As a college student, I can understand and appreciate the beauty of a bar. It's a perfect snack whether you're on the go, in class, or studying in the library. I love throwing one in my backpack anytime I know I'm going to be out of the house for a while so I can temper my inevitable hanger.
As much as I love bars, I also love knowing exactly what I'm putting into my body. So many bars I find in the grocery store look great--until I check the ingredients. It's pretty unsettling to find strange proteins or weird fructa-glu-xyla-whatever. Not to fear, I've assembled a list of my favorite bars that I actually trust to fuel me with real food ingredients. Here's my top 5 bars that I rely on to power me through my longest days, with ingredients that you'll actually recognize.
1. Bright Bar
Bright Bar is probably the queen of real food bars. You should keep these bars in your fridge, but they're good to go on the run for up to 24 hours. With only real fruits, veggies and nuts, you know these bars are going to give you some great natural energy that you can trust. Even more, some flavors feature adaptogens--those herbs that help you de-stress and de-bloat. Are you sold yet? If you're a fan of green juice like I am, don't miss out on the kale pineapple coconut flavor.
2. the Yes Bar
For when you face that struggle between a healthy snack and succumbing to the delicious cookie sitting on your countertop, pick the Yes Bar. Now you don't have to choose. Like an oatmeal cookie, these bars are chewy, dense and sweet. I absolutely love eating one of these when I have to be out the door early and need to grab something to have with my coffee. Who says dessert can be healthy... or for breakfast?
#SpoonTip: Get the macadamia chocolate, you won't regret it.
3. Kalumi Beauty Bars
These bars are seriously delicious. Labeled as a meal replacement bar, Kalumi beauty bars boast 12 grams of protein sourced from marine collagen. What's so great about marine collagen? Here's where the beauty comes in: the protein in the bars supposedly strengthen your nails and hair while firming and tightening your skin. Regardless of their effectiveness or lack thereof, they taste great, so there's no harm in grabbing one for lunch.
4. Rx Bars
These bars are becoming pretty popular; you can find them pretty much everywhere from Trader Joe's to the airport grab-n-go. With wholesome ingredients like egg whites and almonds to squash your hunger, these are a great post-workout snack when you're in a rush.
5. Lara Bars
I love Lara bars for when I'm not actually ravenous, but I need a little sweet bite during that infamous 3 p.m. slump. They come in delicious dessert flavors like chocolate-chip banana bread and cherry pie, so you know you're fulfilling that sweet tooth. There's not much protein though, so I don't recommend eating these if you need a heart snack.
#SpoonTip: Crumble one up and put it on top of yogurt or oatmeal for a great addition to your boring breakfast routine!
There you have it! All of my favorite on-the-go snacks that I trust to actually fuel me with things I can pronounce, and recognize in their natural form.