Leave the Caveman Diet with the Cavemen

I’m always one up for a challenge especially when it comes to food and living a healthier lifestyle. After hearing about this thing called the Paleo diet my curiosity was immediately sparked. I picked up the “Paleo Solution Diet” by Robb Wolf, which proposes a 30-day challenge into what he describes as the caveman diet – meaning you can eat anything that was available to a caveman. At first glance I felt like I already eat similar to that so it should be a breeze, until I realized that frozen yogurt and everything chocolate did not make the list. As a self-diagnosed chocolate addict I went ahead and apologized to all my friends and family before I began the challenge, because this girl without chocolate is not a pleasant person to be around. Luckily, dark chocolate with a cocoa percentage above 73 did make the list but it took some time getting use to the bitterness.

Day one came and I thought I had it down pat – oh wait, I can’t have my usual morning on-the-go bar because it has oats in it? Since when did oats become bad? And I can’t put Splenda in my coffee? I picked up the phone and apologized again for what may be a long 30-days. What I thought was going to be an easy challenge just threw me some curveballs.  

After the first few days I was surprised that I wasn’t more tired and hungry. As someone who regularly works out I thought I would need carbs to keep my energy up. However, it seemed the bulk of meat, vegetables and almonds kept my energy up, despite my lack of coffee because there’s no way this lady is drinking it black. I did, however, trade out my morning cup of joe for hot tea, which was a different, yet nice, change of pace.  

With the first week down I was on the right track and feeling pretty good. Having no heavy breads, pasta, or additive sugar made me feel lighter, even though it was probably all in my head. But then the weekend came…This is usually the time where I’ll have dinner out somewhere, indulge in some desserts and do my week worth of drinking in one night. What can I say, I’m still in my early 20s. All that, however, was out of the question, so I made the best out of the situation. Technically I could have dined out but not knowing exactly how my food was prepared and having to ask the waitress to omit a laundry list of ingredients just seemed like a hassle. I did attempt to make a chocolate dessert, which can be found on paleodietrecipesplan.com . It actually turned out pretty well and cured my chocolate craving. As for the alcoholic beverages, Tequila is the most purest and natural form of alcohol therefore is allowed on the diet, so after one shot I was done and had one cheap bar bill by the end of the night.
   
This pretty much how my 30-days went, with just a couple more curveballs such as birthday parties and dinners to attend and chocolate being thrown at me from every angle. When the 30-days were up I felt very accomplished, only slightly hungry, and actually noticed a change in my physique. While people who have 20 plus pounds to lose or are diabetic will most likely notice a drastic change, I was still able to notice a greater prominence in my oblique’s and about an inch off those “lovely” love handles. Many might think this is similar to the fad diet Atkins, where you lose a bunch of weight and gain it all back by going back to your natural eating ways. The Paleo diet, though, is a way of life, as the book gives great detail as to why additive sugar, processed foods, carbs and dairy are not good for you. However, even after reading Robb’s book I could not convince myself that all carbs and dairy are bad for you or that milky goodness chocolate is bad in moderation.  I will give Robb this, if diabetes runs in your family or are having health issues that are linked to food then this is a great plan to live your life on. If you’re an average Joe like myself who is maybe just looking to get toned in those stubborn areas this may not be the route to go. Overall, I’m glad I did it as it made me take a closer look at what exactly I’m putting in my mouth and also encouraged me to try different recipes like squash spaghetti, which has now become one of my favorite meals. While I still incorporate some of his recipes in my diet I’m comfortable living by the motto to “leave the caveman diet with the cavemen.”

Live Like an Athlete

The unaware public eye question why it’s important for NASCAR drivers and pit crew members to workout. One rebuttal being all drivers do is sit in a car and drive in circles. This assumption is fair except many ignore the fact that the car weighs 3500 lbs, therefore the amount of g-force is similar to holding a 40 lb weight in front of you for three hours – or six hours if you’re talking the Coke 600. Other factors that tend to be ignored is the temperature. Take what the thermometer says outside and add roughly 30 degrees for what it feels like inside the heat box, a.k.a racecar. But I’m not here to preach about how drivers are athletes. A) Because I’m not a driver so I can’t speak on their behalf about how it may or may not be an intense profession. B) If you don’t already know they’re athletes then you probably shouldn’t be reading my blog. What I will tell you though is why it’s important for drivers and pit crew members to treat their body like athletes. If you’re an up-and-coming driver or pit crew member this blog is for you!

