Healthier

What You Need to Know About RX Bars, Including How to Make Your Own

By Allie Weiss at Tulane

As a healthy foodie, I am always on the lookout for the next big health food trend or fad. Mid-2016 I started noticing an overflow of pictures on a new protein bar on my Instagram feed called an RX bar. The posts peaked my interest, so I went out to my local health food store and purchased my first RX bar– marking the start of my obsession.

RX bars are now one of the trendiest protein bars available– a whole food protein bar with minimal and clean ingredients that are gluten-, soy-, and dairy-free. Its simple ingredients make it the perfect protein bar for a variety of diets, including Whole30,  Paleo, and soy or lactose intolerant.

While most tasty protein bars are candy bars in disguise and ultimately do more harm than good, RX bars provide clean protein and fuel without the added artificial sugars and preservatives. The majority of health food bars found on the market today contain ingredients that seem unfamiliar, like glycerine, sucralose, and dextrose, which can cause gastro-intestinal irritation.

RX bars avoid these adverse symptoms by sweetening the bars with natural sugar from dates, which provide an added nutritional bonus of potassium. They list all of their ingredients in large font on the front of the bar's packaging– egg whites, almonds, cashews, and dates. No B.S. It's similar to a Larabar, but I find they have a bolder flavor, better texture, and more protein.

The only downside is the price– around $30 per case of 12. In order to save money, I decided to use the ingredients readily available to make my own version of an RX bar for less money. Being a coffee enthusiast, I chose to recreate the Coffee Chocolate flavor. The packaging gave a basic recipe for each bar, and after a few trials, I found the perfect balance of flavors.

Whether you're looking for a healthy breakfast, snack on the go, or a protein bar that is actually as good for you as it says it is, RX bars are the perfect addition to a healthy lifestyle. With this copy-cat recipe, nutritious snacking can be achieved without breaking the bank.