People often ask my opinion about protein bars for breakfast. I get it, some mornings are just too hard to pull out the blender or motivate in the kitchen—this is where Overnight Oats are a lifesaver, but I digress… (see recipe below!) When choosing a bar look for a short ingredient list, words you can spell, and organic animal or plant based protein. As I always say, if you can’t buy it in a grocery store, you don’t want to put it in your body; for example, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil vs. Coconut or Olive Oil. Also check the Sugar, Protein, and Fiber grams. We like Larabars, RX Bars, and Go Macro bars. There are other good choices, but you have to read labels!

I recently looked at the label on a Clif Builder Protein bar and there were FIVE different forms of sugar (cane syrup, cane sugar, brown rice syrup, vegetable glycerin, and chicory fiber syrup). They also include quite a few ingredients I couldn’t pronounce, Whey and Soy protein (loaded with GMOs), and have only 2g fiber. Put it back on the shelf!

If you do grab a bar when you head out the door, be sure to also take a banana, apple and/or clementines to get a serving of plants and a healthy dose of fiber. Bar none!  

Overnight Oats (2 servings):

Ingredients:

1 c. oats
1 c. almond milk (unsweetened is best)1 mashed banana
1-2 tbsp. almond butter
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. chia seeds
a dash of salt

Directions:Combine all of the ingredients in a glass bowl Refrigerate for 8 hours, add more almond milk before serving.Serve with berries and shredded coconut if you wish! Serves 2–Enjoy!