Losing roughly 10libs in a three hour time period is not something our bodies are meant to do. Downing track food like an ill colored pink hotdog at Martinsville Speedway before a lengthy race is also something that’s not ideal for one’s body. These are all scenario’s that seem like common sense, but as someone who has spent some time at the track, scenario two definitely happens. Maybe it’s because drivers see fellow drivers such as Tony Stewart with his perfectly round belly, who preaches that he hates working out, win races and championships. Well news flash – Stewart did have a trainer the year he won his last championship. He then decided that working out was no longer necessary and hasn’t won a championship since. I’m not saying there’s a correlation but…

Also an up-and-coming driver should keep in mind how the times have changed. There are more drivers with a Carl Edwards and Mark Martin attitude then a Stewart now days, so hitting the gym could be the difference between landing your dream ride. If that’s not motivation enough look at it this way – what’s the worst that could happen from spending at least 30 minutes being active five days a week? Your stamina will be better, so those three hours won’t seem like an eternity. Blood will flow through your body better so less leg and arm cramps throughout the races. And you won’t feel like death when the checkered flag waves. Preparing your body, whether it’s through an active lifestyle or the way you fuel it with nutritious food has become the difference between celebrating in victory lane and laying by the racecar with your pr person patting you down with a cold rag.

What have evolved even more in racing besides a driver’s tip-top shape are the pit crew members. Remember the days when pit crew members jacked up the car with a cigarette in their mouth and pit stops where longer than the commercial break. Well those days died along with those hideous bubble goggles. Now teams are recruiting ex-hockey and ex-football players, who bench press tires in their sleep. Long gone are the days where pit crew members could chug a beer during the long green flag runs, or never even practice until that first yellow flag was thrown. Pit crew members are more like athletes than ever - practicing five days a week, whether it’s through intense cardio, weightlifting, or rigorous pit stop practice. So if you’re an up-and-coming driver or pit crew member it’s time to live your life like an athlete – whether the unaware public eye thinks you are or not.

About Just Learn Balance

Just Learn Balance, JLB for short, is the one-stop-shop for race teams looking to stand out from the rest. With a desire for living a healthy lifestyle and a love for racing, founder Jamie Brown combined her two passions to form JLB. The company focuses on the three C’s: Challenge, Change, and Create.  JLB challenges the inner winner in future and current drivers, and crewmen, by getting their body in athlete form. JLB changes a client’s perception of food and dieting into a healthy way of living. Finally, JLB creates marketing material that highlights why our clients are winners. For questions or comments about JLB, please contact justlearnbalance@gmail.com

Bar Analysis Mission

A couple months ago I set on a mission to determine some of the best energy bars out there. For instance, when you walk into a Harris Teeter, Food Lion or health stores like Earth Fare or Fresh Market (stores located around me in North Carolina), there’s shelves and shelves of bars that claim to be healthy and taste great. After breaking outside my shell and straying away from my typical Clif bar, I quickly realized not all these “health” bars are as tasty as they claim to be as I chewed through what tasted to be a chocolate covered piece of chalk.

I began my mission simply by picking up a handful of bars every time I went to the grocery store. I looked for ones that claimed to be organic, full of protein, all-natural – you name it! I then became a food critic and gave my opinion of each, describing the taste and my overall opinion of it. I also listed the important information, such as the first five ingredients and nutrition stats of each of the bars. At the end, I gave each my overall grade and are listed below in no particular order. So eat up…I mean, read up!

