Does anyone have any favorite bars(energy, meal replacement, low carb, etc)? I have been wanting to try some of those, but I wasn't sure which ones had a good taste. I tried one that was awful but I can't remember the name of it right now! Even some kind of breakfast bar would be good.

Most of them are crap, either in taste or ingredients. However, I keep some stashed in my desk drawer in case of emergency. They still beat a visit to the snack machine when there is nothing else to eat. My choice is Body For Life cookies and cream. They do have maltitol in them - the sugar alcohols are not listed on the wrapper, but I don't think very much is in there.

Be sure and read your labels because they can really rack up the calories and sugar.

My favorite bar is the Luna bar, particularly the Dulce de Leche flavor. I've also tried the Pria bars and I don't like their chocolate flavor - preferred the vanilla crisp (I think that was the name of the flavor). The chocolate one I tried, I believe it was Double Chocolate, had an odd aftertaste. The Luna bars are made by the Clif bar people, but are geared toward women and have a lower calorie count. I've been stashing the Luna bars in my work bag and eating one on the way home on days I'm planning on going to the gym. I don't want to eat dinner before I work out, but I don't feel good if I go on an empty stomach. A running magazine suggested eating something with protein at the 100 - 200 calorie range about an hour before a run, so I've been trying that.

Are the Pria bars the 100 calorie bars? Those were GOOD, but gee, I could snort a bar that small. I forgot about Luna. Most of their flavors were good, from what I remember. Another good pre-workout meal is a meal replacement shake. I buy ready-to-drinks, they are much less gritty than the mixes, unless I have time to whip one up with ice and/or fruit. I like the BFL shakes and the EAS Advantage drinks. (not the low carb ones - too many sugar alcohols, or the coffee house flavors - taste like water. Ick!

My favorite are the chocolate mint Zone bars, they are so good! YUM!

Beverly

I agree with Suzanne, most are nutritional con jobs and/or taste like :P. I WILL buy Prias to have around for emergencies -- it's hours until my next meal and I have no yogurt or fruit around -- precisely because they ARE small and only 100 calories.

Keep in mind the original purpose of these bars: They were invented by endurance athletes, like distance runners, to give them QUICK energy when they hit a wall during a workout or competition. After all the stored energy in their muscles gets used up, they need more quickly to keep going, so it has to be something that's very digestible and will get in the blood stream fast. What might that be, duckies? SUGAR.

So the fact that people trying to lose weight think they are healthy snacks is sad. And I don't think you should be using them for meal replacements because so many of the calories do come from sugar rather than complex carbohydrates. I mean, I can have essentially a vitamin-pumped candy bar for 240 calories, or a Spa Lean Cuisine with whole grains. Hmmmm ... tough choice. I have tried some of the low-carb bars, hoping to get around that, but they taste AWFUL, and I still wouldn't use 'em for meal replacements.

I happen to have a couple of Luna bars in my desk just for those emergencies. I keep them in a ziplock bag to keep them fresher. I'll bet these are at least 6 months old. Anyway, both (Key Lime and Cherry Covered Chocolate) have 180 cals, 4 g of fat, and only 2 g of fiber. And 14-15g of sugar! They do however, have 10 g of protein, and 35% of RDA of calcium. A better choice than a vending machine snack, but not ideal. Also the CCC has 150 mg of sodium - now there's a shock to me. Never thought of checking nutrition bars for sodium content!

I will eat these before working out; but I'll also opt for a hard boiled egg or a yogurt if I have either available.

Thanks for the info! I will look really close at the packages before I buy anything. I thought that maybe I should keep a couple around in case I get really busy at work and need something quick and not messy to hold me over until the next meal time. I would rather have fruit or something but in my line fo work that is not always easy to eat quickly. I would not use them as meal replacements that doesn't sound right to replace a good meal with a crappy little bar! Thanks again!