I'm in love...

...with a protein bar.

Yeah, I said it. I think I've found true love in a cute little chocolate-y, crispy protein bar. Why, you ask? What hath made my adoration so sweet? Here's the top five reasons the NuGo Free Protein Bar is my new favorite hobby:
1. It's gluten-free
It's the first thing you'll notice when you read the label. Big bold letters in all caps, the package-version of internet screaming, perhaps attempting to yell "I'M GLUTEN-FREE AND CELIAC DISEASE-FRIENDLY AND I WON'T SPIKE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR OR MAKE YOUR TUMMY HURT!" But he's not showy, he keeps it subtle and just opts for the capital letters. Adorable.

2. It's vegan
Also on the label, this puppy's not after yours. Free of animal ingredients and by-products, this protein bar is a key example of responsible, green eating. Go veg!

3. It's balanced
I'm pretty biased for a particular brand of protein bar. After an afternoon of comparing the labels of every protein bar at my local Whole Foods, it was an easy win for my regular morning go-to. Naturally, I decided to compare this new protein bar to my typical rendezvous and couldn't believe that it was lower in fat ratio, higher in fiber, lower in sodium and sugar, AND higher in protein. Looks like breaking up isn't so hard to do.

4. It comes in flavors like Dark Chocolate Crunch, Dark Chocolate Trail Mix, and Carrot Cake
Variety is the spice of life...and when it comes to my men, I do enjoy them dark, rich, and easy on the eyes.

5. It's $1.59...
This is one date I won't feel badly about paying for.

Check out NuGo Nutrition Bars at a local supermarket or health foods store near you! I promise, there's enough of him to go around. :)

Yummy alert: Clif Builder's bars

This morning at my training sesh with the fabulous Ashley Bond, I headed to the protein bars counter for post-workout breakfast. We looked at the nutrition labels for any sign of dairy or egg until finally settling on a Clif Crunchy Peanut Butter bar - kind of disappointing considering I'd already had it before.

Other than setting a life goal to market a yummy vegan-friendly protein bar that's not entirely sugar, I went in search of the best protein bar at none other than Whole Foods. I'm pretty sure the staff there thought I was a crazy for label reading for twenty minutes, but it was so worth it!

Meet the Clif Builder's bar, a dairyeggwheat-free energy overloader with 20 GRAMS OF PROTEIN. Yeah, you read right, TWENTY. As in "40% of your daily protein needs." And to much surprise, it doesn't taste like sheetrock! Instead, we get a fabulous array of flavors like Cookies 'N Cream, Chocolate, and Lemon, and this means never reaching for a Hershey bar for your sweet fix again!

While the twenty grams of sugar isn't fabulous, the amount of protein in this baby will keep you full until you can sit down for an actual meal (and this can make a great breakfast on the go!). Throw one in your bag for that long haul in rush hour or sneak a bite during your eight hour shift. So cheers to Mr. Gary, owner of Clif, for giving us yet another reason to eat chocolate.