during a lengthy hike or bike ride that requires quick-releasing carbs and protein for energy and muscle repair. Since I neither hike nor bike, Clif bars have no place in my snack box.

Thanks for the visual, Sugar Stacks.

Disclaimer: I am not a nutrition expert by any means. These are my personal opinions based on my taste preference and what makes me feel satiated and energized. If you enjoy Clif bars as meal replacements, more power to you. It's just not my thing. If you think protein bars and powders are a waste of money and an unnatural source of protein, I'm not saying you're wrong. I just happen to enjoy protein bars and powders for convenience and as a way to have a sweet treat without all the sugar and to get a protein boost.

Thinking Out Loud #1

The last 48 hours have been a whirlwind of amusing randomness, so I figured what better time to finally join Amanda's weekly Thursday Thinking Out Loud link-up to justify my unstructured stream of consciousness?

• I've stumbled across this tumblr blog, #WhatShouldWeCallBostonProblems, and it is painfully, hilariously accurate. I really miss living in Boston, but the problems are too real.

Take this post for example. "When I haven't taken the T for a while and I have to take it again:"

You don't know the pain until you live it.

Every Boston problem is worth experiencing.

• People take trivia tournaments way too seriously. I was covering a trivia night last night in the midst of the qualifying season for the big Spring tournament, and stunned by the vim and vigor displayed by some of these teams. Kudos to you all for your passion, but as a host, it's stressful to have people be so particular. Whatever, it makes for entertaining tales ha.

I had an odd dream last night after watching this Blogilates video for a Quest bar recipe. 

• In my dream, I made the apple cinnamon "churros" for my mom and I, but left them in the oven for 25 minutes...miraculously they didn't burn. Then I went to prepare the yogurt and apple dip, but had no yogurt and my mom refused my suggestion to substitute the no salt added cottage cheese I had on hand. Since it was like midnight, I obviously couldn't run to Stop and Shop to purchase some yogurt. I also boiled an entire pot of broccoli as an accompaniment. Why? I don't know. I never ever ever boil vegetables, especially not broccoli. The whole dream made no sense.

If anyone has any random dreams or musings to share, I'd love to hear them. Mostly for entertainment value, as well as reassurance that I'm not insane haha.

Random product reviews: You should try this because it's awesome

Last week I was scrolling through my photo stream on my iPhone and came across a ton of pictures I'd snapped of random healthy food finds that I tried and enjoyed. I think credit should always be given when it is due, so I thought it was appropriate to sing each company's praise in a blog post. And now we're here!

Dr. McDougall's Black Bean & Lime soup is perfect for days when I don't have time to actually make a lunch for work. All you need is hot water and some patience (it takes a few minutes for the dried black beans to soften up), and voila! a filling, delicious lunch. The flavor of this soup is great. It comes with a zesty lime flavor packet that you mix in with the dried black beans before filling the cup up to the line with boiling water, and you just toss the container when you're done. I try to stock up when these go on sale, though it's under $2 so definitely a more affordable, healthier lunch than you'd get at Subway. I've also tried the split pea and barley soup, which is equally tasty and nutritious. I'm dying to try some of the newer products from the line: Pistachio Citrus Quinoa Salad and Butternut Azteca Soup especially caught my eye.

 I won a jar of Nikki's Coconut Butter a while back in a blog giveaway...I wish I could remember which blog, but when I saw "a while back" I mean a year ago (far before I had a blog and could formally tell the internet how much I love this stuff). Nikki's has so many awesome flavors: Honey Pecan Pie, Midnight Mocha, Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie, Macademia Nut Cookie, Pumpkin Spiced Donut (seasonal), and Vanilla Cake Batter, which is the flavor I chose. Let me tell you, the flavor was spot on. I could literally eat this stuff with a spoon, but I retrained myself and instead drizzled it over oatmeal and on rice cakes or lavash bread with jam. I am dying to try their other flavors at some point, but right now I'm not in a position to spend $13 on a jar :(

A few weeks ago, I was browsing around The Good Seed Market and noticed Kevita in the fridge. I asked the owner and her sister if they'd tried it, and they happened to be drinking the Daily Cleanse (pictured above) as we spoke, and highly recommended it. Since I love cayenne pepper and lemon, I went with their suggestion and was not disappointed. 