Type: KIND

Flavor: Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt

Ingredients: Mixed nuts, chicory root fiber, honey, palm kernel oil, sugar

Nutrition Info: -All natural, Non GMO, Gluten Free, No sugar alcohols, Low glycemic, low sodium, No trans Fat. Calories 200, Calories from fat 140, *Total fat 15 g*, Saturated fat 3.5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol, 0mg, Sodium 125mg, Potassium 210mg, Total Carb 16g, Fiber 7g, *Sugar 5g*, Protein 6g

Statement: “Finally a bar with only 5g of sugar made from all natural ingredients you can see and pronounce! KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt is the all natural way to reduce sugar with only 5g. Its nutritionally rich, low glycemic, delicious ingredients – with 7g of fiber and 6g of protein – keep you full longer. A study by the Yale-Griffen Prevention Research Center indicates that eating 2 KIND bars a day helps prevent weight gain.”

Opinion: The bar has a great taste with the variety of nuts. The chocolate is not too bitter for being dark and you also get a hint of spice. Only flaw is the bar is extremely hard. I think my whole office could hear me take a bite out of it. Should include a warning: do not eat if you have sensitive or fragile teeth and don’t eat where there a lot of people around! From a health point, I love the simplicity of the ingredients and I know what each of them is which is huge!    

Grade: A                             

Type: Raw Organic Revolution

Flavor: Heavenly Hazelnut Chocolate.

Ingredients: Cashews, Organic Sunflower Seed Kernels, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic dates, organic cocoa

Nutrition Info: All Organic, Gluten-Free, Peanut-Free, Kosher, Vegan

Calories 230, Calories from fat 130, Total Fat 15g, Saturated Fat, 2.5g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 0mg, Potassium 0mg, Carbs, 22g, Fiber 4g, Sugar 12g, Protein 7g

Statement: “As a registered nurse and natural foods chef, I’ve developed a passion for Raw foods. Imagine an alternative to high-sugar processed snacks that taste simply amazing and fusion of live, raw and organic ingredients. Imagine a clean snack with a higher nutrient content that brings us closer to healing ourselves and the global ecology.” – Alice Benedetto, Founder

Opinion: Very moist bar, plus the chocolate taste was spot on, but didn’t taste much of the hazelnut. Ingredients are very simple, which I love. It also tasted a lot like another chocolate bar called Green SuperFood.

Grade: A

Type: Green SuperFood

Flavor: Chocolate

Ingredients: organic dates, organic agave nectar, amazing grass green superfood (grass, spinach, broccoli), organic cashew, organic almond butter

Nutrition Info: Cold processed, alkaline, gluten free, fair trade and vegan

Calories 230, Calories from fat 80, Fat 9g, Saturated fat, 2.5g, Trans fat 0, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 25mg, Potassium 330mg, Carb 37g, Fiber 4g, Sugar 27g, Protein 5g

Statement: “Amazing Grass Whole food energy bar is a premium blend of nature’s most nourishing and delicious superfoods. We’ve taken our alkalizing Green Superfood, with antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables and combined them in a bar that will satisfy your hunger and deliver nutrients to your body the way Mother Nature intended…unprocessed, organic and delicious.

Opinion: This bar has a very moist chocolate taste, a lot like the Organic Revolution bar. One huge flaw that could be a turn-off to many is the inside of the bar looks like mold but it’s actually just organic wheat grass, organic barley grass and alfalfa, but the only reason I had to give it a minus as opposed to an A. If you can get past the whole bar being made out of grass and it looking like mold I highly recommend. The simplicity of the ingredients plus the taste is spot on.

Grade: A-

Type: Pure Organic

Flavor: Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients: Organic dates, organic agave nectar, organic rice protein concentrate, Organic Cashew Butter (Organic Cashews, Organic Sunflower Oil), Organic Almonds, Organic Walnuts, Organic Cocoa – All the ingredients

Nutrition Info: Gluten-Free, Organic, and Vegan

Calories 190, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 7g, Sat Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 5mg, Potassium 250mg, Total Carb 27g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 16g, Protein 6.

Statement: “Dark organic cocoa and walnuts with omega-3s and antioxidants. But we know, we had you at brownie.”

Opinion: Actually taste a lot like a brownie. Not chalky. Ingredients are very simple. Just right!

