In the summer I never really catch myself snacking too much.
I'm too busy doing this or that or I guess I can grab an apple or some grapes and be on my way.
During the school year I always find myself hungry after I get to school.
I eat breakfast around 5 daily.
I try to be quick because I want to get to school early and get my stuff done, but perhaps I should be eating a bit more.
I usually have an egg over medium and some juice.
Some days I will add in a banana or toast with peanut butter.
Other days I will have a packet of oatmeal and some milk.
What I find is that sometimes by 7 am I'm hungry, and definitely by 10 am I'm starving!
This year I've tried to add some more healthful and whole snacks to my daily consumption.
Some days I have an apple, some days cheese and crackers, sometimes a cheese stick.
It all just depends on what we have when I'm packing my lunch.
So, I've been on the hunt to find a healthful granola bar.
When I was younger we always had the Chewy bars.
I like these, and they're still only 100 calories, but I felt like I should be eating something better.
For a while I was buying the off brand from Walmart or our local grocery stores, but then I realized all that I'm eating is junk.
So, I kind have accidentally started eating these Clif Kid bars.
I actually bought them for Halloween to give out as a more healthful treat, but we weren't able to be home to pass out treats, so no one got them.
I left them in the pantry for a while and then decided I would see what they tasted like.
I really really like these!
They were tasty, but I felt like they were more to eat before I workout, and I'm the type of person who doesn't consume something right before they workout.
I base my whole diet for the day around the fact that I should be able to go home and workout any day.
Now, if I'm going to run 17 miles, sure I'll eat something.
But on a regular basis I workout and don't eat right before it.
So I stumbled on these Nature Valley Protein bars.
The hard thing about me and any granola bar is that I don't like nuts.
I hate things in my teeth, and I just don't like them.
So, this one is Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate.
I like peanut butter and dark chocolate, so that made the nuts (which there aren't too many) bearable.
Again, this one is 190 calories, and I felt like it was too much.
I asked my health nurse at school, and I really stumped her because everything she was going to suggest was based around nuts. Yuck!
She suggested I try out the Zing bars.
Unfortunately, they don't sell them around me, so I ordered them online.
You get a reduced rate if you buy $75 worth, so I ordered in bulk and tried them out.
The cool thing about this company is they put you on automatic renewal and send out an email ahead of time.
I still haven't finished my 3 boxes from April, so I deleted my shipment for May.
These have 200-210 calories, but they are all natural.
They are filled with good carbs, fibers and protein.
I tried out three kinds.
1-Dark Chocolate Mint
This is probably my favorite.
It has the zing of mint and reminds me of a peppermint patty or Girl Scout thin mints.
2-Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
This would be my second favorite.
It tastes like peanut butter and chocolate chips!!
3-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
I love oatmeal and chocolate chips, but for some reason I didn't like this one.
I've only actually had it once, but I'm that person who if they eat something they don't like will try to avoid ever having it again.
Now, I will say these bars to taste a bit gritty, but I try to remind myself that they are BETTER for me!
I have noticed they keep me fuller longer.
Sometimes I don't even eat the full bar.
So those are my top 5 bars I've been enjoying lately.
What bars do you guys like?
I know some people make their own.
I've never tried that, but I'm curious if anyone has.
The key to eating for me is moderation.
I wan't something yummy and healthful.
I will keep looking, but for now I have those bars on rotation for my snacks.
Love this post! I need to try those zing bars! The dark chocolate mint and peanut butter chocolate chip sound so good!
ReplyDeleteYum!! I love granola bars, they are one of my favorite snacks.
ReplyDeleteI love trying different granola bars. Plus my kids like them too. I can't wait to try the zing bars!
ReplyDeleteI eat ThinkThin protein and fiber bars but only the ones with real sugar. The fake sugars make me sick to my stomach. I eat one cold with a spinach salad each day for lunch.
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