Energy Bars?

[rob_s]

I currently typically keep granola bars and mixed nuts in the car, and will often snack on those just before an evening match or drills since I'm skipping dinner. Since I'm usually also dragging ass, I'll chase 'em with a Coke or whatever to get a little boost (not much of a soda drinker, so don't bust my balls on that! :p )

Occurs to me that maybe an "energy bar" of some sort would be a better solution? I don't really care about the ingredients in terms of things like if it has caffeine or "toxins" or whatever, but I can't do aspertame and the like.

Any thoughts on energy bars as a whole, and maybe some specific recommendations?

[ballistic]

If you have a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods close to you, check out Organic Food Bars (http://www.organicfoodbar.com) and Think Organic Bars (http://www.thinkorganicbars.com/). No artificial ingredients, natural sugars (cane sugars, etc no HFCS) so you won't crash, and a good ration of protein which is important for a meal replacement. They taste pretty darn good too. These are the best bars around IMHO and I've tried several.

I'm a firm believer in eating every 2-3 hours, and based on my fitness regimen I need to consume enough protein to prevent from going catabolic. I also try to limit my intake of added sugars and High Fructose Corn Syrup and other processed ingredients that a lot of other so-called protein/energy bars are loaded with. Read the labels and you'll be surprised. These two bars meet my requirements very well and I recommend them.

[crhoades]

Also take a look at Clif bars. They're balanced nutritionally and actually taste really good.

[HowardCohodas]

If you or yours are DIYers, you might try these: Food Network - Alton Brown - Protein Bars (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/protein-bars-recipe/index.html)

The emphasis is on protein with a balance of carbohydrate which I find minimizes the peaks and valleys of perceived energy level.

[EzGoingKev]

I recently had some made by Kashi and they were really good. They had one Oreo cookie one, an oatmeal & raisin one, a chocolate chip with toffee, and a some kind of peanut butter one.

I don't know how good they are for you, but they tasted great.

[Hersh]

I like the Bear Valley Pemmican bars.

http://www.mealpack.com/

[bkb0000]

i eat an assload of Powerbar "Harvest" bars. chocolate on chocolate is the best, in my opinion- usually washed down with a Rockstar energy drink (which i'm jonesing for as we speak)- but they come in a number of different flavors. the Harvest bars are good 'cause they've got rice and oats and other shit in 'em to add flavor and texture... i cannot eat a regular powerbar.

[kmrtnsn]

In terms of calories from sugar and the usual list of ingredients most "energy bars" aren't that much different than a Snickers or a Payday bar except they don't taste near as good and cost four times as much. Throw a few paydays in your bag and save a fortune.

[bkb0000]

paydays are a good option- more sugar and less protein, though. energy bars are also generally fortified with vitamines and minerals and shit, also.

i used to eat paydays before i found Rockstars and Harvest bars

[WillBrink]

I currently typically keep granola bars and mixed nuts in the car, and will often snack on those just before an evening match or drills since I'm skipping dinner. Since I'm usually also dragging ass, I'll chase 'em with a Coke or whatever to get a little boost (not much of a soda drinker, so don't bust my balls on that! :p )

Occurs to me that maybe an "energy bar" of some sort would be a better solution? I don't really care about the ingredients in terms of things like if it has caffeine or "toxins" or whatever, but I can't do aspertame and the like.

Any thoughts on energy bars as a whole, and maybe some specific recommendations?

Personally, I put them in the "better then nothing" category. They are generally glorified candy bars, but if you can't get some real food in you, better then nothing for sure.

[Iraq Ninja]

Traditional Powerbars are popular over here as a MRE replacement. You can fit a bunch in a mag pouch and eat them on the go. The candy bars don't hold up well in the heat, and the wrapper is not very resistant.

Powerbar wrappers can also be used for sucking chest wounds. The residue on the wrapper helps to hold it down..LOL.

Caffeine gum and red bull are also used a lot.

[RogerinTPA]

I used to do power bars a while ago, until reading an article in Outside Magazine. They did a comparison a few years ago, on various power bar types. The conclusion was that they offered no significant advantage over your normal Milky Way candy bar. Which they considered more cost effective and practical. It also stated that Milky Way is what the Nepal mountain guides and porters use during ascents on Mount Everest.

[Abraxas]

Also take a look at Clif bars. They're balanced nutritionally and actually taste really good.

