Affordable alternatives to Luna/Kind bars

RespectTheKitty

Hi everyone --
For a while now, I've been eating a lot of Luna and Kind bars, because they're convenient and relatively low-calorie. I have one or two for breakfast, and one for a snack before my workout, and sometimes even one before bed if I'm feeling hungry. So yeah, I eat them a lot. So far it's worked okay for me, I've lost 27 pounds, but I'm noticing now that the weight loss is starting to slow down so I figure it's time to change up my routine.

The bars are also kind of expensive. A box of 5 costs almost $6.00, and when you buy 3-4 boxes a week like I do, it adds up fast. I want to make better use of my money by finding some better ideas for breakfast and snacks that are more cost-effective.

It doesn't have to be bars... like, what else is convenient and relatively affordable that would make a good breakfast or snack? Any ideas are welcome. Thanks!

ETA: I need a convenient breakfast because I usually eat at my desk at work. There's no way on earth I can wake up early enough to actually make breakfast for myself.

amber_olivares

Look for recipes to make your own bars and make ahead enough for the week

Brittni__duh

Make your own homemade bars or opt for a piece of fruit. Bananas are cheap, easy to pack and eat on the go, and they're delicious.

Noreenmarie1234

Luna bars are actually really cheap if you buy when there are sales and in bulk online. I can usually buy 5 boxes of 12 for less than 50 bucks.

faegirl22

I make egg muffins, they're super cheap and really good for breakfast. Just baked scrambled eggs with some chicken and a little cheese.

closetlibrarian

Boil a dozen eggs, bring a couple of eggs and half an avocado to work. Good protein, healthy fat, relatively cheap.

Shana67

Coffee for breakfast, skip the Luna bar (And. I LOVE Luna bars!)

MelaniaTrump

Protein powder.

tugsandpulls760

read the label carefully there terrible lots of sugar and 145 calories from fat a better choice is power bars !$ at market basket or premire protein bars or buy some body fortress whey protein or greek yogurt and cheese sticks

Moxie42

I haven't found a "cheap" protein bar that's actually healthy but for a sweet treat or quick breakfast, I looooove PowerCrunch bars- they're like those wafer cookies with the cream in between the wafer bars! Not sure it's great to eat them all day every day (it really might be best to make them yourself if it's something you have regularly) but those and Kind bars are my go-to if I find myself grabbing breakfast at a gas station! For a quick, convenient breakfast at my desk at work, I also like yogurt with fruit (sometimes separate, sometimes blended as a smoothie).

mathandcats

Trader Joe's is now making copycat Kind bars which are probably cheaper, if you have TJs around.

If you just want an at-your-desk appropriate breakfast, there are many options. Do you have a microwave? I would probably pack oatmeal and reheat it. I would cook a large batch of steel cut oats (just my preference) in advance and put an appropriate serving amount in a container with whatever mix ins/toppings the night before. Then just heat it up when you get to work! That's a super cheap option.

If you don't have a microwave, I would pack greek yogurt with whatever toppings (maybe separate any that would get soggy) the night before and just grab and go in the morning. But really, anything that can be assembled the night before, or earlier, would be fine. No need for prepackaged food!

nowine4me

Egg muffins (baked eggs, veggies, ham, flaxseed and whatever else you want to toss in) and a Greek yogurt, lots of protein for a good start to the day.

Losewtforlife4him

Since I started my weight loss journey back in Jan. and lost 21 lbs, my every day breakfast for the most part and I actually just look forward to it over anything else, is the Great Value brand (believe it or not!) from Walmart 90 calorie chocolate chip chunk bars and I use 1-2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter for 90-180 calories. Soooo yummy and filling with my coffee and half and half. It keeps me full til lunch! Love bars too!!

lynn1643

Rice cakes or ezekiel bread with peanut butter, overnight oats, and greek yogurt with fruit all work well too!

Ws2016

I like the kashi bars better for their calorie and nutrient counts, don't know how they compare to Kind bars.

dredremeg

I have a box of Quaker instant oatmeal-Raisin,Date& Walnut in my office for a pick me up. There are 10 packets in a box for $3.50.

Francl27

I'd switch some of those for nuts and fruit. Same thing without the added sugar. But I hear you, I love those bars, they just make it pretty hard to hit my macros because they just don't have enough protein.

Smccabe8

If you have a microwave, I keep a box of instant oatmeal packets in my desk. I just microwave a mug of water, and then dump 2 packs of oatmeal in and let it sit for 5 mins. Filling and cheap.

pomegranatecloud

You can very easily make your own bars.