Grade: A

Type: All Natural Greek Yogurt Bar

Flavor: Apple and Honey + Honey roasted granola

Ingredients: Honey roasted granola (oats, honey, canola oil), Greek yogurt coating (sugar, non hydrated

palm kernel, palm and shea oils; Greek yogurt, skimmed milk powder, soy lecithin, natural flavors, citric

acid), almonds, soy crisp nuggets (isolated soy protein, tapioca starch, salt), diced apples, honey

Nutrition Info: Excellent source of Fiber (5g) Good source of protein (7g) Contains Probiotics

Calories 160, Calories from fat 60, Total Fat 6g, Saturated fat 2.5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 50mg, Potassium 0mg, Carb 22g, Fiber 5g, Sugar 12g, Protein 7

Statement: N/A

Opinion: The yogurt is a good touch. Really light and fresh, which makes for a great taste. As for the ingredients, they are not bad by any means but much more complicated than some of the other ones. It contains some soy, so if you are trying to avoid that then this bar may not be for you.  

Grade: A

Type: Clif Bar

Flavor: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut

Ingredients: Organic brown rice syrup, CliffPro (soy protein isolate, rice flour, barley malt extract), Organic roasted soybeans, organic soy flour, organic rolled oats

Nutrition Info: Calories 250, Calories from fat 60, Total fat 7, Saturated fat 2g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 240mg, Potassium 160mg, Total Carb 41g, Fiber 4g, Insoluble Fiber 2g, Sugar 21g, Other Carb. 16g, Protein 9g

Statement: Clif Bar’s journey resembles alpine climbing. We try to travel light and are committed to keeping our company, products, people, community, and the earth healthy.”

Opinion: If you like oats, you’ll love this. Super moist oats and even though I’m not a huge macadamia nut fan this is probably one of my favorite flavors out of their line – although I haven’t found a bad Clif Bar flavor yet. Still love the taste and was my go-to bar for some time now but after looking at the ingredients compared to some of the other bars I’m starting to re-evaluate, therefore I had to give this delicious bar of oats a minus. Also, similar to the Greek Yogurt bar, this one contains lots of soy, so avoid if you are watching your soy intake.

Grade: A-

Type: Kashi Go Lean Crisp

Flavor: Chocolate Peanut

Ingredients: Brown rice syrup, Soy protein isolate, evaporated cane juice crystals, fructose, oat fiber

Nutrition Info: Calories 180, Calories from fat 45, Total fat 5g, Saturated fat 2g, Trans fat 0g, Polyunsat fat 2g, Monounsat fat .5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 250mg, Potassium 0mg, Carb 30g, Fiber 6g, Soluble fiber 1g, Insoluble fiber 5g, Sugar 13g, Protein 9g

Statement: Kashi Go Lean bars are designed with a combination of protein and fiber to help you stay satisfied. Protein helps give you a lasting feeling of satisfaction and is essential for muscle development. Fiber helps you feel full longer, keeps your digestive system running smoothly and helps balance blood sugar. 

Opinion: Great peanut butter and chocolate mix and kind of reminds me of a rice cripsie treat but only better! Highly recommend. Loved every bite and it’s a big size which makes you feel like you’re eating more then you actually are. Would be at the top of my list if wasn’t for the ingredients, partly because their sixth ingredient is their Kashi Seven Whole Grains and Sesame blend, which should be in their top two of ingredients. Instead the top ingredients include soy, evaporated sugar and more sugar.

Grade: A-

Type: Luna

Flavor: Nutz Over Chocolate

Ingredients: LunaPro (Soy rice crisp, organic rice flour), organic toasted oats, organic soy flour, organic flaxmeal, organic brown rice syrup

Nutrition Info: Calories 180, Calories from fat 60, Total fat 6g, Saturated fat 2.5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 190mg, Potassium 150mg, Carb 25g, Fiber 4g, Insoluble fiber 1g, Sugar 10g, Other Carb 11g, Protein 9g

Statement: “The delightfully delicious, 70% organic snack that multitasks! With the Core 4, vitamins and minerals essential to women’s health – calcium, iron, folic acid and vitamin D – plus 9 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber Luna does it all, beautifully. Feel the power of positive snacking.