I used to love these things. They worked great for me to stuff in various parts of my gear(ALICE or MOLLE, daypack, the pig, my camelbak,ect) when I was in the field or deployed. Though they were hard to come by in Iraq

[MarshallDodge]

I like the South Beach Living Peanut butter high protein bars (http://www.amazon.com/South-Beach-Living-Protein-5-Count/dp/B001G7RBMG). When my wife bought them I was kind of skeptical but they are pretty good and have 10 grams of protein. They do have Sucralose in them but I barely taste it and I can always taste aspertame....blachh!

My wife is also making her own from ground oat groats(oat flour) and will throw in a little peanut butter(fresh ground, not Skippy) along with some peanuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cranberries, raisins, etc. I will get the recipe from her but it's kind of a work in progress. Sometimes they come out soft and sometimes they are hard, it depends on what you put in them. :D

[MarshallDodge]

Recipe as promised:

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1-1/2 cups oat flour
2 cups old fashioned oats

We are experimenting with adding applesauce and honey to make them a little sweeter and softer.

Things to add to suite your taste: cranberries, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds.

Cream the peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, and baking soda. Slowly mix in the remaining ingredients.

Shape into a block and cut bars off of it.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 mins or until they are golden brown.

They have a long shelf life if you keep them in a ziploc bag, I have had some that I have eaten after they were a month old which were a little harder but tasted the same.

[LSK]

If you are just talking about getting hungry during your normal activity than anything will help. I like almonds and dates. But if you really need to move then any solid food will draw fluid to your stomach. This takes it away from your muscles and organs. If are seriously Oscar Mike than I like to use GU Gel.

[airdrop]

I like the balance bars. They taste good and are high in protein, only about 200 calories each. Worth a try!

[Erik 1]

So, are there any of these energy, or whatever, bars that make an effective, regular meal substitute? Most days, I eat a decent sized lunch and dinner, and that's pretty much it. I hate breakfast and don't get many snacks in. I'd like to try eating more frequent and smaller meals, as is typically recommended, but it's pretty unlikely that I'll manage to prepare a bunch of meals over the weekend to bring to the office, or mess around with cans of tuna and the like. If there was a decent, energy bar type product that works as a meal substitute, that would be the ticket for me. Thanks!

[8200rpm]

I'm no nutritionist but I've been told that sugar, high glycemic index, hyperinsulinism, and skipping meals are not good for your well being.

Apparently, we should all be spear-chucking wild elk, hand-catching wild sockeye, getting our women to pick nuts and berries, and eating 5 times a day. If it doesn't have a face, can't dig it out of a ground, or doesn't fall out of a tree, don't put it in your body.:confused: :rolleyes:

[Erik 1]

I suppose if it has a face, it could walk into my office and hand itself to me too...I've never been a very healthy eater. I'm kind of, sort of trying to change that.

[Dirk Williams]

Not really a bar or food, but any thoughts on a 5 Hour Energy Drink. Ive tried them a few times and objectively felt they worked well for the prescribed 5 hours.
Low cal only one or two ounces.

Seems like they would work well in a high heat situation where your sweating out all your minerals quickly.

D Williams

[Lee Indy]

cliff bars rock. my day pack always has a bunch

[rob_s]

Since buying the Cliff bars I've eaten 2-3 a week while at work. No apparent ill effects in the stomach department so I'm pretty happy with them. Thanks guys.

[Ranger325]

cliff bars rock. my day pack always has a bunch

Not tried them yet, but just picked some up last night. Thanks..........

[8200rpm]

Rob, you may grow weary of eating them eventually. I went on a Clif bar binge when I was into backpacking. It tasted good at the time, but I can't stand the stuff anymore. It's like particle board dipped in syrup.

Now I just try to plan my meals better. I always carry at least 3 servings of fruit to work. If you know you're having a match and you can't have dinner, why not just have a banana and whatever fruit that's in season to hold you over.

Feeding our bodies is the foundation of fitness. It does take planning and effort.

[rob_s]

The Cliff will eventually become something that's kept at work in a drawer to eat when I have to. Typically I do bring things to work with me in the morning. As you say, it does take planning, not just remembering to bring them but to get to the store and buy them even before that!

Trying to get the whole fam on a better eating/shopping/cooking cycle. They have really ****ed up my eating habits in the last couple of years with the lazy diet and garbage food they keep in the house.

