I eat really healthy, whole, unprocessed foods most of the time. And I'm really proud about that. But I still need to clean it up some more so even though I don’t make a habit of Ultra-Processed foods, some “regular” processed foods sneak in there from time to time, like Protein Bars. So on that subject, I had an aha moment when I was, indeed, hankering for a Power/Protein/Energy type bar with my morning coffee (black, organic, just 2 cups). I consider these candy bars, honestly, but I treat myself to one of the vast variety of bars out there once in a while . Nutritionally I look for no more than:
· 5 – 9 grams of added sugar (best if it’s just from dried fruit, of course)
· At least 3 grams of fiber
· Between 5 – 15 grams of protein
These are some brands that fit those guidelines that range from ok tasting to pretty good:
Kind
Pro Bar
RX Bar
Think Thin
Cascadian Farms Bar
So there I was jonesing for a breakfast “candy” bar recently, didn’t have any, wasn’t wanting it badly enough to walk down the corner 7-11 for a chunky peanut butter Think Thin bar so I knew I had to get creative with what I had. Aha! Found it!
2 slices of Dave’s bread, thin slice, overly toasted (thus the need for a little schmear of butter)
1 very rounded Tablespoon of chunky peanut butter
1 very rounded teaspoon of Pear Preserves (yum, farmers market find)
Cheerfully topped off with high fiber, low glycemic, deeply tasty raspberries
- What this photo didn’t capture was a sprinkling of Chia seeds
It’s called a Sandwich. My very own Power/Energy/Protein bar with:
· 9 grams sugar (added and natural)
· 8 grams of fiber
· 7 grams protein
· 1 gram sat fat (worth it)
My point is that we don’t have to make drastic changes to our days to reach a goal of being healthier. Move a little more, eat a healthy sandwich, whatever your resolution is, make it doable, make it fun, make it small. Those little changes add up and before long you’ve created a new, positive habit that will serve you your whole life long.
Wishing you all the happiest and healthiest 2024!!
Polly