Opinion: Similar to the Kashi, the lightness of the oats reminds me of a rice crispie treat. Great women’s bar, due to its low caloric intake but many studies show where soy can be bad for older women and it’s listed in two of their top five ingredients. Would recommend for a snack but not for older women looking to avoid soy intake.

Grade: A

Type: Life Choice

Flavor: Peanut Butter Extreme

Ingredients: Protein blend (soy protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, whey protein hydrolysate, calcium caseinate, milk protein isolate), coating (sugar, palm kernel oil, partially defatted peanut flour, nonfat dry milk solids, peanut oil, salt and soy lecithin), glycerin, hydrated collagen, water

Nutrition Info: Calories 210, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 8g, Saturated fat 4g, Trans fat 0g, Polyunsaturated fat 1g, Monounsatured fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 125mg, Potassium 55mg, Carb 14g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 7, Protein 21g

Statement: 21g Protein. Supports muscle recovery. 18 vitamins and minerals.

Opinion: Great rich peanut taste. Looks and taste like a peanut butter candy bar. If you workout a lot and are looking for a more protein rich food to build muscle and keep your energy up this is a great choice. Their protein blend has a wonderful mix of whey protein, and even though their top five ingredients are a little detailed for my liking, they’re good overall.

Grade: A

Type: Power Crunch

Flavor: French vanilla creme

Ingredients: Proto Whey protein blend (Proto whey, whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate), palm oil, enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, palm kernel oil

Nutrition Info: Calories 205, Calories from fat 105, Total fat 12g, Saturated fat 5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 80mg, Potassium 115mg, Carb 10g, *Fiber 1g*, Sugar 5g, Protein 14g

Statement: N/A

Opinion: Nice creamy vanilla taste. Almost spot on to a vanilla wafer, except 4 times bigger and better! The ingredients are good for the most part, great mix of whey and a nice healthy flour mixture, however, the nutrition info is hit and miss. It has the highest saturated fat out of all the bars on this list and tied for lowest fiber, but in contrast has the lowest amount of carbs and sugar. The inconsistency in nutritional stats is why it received a minus.

Grade: A-

Type: Balance Bar

Flavor: Cookie Dough

Ingredients: Protein Blend (soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, partially hydrolyzed milk protein isolate, casen, calcium caseniate), fructose, glucose syrup, cookies (wheat flour, sugar, canola oil, cocoa, salt, sodium bicarbonate), sugar

Nutrition Info: Calories 210, Calories from fat 60, Total fat 7g, Saturated fat 4g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 200 mg, Potassium 120mg, Total Carb 22g, *Fiber 1g*, Sugar 17g, Protein 15g

Statement: Nutrition bar for lasting energy. 15g protein, 23 vitamins and minerals, glycemic index (24), excellent source of antioxidants (Vit A, C & E)

Opinion: Delicious, moist chocolate bar. Tasted like a straight up cookie dough candy bar. Highly recommend taste wise. Ingredients wise I’ve seen better as they have sugar, followed by sugar and more sugar. But ironically the bar doesn’t have the highest level of sugar content as some of the other bars, but it is still relatively high. The other stats though are very level so it still earns an A in my book.

Grade: A

Type: Classic Zone Perfect

Flavor: Chocolate Caramel Cluster

Ingredients: Carmel (corn syrup, nonfat milk, fractionated palm kernel oil, glycerine, milk protein concentrate, cream, natural flavor, salt soy lecithin, disodium phosphate ), Soy protein nuggets (isolated soy protein, tapioca starch, salt), Milk chocolate flavored coating (Sugar, palm kernel oil, nonfat dry milk solids, cocoa powder, soy lechithin, salt, natural flavor), Corn syrup, Gum arabic

Nutrition Info: Calories 200, Calories from fat 50, Total Fat 6g, Saturated fat 4g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 290mg, Potassium 100mg, Carb 25g, Fiber 3g, Sugar 16g, Protein 14g

Statement: N/A

Opinion: Had a nice crunchy texture from the cluster. The chocolate also had a good taste. Not too chalky if at all. Almost like the healthy brother of a snickers bar. It would have received an A- when it comes to taste but I’m not a fan of the ingredients. Has the highest amount of sodium out of all the bars in this analysis and is one of the handful that I taste tested with cholesterol.