LazSommer

Learn to cook.

MsBuzzkillington

Stop eating 4 luna bars a day to start. Meal prep so you can just grab and go in the mornings. Fruits are good options for breakfast. Fruits and bagels, fruits and toast.

MaddyT122

Hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, apples, oatmeal...

pafmarwak

These "Helen Bars" bars are awesome. I have made them twice and they freeze well too.trailrunnermag.com/health/recipes/557-recipe-helen-bars

brb_2013

MsBuzzkillington wrote: »

Stop eating 4 luna bars a day to start. Meal prep so you can just grab and go in the mornings. Fruits are good options for breakfast. Fruits and bagels, fruits and toast.

Ya know, it's okay to make a suggestion but if 4 Luna bars a day works for this person and keeps them on track what's the problem? If you don't have a suggestion of less expensive bars why even reply?

But I also second making them yourself. After reading your post I realize I spend a lot of money on kind bars (have stopped buying Luna) but I am going to try my own granola bars this weekend. I'm always buying something like that for my husband too, maybe we will like the home made ones better. Once you get a basic recipe that works you can try different nuts to add, or dried fruits. And use the recipe builder to find the calories! I am going to try this one this weekend.

http://livesimply.me/2013/06/05/homemade-no-bake-granola-bars/

It appeals to me because it doesn't require a food processor, candy thermometer (needed for true kind bar recreation), or any expensive ingredients.

ZRx4

I make these and they come out just like the kind protein nut bars. So good!

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cranberry-almond-protein-bars/

I make a double batch and put them in snack baggies for quick grabs on the go. They cost around $15 for a 11x17 tray of 30 bars. So .50 cents a bar. Costco has salted almonds for the best price.

RespectTheKitty

That you to everyone who actually gave decent suggestions and didn't just criticize my eating style. For the record, I do know how to cook, but I despise doing it, so that's why I turn to convenience. I will look into the recipes posted here and maybe try to make something of my own.

Sorry for the snark, I just broke up with my boyfriend and I'm feeling very vulnerable.

lizzelspark

I love easy meals too so I prepare my whole days food in the morning or you could do the night before or you could do the whole weeks in a evening so I grab and go I eat every few hours so I don't get hungry . Lots of chicken ,tuna ,lots of veggies , protein powder , serving of almonds , rice cake lots of water my breakfast is the biggest meal though 6 egg whites one egg 1/2 cup of oatmeal and my coffee it's all fast to prepare

LPflaum

I concur with the suggestion to make your own. It's very easy and you can customize them to your own macros. Kind bars are generally a good option if you're active, but be aware that all those nuts are full of fat, so you need to be doing a lot of HIIT to counteract it. 4 Kind bars is literally 100% of your daily fat intake on a 2000 calorie diet. Luna bars are honestly kind of terrible for you, they're full of added sugar and use cheap ingredients. Making bars at home saves money, allows you to customize it to whatever YOU love to eat, and ensures that you're getting lots of healthy whole foods and no gross fillers! You could also make protein cookies with whey powder, they're really tasty and keep you full forever!

Francl27

brb_2013 wrote: »

MsBuzzkillington wrote: »

Stop eating 4 luna bars a day to start. Meal prep so you can just grab and go in the mornings. Fruits are good options for breakfast. Fruits and bagels, fruits and toast.

Ya know, it's okay to make a suggestion but if 4 Luna bars a day works for this person and keeps them on track what's the problem? If you don't have a suggestion of less expensive bars why even reply?

But I also second making them yourself. After reading your post I realize I spend a lot of money on kind bars (have stopped buying Luna) but I am going to try my own granola bars this weekend. I'm always buying something like that for my husband too, maybe we will like the home made ones better. Once you get a basic recipe that works you can try different nuts to add, or dried fruits. And use the recipe builder to find the calories! I am going to try this one this weekend.

http://livesimply.me/2013/06/05/homemade-no-bake-granola-bars/

It appeals to me because it doesn't require a food processor, candy thermometer (needed for true kind bar recreation), or any expensive ingredients.

This looks tasty, I wonder what the calories are though!

pomegranatecloud

LPflaum wrote: »

Kind bars are generally a good option if you're active, but be aware that all those nuts are full of fat, so you need to be doing a lot of HIIT to counteract it.

This doesn't make any sense. You don't need to do HIIT to "counteract" fat in foods.

bumsa2016

Overnight oats are great. There are many different recipes. I love PB and J or banana walnut overnight oats the best. I just make some for me and my kids and we grab and run out the door. Pinterest has some great recipes to make your own breakfast bars that are really good.