[Mel]

I haven't made those bars in ages...I can't believe you forgot the oatmeal! I make muffins instead. I don't remember ever having them stick. I use a non-stick baking pan and spray it with Pam. For the muffins I just use non-stick muffin tins- the oversized ones- and don't even bother with the Pam.

Mel

[karynlee]

Just wanted to pop in to say that I made Mel's pumpkin bars yesterday and they're SO yummy. I cut them into 12 servings and will use them as snacks. Thanks, Mel!

Haven't been posting, but I still read here every day. Still working on summer weight gain but making good progress. The information and advice here is so helpful - thanks and my best to everyone!

[Meg]

Hi Karyn Lee! Great to see you again!

I spent the past two days -- from 7 am - 5 pm -- attending a fantastic personal training workshop in a downtown hotel ... and just had to laugh to myself about this thread while I was there. You see, it was a roomful of personal trainers and everyone came loaded down with coolers and insulated lunch bags full of food and everyone was eating every two hours! It was a roomful of people who eat just like I do. One of the first things the instructor said was that it was OK to eat whenever ... and people did. So we were all whipping out chicken breasts at 8 am and little Gladware containers of broccoli and brown rice for lunch and shaking up protein drinks during the breaks ... and NO ONE ate the candy that the hotel had set out in bowls!

I packed protein bars, chicken breasts, sliced up apples, a bag of of my muffins (recipe here, they were a huge hit), cold oatmeal and protein powder (not so good), carrots, and bottled water and survived quite nicely. It's a shame that what's so normal for lots of us -- carrying around all this healthy food and eating it every two to three hours -- is seen as weird or odd or obsessed by the rest of the world.

People with coolers, unite!

[petra65]

This has been a great thread--very entertaining as well. I could learn a lot from you guys. I do pack my lunch everyday but if I get stuck at work later than expected, which happens more than I would like I am up a creek. I don't normally make food choices, I just don't eat or more recently I have been eating large quantities of peanuts because I can get them at work. I actually bought some Southbeach bars with the intention of carrying them with me for that purpose but have only remembered to do that a couple times.

I don't remember who asked for suggestions on the protein powder but the two that I have seen most people say the most positive things about are Optimum Nutrition and Designer Protein. Personally, I use Optimum Nutrition and I don't think it tastes like chalk. I also make my protein shakes with yogurt which you guys might find more palatable. You can put other stuff in too--fruit obviously, crystal light drink mix powder for flavoring, davinci sugar free syrups, use your imagination. Dana Carpender put out a whole smoothie book this past year with a bunch of great ideas in it.

I'm going to try making Protein bars from the Protein Power board tomorrow Kate. I hope I don't have quite as much trouble as you did.

[LovesBassets]

Originally Posted by Meg

People with coolers, unite!

Meg, that story is hilarious!

I tell ya, the best thing I ever bought was a big Eddie Bauer soft-sided insulated lunch sack.

And funny story: Yesterday was the big dog show at school. It was from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with no scheduled breaks for the dog handlers. I'd packed my handy-dandy lunch sack with carrots, a banana, Meg's protein bars , string cheese, cottage cheese, etc. I had to leave it in the car, though, because (obviously) there were dogs everywhere. At about 12:30, other students started coming up to me and saying things like, "Kate? Do you have any food?" because they know I ALWAYS have food with me! So I fed a relatively small army yesterday with the contents of my lunch sack!

Funny that I have a reputation now as The Chick With Food .

Petra, good luck with the protein bars. If you have a real mixer, you'll be all set. Just be sure you buy some Pam, too.

[chick_in_the_hat]

I just tried Meg's protein bars....pretty dang good! And no disasters to report in the kitchen. Hi Kate! Beware the blob!
I've had this can of protein powder (GenSoy Vanilla Shake) for quite a while without opening it until today....I am skeptical no more! Thanks, Meg!

I'll try Mel's pumpkin bars next.

[Elanajel]

In purse: an Odwalla peanut butter bar (2 WW points)
In car: extra bottled water, whole wheat crackers, a cheese stick if I'll be out a while

Not working this year (as a teacher) but I used to keep dried fruit, Wasa crackers and small cans of low sodium V-8 in my desk.