Grade: B

Type: No Gii

Flavor:  Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Ingredients: Soy protein crisps (non-GMO soy protein isolate, tapioca starch, salt), organic tapioca syrup, unsalted peanut butter, milk chocolate flavored coating (sugar, palm kernel oil, nonfat dry milk solids, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavor ), Milk protein isolate

Nutrition Info: Calories 230, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 8g, Saturated fat 2.5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 230mg, Potassium 0mg, Carb 20g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 10g, Protein 20g

Statement: “No Gluten, High Protein bar, all natural, 20g protein, gluten-free solutions for healthy families!

Opinion: Great taste with the chocolate layer on bottom. Is also another bar that reminds me of a rice crispie treat with the lightness and may be my favorite of the three that taste like crispie treats. The ingredients are are good overall but another you’ll have to avoid if you are watching your soy intake as it’s the first ingredient.

Grade: A

Type: Oh Yeah!

Flavor: Chocolate Caramel Candies

Ingredients: Protein Blend (oh yeah blend consisting of whey protein isolates, soy protein isolate, milk protein isolate, milk protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed gelatin), chocolate coating (maltitol, palm kernel oil, whey protein concentrate, sugar, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, vanillin), Carmel, Peanuts, Milk chocolate candy pieces

Nutrition Info: Calories 180, Calories from fat 80, Total fat 9g, Saturated fat 4g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 65mg, Potassium 70mg, Car 19g, *Fiber 1g*, Sugar 8g, Sugar Alcohol 7g, Protein 14g

Statement: 14g Protein – Sustained Energy – Naturally & Artificially flavored

Opinion: When I stated that some previous bars tasted like a candy bar, this one beat them all out of the water! The chocolate, caramel, and m&ms are a heavenly taste at anytime of the day. Only flaw, slightly messy, I got chocolate all over my hands, but that’s definitely fixable. This bar would make a great afternoon or evening snack for anyone with a sweet tooth. The ingredients are more detailed then some but good overall, actually surprised it doesn’t have more sugar (is relatively low compared to some of the others) considering there’s chocolate, caramel and m&m’s in it.

Grade: A

Type: Supreme Protein

Flavor: Cookies and Cream

Ingredients: Chocolate coating (whey protein concentrate, palm kernel oil, maltitol, cocoa powder, sugar, soy lecithin, vanillin), Supreme Protein Blend (Whey, protein isolate, whey concentrate, milk protein isolate), Vanilla Cream (high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, milk protein isolate, fractionated palm oil, soy lecithin, natural flavors), Maltitol syrup, Glycerine

Nutrition Info: Calories 180, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 7g, Saturated fat 4.5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 70mg, Potassium 55mg, Carb 15g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 4g, Protein 15g

Statement: Carb Conscious

Opinion: Not a bad taste, it has a nice chocolate coating but the texture is very hard. As for the nutritional stats, it also contains cholesterol and still has a lot of carb percentage for being “carb conscious.” The ingredients are also not ideal, as it’s full of sugar and corn syrup, aka more sugar. Overall, not a bad choice in a bar if you are active and looking for protein/ whey rich bar choices. 

Grade: B

Type: thinkThin

Flavor: Brownie Crunch

Ingredients: Protein blend (Whey protein isolate, calcium caseinate, soy protein isolate, casein), Glycerin, Maltitol, Coating (Maltitol, Cocoa butter, chocolate, sodium caseinate, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavors, salt), Alkalized cocoa

Nutrition Info: Calories 230, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 8g, Sat fat 3g, Trans fat0g, cholesterol5mg, Sodium 170mg, Total carb 24g, Fiber 2g, Sugar 0g, Sugar Alcohol 12g, other carb 9g, Protein 20g

Statement: “Deliciously natural nutrition. High Protein, 0g sugar, 20g protein, gluten free.”

Opinion: Very moist brownie taste, would definitely fix any chocolate craving. Not fan of the complicated ingredients, although they are not bad ingredients by any means.

