Has anyone tried Larabars or any other healthy bar?

MeganG6927
MeganG6927 Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a graduate student who commutes to school so I'm on the go a lot. I've tried a few granola/protein bars to keep myself satisfied. I tend to get hungry mid-morning since I wake up early to drive to school and eat breakfast around 7:30 but I'm hungry by 10:30 no matter what I eat for breakfast. I was just wondering if anyone has any good for you bars that also taste good. I've heard of larabars but never tried them. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

Megan :)

Replies

  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I like Quest bars and have abused them on occasion. But I also like getting up 20 minutes earlier to make breakfast.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    I like Larabars because they use few ingredients, they're essentially fruits and nuts. I'm also a fan of Kind brand bars. Neither are high in protein. I eat them as a snack, or if i"m out playing sports all day and need something to get me through.
  • christenafreda
    christenafreda Posts: 212 Member
    I personally find the larabars rather sweet and not all that satisfying. If possible I would suggest you make your own protein/granola bars (pinterest is full of easy recipes), that way you can control the ingredients. Other good options are raw almonds or dried fruit.. I hope that helps :)
  • RaluKitty
    RaluKitty Posts: 62 Member
    I prefer bars with lots more protein and less sugar. I like Thinkthin the most (I buy them from Trader Joe's but they are everywhere now), PowerCrunch (it's the best wafer ever, and it also packs protein! this is often my "dessert") and Pure Protein - High Protein Bar (from TJ's again). All these have between 15 and 31 grams of protein and only between 200-330 cals (cals increase proportionately with protein). I will also eat Luna bars when I actually need the energy more than protein (on hikes) but not as a mid-morning snack.

    If you need even less calories, I suggest keeping a small jar of protein powder with you, and adding water or milk to prepare it. I do this all the time when I go to the trail to run. Optimum Gold Standard protein tastes amazing with water alone.
  • powerpuffgirl66
    powerpuffgirl66 Posts: 143 Member
    I've tried a couple brands. I enjoy the more cakey variety. I'm eating Quest bars now. So yummy. I only get the ones under 200 cals, 20 gr protein. They're my afternoon sweet tooth treat at work.
  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
    I love Larabars - I could eat the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip every day! It tastes like a cookie, it's amazing! When I buy them I just buy a handful of PB chocolate chip and then maybe one of another flavor-coconut ones are good too!

    I don't love every flavor, some of the fruitier ones are too sweet (not crazy about the cherry pie even though it sounded great). They're my favorite bar though. Cheapest I've found them is at trader joe's, something like $1.25 each I think. I've heard great things about Quest bars but they seem expensive and I've never seen singles at a store, just big packs online, so I've never tried them.
  • haloangelboy
    haloangelboy Posts: 2 Member
    Almost every commercial bar falls into 1 of 2 bad categories.
    1) Full of carbohydrates
    2) Full of things you cannot pronounce

    I highly recommend you make your own bars so you can know whats in them and can control the nutrition profile.
  • 1968samuel
    1968samuel Posts: 176 Member
    I have the same problem - I'm always on the go. I like the PowerCrunch and Kind Bars.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    Almost every commercial bar falls into 1 of 2 bad categories.
    1) Full of carbohydrates
    2) Full of things you cannot pronounce

    I highly recommend you make your own bars so you can know whats in them and can control the nutrition profile.

    And what's wrong with carbs again?

    OP: I have tried Larabars, Kind bars, Luna Bars, Cliff bars and a few others, but these tend to be my favorites.

