Love Larabar!

I really do not like spending money to be unhealthy. This is not my goal, but often my reality. When I am constantly on the go, unable to pack lunch or prepare dinner at home, I can easily talk myself into stopping at Crisper’s to order tomato basil soup with the cheese and the croutons. It takes a bite out of the weekly food budget, yet it does feels somewhat healthy. That is, until I remind myself that many restaurants add ingredients to preserve the food or to add to the taste, not to mention unpredictable sanitation. But when hunger strikes, impulse reins unless I prepare for this inevitability by slipping “bring-along” snacks in my bag. It takes a conscious effort to purchase or make snacks for this very purpose. But, planning ahead allows goals to rein over impulse.So stock your pantry well with good healthy choices, avoiding items that require a cooler. The bring-alongs have to be quick, accessible and easy to carry such as raw nuts, bananas or apples or a couple of nutrition bars. Nutrition, energy or granola bars are about the best choice because they are individually packaged, easy to store and stay fresh for quite a while. Simple to eat and satisfying, this choice is filling along with 8-12 ounces of water. Chosen correctly, the right bar contributes fiber to along with other important nutrients. Save money to be healthier instead.

But the variety of bars available is intimidating. At the belist.com, we have sampled many and scrutinized their ingredients. One of our favorites (and we do not receive any compensation for saying this) is the Larabar for taste, satisfaction, price as well as nutritional integrity. It is possibly the best raw food bar available. The Larabar site describes the bar as  "LÄRABAR is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices - energy in its purest form. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than eight ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended." But at thebelist.com, we encourage you to be discerning and look beyond the marketing claims. Look at the ingredients and you will find that each ingredient is whole and raw without fillers, sweeteners or flavoring or actually, anything that is artificial. Now, do not let the higher fat and sugar content scare you to choose a more artificial choice filled with chemicals. The fats in the Larabar come from the nuts and are omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, excellent for skin and hair. The sugar is natural and low on the glycemic index based upon the natural whole raw sugar source. The protein you is plant based. These bars are gluten-free and dairy-free with no soy. They are truly vegan, no-GMO and are kosher. If you are wondering about No-GMO, we will rabbit trail for a minute, as this is very important. GMO stands for Genetically Modified Engineering. It may even be referred to as GE for Genetically Engineered. So we use our common sense, which tells us to avoid it, at least until it can be successfully tested long-term.   GMO ingredients are clearly not natural and certainly hyper processed.  

The bars cost a little over a dollar a bar and come in some silly, but fun flavors such as Ginger Snap, Pistachio, and Peanut Butter Cookie. The Larabar site has a fun blog and an interactive feature where you can vie for fan of the day and post your Larabar photos.

Hopefully you can give them a try and they find a permanent home in your purse. We love to hear your thoughts about Larbar and other bring-along ideas.

Be Better,

Carol

www.thebelist.com