[tiger seven]

Clif Bars are my favorite too. They're filling, not too sugary and they handle temperature extremes and rough handling pretty well - meaning they don't get melted or mashed flat like candy bars can. The other good thing is that there are lots of different flavors available, so everyone should be able to find at least a few that they like. Then you can have some variety and not get sick of eating the same exact bar over and over and over.

I stock up when they go on sale for $1 or less each. They seem to have a pretty good shelf life too.

Derek

[Cruncher Block]

I do the Clif Bar/PowerBar/MetRx bar thing when I'm stuck at my desk and can't get real food. The main thing for me is to make sure whatever I'm getting has some protein. If protein is important to you, you might try beef jerky as well.

I also came up with a concoction one time that worked well -- it was oatmeal mixed with eggwhites and baked in the microwave until the eggwhites congealed. This was during one of my "strict diet" and "spend no money" periods.

It didn't taste bad but, honestly, by the time I was reaching for it I was usually too hungry to care about taste anyway.

[danpass]

Recipe as promised:

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1-1/2 cups oat flour
2 cups old fashioned oats

We are experimenting with adding applesauce and honey to make them a little sweeter and softer.

Things to add to suite your taste: cranberries, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds.

Cream the peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, and baking soda. Slowly mix in the remaining ingredients.

Shape into a block and cut bars off of it.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 mins or until they are golden brown.

They have a long shelf life if you keep them in a ziploc bag, I have had some that I have eaten after they were a month old which were a little harder but tasted the same.

any updates/mods to this?

I suspect when I cut them in blocks I can vacuum pack each one for some real longevity?

Even longer with those oxygen absorbers?

[kmrtnsn]

http://walking.about.com/od/snacks/a/energymyths.htm

[Lee Indy]

NEX was out of cliff bars..................... many im jonesing for a fix

[MarshallDodge]

any updates/mods to this?

I suspect when I cut them in blocks I can vacuum pack each one for some real longevity?

Even longer with those oxygen absorbers?
We have thought about keeping them for food storage but since we keep the ingredients on hand, including the egg factories ;) , the longest we have stored them is about 30 days in a zip lock bag. I throw a zip lock bag of them in my Go Bag and they last for a long time (weeks) with only a loss of some flavor.

Lately she has been playing with an Almond Biscotti (http://www.joyofbaking.com/biscotti/AlmondBiscotti.html) recipe using nectarine puree (neighbor has a tree) and brown sugar for the sweetener. She substitutes the all purpose flour with the oat flour. These are pretty hard and dry when they are done so I would think the shelf life would be pretty long if you vacuum wrapped them.

[Erik 1]

If protein is important to you, you might try beef jerky as well.


I like this idea.

[Azul]

Pemmican Bars either premade or you can make your own, a bar like that can set me for a whole day
http://www.grasslandbeef.com/Detail.bok?no=531

Beef Jerky is good too but its expensive and not particularly filling, though the extra salt is useful if you are sweating bullets(pun intended) for several hours at a time.

[LandCruiser]

Tri-o-plex are the best meal replacement bar I've ever found. They can be found at GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, etc.

[kihnspiracy]

I really like ProBar energy bars. They are very tasty. Lots of flavors. They have nuts, real fruit, oats in them. I get them at the REI store near my place. The only down side to them, they seem a little concentrated to me, so I alway drink water when I am eating one. I like Cliff bars too. But I like the ProBars better.

[Tom Swift]

FYI "Energy Drinks" are like Poison for your Heart as yummy as they are they're terrible and the same effect can be found in much more natural forms. My trainer has put me on a drink Ultima Replenisher (www.ultimareplenisher.com) (Hope there isn't a no hotlinking rule, Sorry!) This drink has given me a much bigger boost than any energy drink ever has and almost instantly "cured" the odd hangover in the past.

I also do protein/fruit shakes in the morning and have found that they are very good to start a day off great. Right now I haven't gotten onto any type of "energy bar" but now that I see so many people talking about it I'll have to get the opinion of my trainer. I'll admit that my eating habits are far from great and thats something that I'd desperately like to change thats why I've started to explore this section of the forum.

[PrivateCitizen]

Cliff Bars. Yep.

Several good ones … I like Oatmeal Raisin. Goes with the Joe.

I also keep a few 12oz cans of V8 in my desk. If I get the twinge that usually does it, plus I get some of my vitamins. :)

[jasonhgross]

Out of all the mass produced readily available bars, I like the Cliff bars the best. Mostly decent ingredients, good taste, ect. Also, available at Costco.