    Larabars: They are a bit on the sweeter, chewier side, but some are a bit tart. Very moist. Great for runs too.
    Luna Bars: I love most of these, some are a bit on the sweet side, but they're sort of more chewy granola bar like. My favorite flavors are: Lemon zest, white chocolate something, oatmeal raisin, the one with pretzels in it (can't remember the name), the peppermint stick (love this around the holidays or when I'm in the mood for something sweet), smores and the chai flavor.
    Cliffs: Also made by the same people that make Luna bars, these tend to be a bit bigger I think, but also very tasty.
    Kind bars: Eat these when you want something sweet and sticky! They're not my favorite, but they're pretty natural as far as ingredients go.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I am also of the opinion that the commercial bars are overly processed fake food. I'm a busy person too. That's why there are Tupperware containers and snack baggies.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I'm a graduate student who commutes to school so I'm on the go a lot. I've tried a few granola/protein bars to keep myself satisfied. I tend to get hungry mid-morning since I wake up early to drive to school and eat breakfast around 7:30 but I'm hungry by 10:30 no matter what I eat for breakfast. I was just wondering if anyone has any good for you bars that also taste good. I've heard of larabars but never tried them. Any other suggestions?

    Thanks!

    Megan :)

    My boyfriend likes a health bar called Kind Fruit and Nut Bars. They have low sugar and high protein. He said they are a great snack. Here's a link: http://www.kindsnacks.com/store#All-KIND-Products

    He gets them at Whole Foods, but you might be able to find them at any health food store.
  • Eastern_Echo23
    Eastern_Echo23 Posts: 198 Member
    not a big fan of the larabars.... i tend to go for the special k fiber bars or fiber one bars.. they seem to have all the sugars and stuff you should watch out for... but i figure if your walking around the campus and need a snack, it's better then going for a snickers bar or something that is far worst.... also the fiber will help keep you full!
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
    I love Larabars, but I realized, after buying them for a couple of weeks, that they are just ground up medjool dates, with nuts, dried fruit, or cocoa in them. I made my own, and they were even better, and way less expensive. They are very sweet, but have minimal ingredients, which is nice. If you have a chance to go to Whole Foods, Kit's Organic Fruit and Nut bars are along the same lines, but their chocolate coconut flavor is great! They are made by "Clif," just like Larabars!
  • superchargedRD
    superchargedRD Posts: 14 Member
    Larabars are pretty legit! They have minimal ingredients and no preservatives. The reason they are high in sugar is because their base is dates with dried fruit and nuts added. Dried fruit and dates have lots of naturally occurring sugars, not added sugar which makes them different from other commercial brands.
    I usually make my own because it's very easy and much cheaper. I enclosed a link to recipe.
    I like quest bars about as much as larabars but damn are they expensive!
    Let me know if you need help or have any questions! :)

    http://runningmamacooks.blogspot.com/2011/07/apricot-and-date-nut-squares.html
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Most bars like Cliff or Luna are just glorified candy bars, IMO (even though they're delicious). Lara and Kind bars are from nuts and dried fruit so better for you, but for me they lack protein, so I don't buy them. I buy Quest bars for the protein and fiber.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    When I'm active, I have to be gluten free (weird allergy). So last year on a 2-day, 150-mile bike ride, I was pretty limited to Larabars for breakfast and lunch. (It was an organized ride, and that was the only gluten free option. Thankfully, I could eat anything for dinner since I was off my bike for the day!) Anyway, I loved the PB&J Larabar. With milk, it tasted like I was actually eating a PB&J sandwich. The ride offered them in these little bite-size packs. I haven't found PB&J in any stores.

    I also eat KIND bars since they're also gluten free. But from these message boards, I recently learned about Quest bars. They tend to have the same or fewer calories than KIND bars and they are so much more filling. So now I'm a Quest fan.

    When I'm not going to be active soon after eating, I can eat any bar, and ThinkThin is good. Clif Bars are good and filling, but also at more calories.
  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    Quest Bars! They taste absolutely amazing, I personally call them candy bars rather than protein bars. But lemme tell you, these suckers pack a punch. 20 grams of protein. About 17 grams of fiber depending on the flavor. Super filling, I use them as a meal replacement or a snack, depending on how hungry I am haha. But really these bars are fantastic, most of the flavors are all natural. And even the ones that aren't only have a few artificial ingredients. I will say that they have a strange consistency that some people don't particularly care for but I personally love them and eat them like it's dessert with protein haha :) Quest bars!!!

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