I should disclose that I am a chugger. I drink everything in gulps - hot tea, coffee, seltzer water included. This stuff is definitely made for sipping. I coughed a little from the cayenne on the initial taste. I must have been overzealous. They have a whole slew of interesting flavors that I want to try, especially the Mojita and Strawberry Acai Coconut. Lucky for me (and you), there is a coupon for $1.50 a bottle on coupons.com this week. I highly recommend printing one out and running to Whole Foods, or the Good Seed Market if you're lucky enough to live in the RI/MA area, to try Kevita.

Excuse the crappy picture above of my new favorite Quest bar flavor. It was taken post-yoga while waiting for my mom's car to be ready at Tire Pros. I know everyone raves about the chocolate chip cookie dough and double chocolate chunk flavors, and I am completely of the same opinion. That being said, coconut cashew is BOMB. Such a unique flavor, great texture, and stellar nutrition facts, all as to be expected from Quest bars. I was really shocked by how great this bar was without being warmed in the microwave prior to consumption. I think I actually prefer it as is. I still have yet to try the Quest Cravings Peanut butter cups or the new cookies & cream bar. I need to step up my Quest hunting game. Lovelovelove Quest.

Make sure you check out these companies and their products. Consider it proof that nutritious food can be delicious, and can even taste like your favorite dessert.

MIMM: Staying positive and stepping out of my comfort zone

After last week's onslaught of disappointment, both within my own personal life and hardships of others close to me, I'm really trying to keep my chin up and appreciate what I have. I've also been making a point to step out of my comfort zone in a number of ways and, awkward as it feels and sounds, feel comfortable with my discomfort. I guess in my mind, discomfort means progress, and that should instill a comforting feeling.

A few highlights of the past week are making for a Marvelous Monday:

• Today was freakishly warm and sunny for mid-November in RI. The forecast was calling for heavy wind and rain, so this was an extra special treat. I embraced the opportunity for a walk to have a much needed vent session with my co-worker. Perfect.

Quest delivery! LOVE this company.

• I won a 12 flavor sampler pack of Quest bars from BusyBod's blog giveaway. To my surprise, they arrived with an extra three bars--the elusive cookie dough, white chocolate raspberry and double chocolate chunk flavors--and TWO packages of Quest Cravings Protein Peanut Butter Cups!!! I've been trying to find these EVERYWHERE and cannot wait to try them.

Note: I had every intention of microwaving one of these bars for my post-yoga meal tonight, making for an extra amazing end to my Monday, but I had a serious salt craving. Dinner was far too many carrots with about half a tub of garlic hummus, a lavash wrap with a Laughing Cow light swiss wedge and strawberry preserves, and a mini bag of popcorn with nutritional yeast. Yeah, portion control is not one of my strengths.

• I successfully grabbed my toes from behind my head in dancer's pose tonight during hot yoga on both sides! So happy!

• Last night, I made an incredible and super easy dinner that everyone else enjoyed just as much. (Let it be known that never happens.)  

  

  Baked chicken breast with roasted grapes & red onion and garlic roasted asparagus

Totally random recipe, but it was a success! My sister's boyfriend went home and asked if his mom could make it sometime haha. I also baked a batch of snickerdoodles.

Note: I consumed about 3x that much asparagus and finished off my mom's piece of chicken. Further evidence of my terrible portion control lol.

Chicken Breast with Roasted Grapes:

• 1 - 1.5lb seedless red grapes
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 T olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. 

Toss grapes (removed from stems) and onion with the olive oil and a little salt & pepper. Pour into a baking dish and roast for 15 minutes.

Remove baking dish from the oven, mashing about half of the grapes to release juice and stir. Place chicken breasts on top and return to oven at 450F for 45-55 minutes, until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Serve chicken with sauce poured over the top.

Thanks, Katie, as always, for hosting MIMM!