Grade: A

Type: Perfectly Simple (by Zone Perfect)

Flavor: Peanut Crunch

Ingredients: Peanut Butter (Peanuts) Invert Evaporated Cane syrup, soy protein isolate, Date Paste, Rolled oats and coconut (all the ingredients)

Nutrition Info: Calories 190, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 8g, Saturated fat 2g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 100mg, Potassium 140mg, Total Carb 20g, Fiber 3g, Sugar 14g, Protein 10g

Statement: N/A

Opinion: Love the simplicity of the ingredients. Great peanut butter taste, and even get a hint of the coconut texture. Would highly recommend, not only because of the taste and simple ingredients, but also because of the potassium, fiber, and no cholesterol.  Big improvement from its brother bar – Classic Zone bar, which had the highest sodium level and a list of complicated ingredients.

Grade: A

Type: LARA BAR

Flavor: Cashew Cookie

Ingredients: Cashews and dates

Nutrition Info: Calories 230, calories from fat 110, Total fat 13g, Saturated fat 1.5g, Trans fat 0g, Polyunsaturated fat 2.5g, Monusaturated fat 8g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 5mg, Potassium 340mg, Total Carb 23g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugar 18g, Protein 6g

Statement: “The original fruit and nut food bar.”

Opinion: Absolutely love the simple ingredients. I would’ve given it an A+ if it had more fun flavors. Don’t let the cookie part in the title fool you, there’s no cookie about it, but it still had a very nice, moist taste. Love the low sodium and cholesterol, and high potassium. Definitely recommend.

Grade: A

After completing my bar analysis mission, I realized there can’t be one winner overall partly because everyone has their own needs on what they are trying to gain, or lose in some cases. For instance if you are looking for a low calorie bar my used-to-be go-to Clif Bar would not be ideal as it ranked in as the highest on the calorie scale with 260. Out of the 18 bars that I tried, the average on the calorie scale tended to be about 200 which are ideal for a snack. However, if you are using the bar as a replacement for a meal then the Clif Bar would be perfectly fine, plus they taste great! The bar that came in with the lowest caloric intake was the All Natural Greek Yogurt Bar at 160, which I highly recommend for a morning, mid-day or night snack.

Sodium is also a significant component in many people’s diet and if you fall in that category then avoid the Classic Zone bar, which had the highest sodium intake with 290mg. But don’t worry there is a great alternative with the Organic Revolution bar with 0 Sodium, and no, that’s not a typo.

While all the nutritional stats are important protein and sugar are probably the remaining two that you need to keep an eye on if your intentions are to stay fuller longer, build muscle, and/ or lose weight. On the protein side the Life Choice peanut extreme ranked in at number one with 21g making for a great choice to keep up your energy. Falling in the lowest protein category was the Green SuperFood bar with only 5g. In fact, the Green Superfood also made the negative list again with the highest amount of sugar at 27g. Although, there was a tie for the lowest amount of sugar between the Kind bar and PowerCrunch bar with just 5g of sugar.

I could go on and on when it comes to analyzing each bar but as you can see from the brief analysis I did each bar can have its own benefits depending on your need and desired outcome, and of course preference in taste! With that said I won’t leave you completely hanging, I’ll give you my top favorites and top non-favorites. Drum roll please….coming in on the non-favorite category is the Supreme Protein bar for its texture and ingredients, and the Classic Zone bar for its high sodium percentage, as well as its overall detailed ingredients.  As for my favorites the All Natural Greek Yogurt Bar and Kashi Go Lean Crisp tied for taste and a balance in nutritional stats. However Pure Organic and LARA win for overall ingredients and the taste were darn good as well! There you have it, whether you are trying to build muscle, lose weight, or just want a healthy snack take a look at here for some helpful tips – because lets face it, I’ll try just about anything when it comes to health!

Bold=Not common nutritional stats in all the bars

Green = Highest in nutrition stats/ Lowest for Potassium, Fiber and Protein

Blue = Lowest in nutrition stats/ Lowest for Potassium, Fiber and Protein

* =  tied