Cara Rennie – Page 6 – Paleo Protein Bar Reviews & Deals

Will You Like Paleo Simplified Bars?

The reason why many people are attracted to the paleo diet and lifestyle is its focus on whole foods and natural ingredients. It promotes a healthy way of eating and in many ways simplifies meal planning.

However, the struggle that many people come up against is that they feel limited in the foods that they can eat. They then focus on the foods that they can’t have instead of the “new” foods that they can enjoy. Some people will end up binging on unhealthy foods and eventually fall out of paleo altogether.

Besides the fact that I feel so energized and focused when I am eating wholesome nutritious foods, I attribute my personal success with paleo eating to an appreciation of food flavors.

I’ve done this by eating organic foods by themselves with a few spices or seasonings, like eggs, bacon or avocados. I’ve also learned to combine ingredients to create awesome flavors that I never knew existed.

By doing this, I’ve developed a new “acquired taste” for the foods that I want to eat, and now I don’t even crave foods that I never imagined going without (ie. sourdough bread, pasta and cereal).

I would have never believed that this could actually happen, but it did while I wasn’t even thinking about it. I’ll admit, the change was gradual over a period of a year. However, if you change your eating plan slowly, you will notice that your tastes can change slowly over time as well.

Paleo bars can be a great introduction to mixing up different foods and textures to create great flavors – and you don’t have to think them up yourself. Paleo Simplified is one of the original paleo bars, and they offer a small variety pack for people to try out without having to commit to a large order.

I like the fact that they have a good breakdown of carbs, protein and fats so that I avoid getting a big sugar spike, and I can feel satiated after eating one. Their natural ingredients make them easy to digest, which is a big plus in my book.

I also appreciate the variety of nutrient dense ingredients in Paleo Simplified Bars, you’re not just getting a bunch of nuts, seeds and dates. They’ve also got hemp protein, goji berries, spirulina, raw cacao and more.

The 3-Pack of Paleo Simplified Bars Includes:

1. Pecan Pie
Has a brownie-like texture and tastes like a pecan pie (guilt-free!)

Calories: 220
Fat: 13g
Protein: 6g
Carbs: 27g
Sugars: 19g
Fiber: 6g

Ingredients include dates, pecans, hemp protein, goji berries, coconut, unrefined coconut oil, pure vanilla extract and dried spirulina.

2. Chocolate Coconut Almond
Basically, this is like a rich chocolate dessert that you can enjoy any time of day without feeling guilty because you’re getting lots of nutrition.

Calories: 200
Fat: 7g
Protein: 8g
Carbs: 31g
Sugars: 22g
Fiber: 5g

Ingredients include dates, almonds, egg whites, goji berries, raisins, dried cherries, apple juice concentrate, raw unprocessed cacao, coconut oil, honey, ground flax seed, pure almond extract, sea salt and dried spirulina, cinnamon

3. Nutty Fruit Bliss
If you like crunchy trail mix bars, this bar is for you – but you get more than just nuts and dried fruit. =)

Calories: 200
Fat: 8g
Protein: 7g
Carbs: 28g
Sugars: 21g
Fiber: 4g

Ingredients include pitted dates, unsulfured apricots, cherries (cherries, apple juice concentrate), cashews, raisins, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, unsweetened coconut, hemp protein powder and spirulina.

More recipes at https://paleosimplified.com

About the Author: Cara Rennie is a paleo cooking chef, writer and advocate for healthy living. With over a decade of experience in the culinary industry, Cara has established herself as an expert in the paleo lifestyle, emphasizing the use of natural ingredients that promote a balanced and sustainable lifestyle. She firmly believes in the power of food to transform people's lives, while helping others discover the joys of paleo eating. Facebook | Pinterest

Paleo Granola Bars

Paleo granola bars can be healthy snack bars or paleo protein bars – without the granola. Most strict diet followers don’t consider granola one of the “allowed” foods, since it is a grain and it can contain gluten via processing.

People can make their own snack bars or buy them as pre-packaged snacks. Rather than containing a base of rolled oats like many traditional granola bars, paleo bars usually have a base of nuts and seeds (or nut butter).

By taking out the oats, you can eliminate the gluten and also many of the carbs as well. Then, simply replace oats with wholesome and natural nuts and seeds.

Because they are less refined and higher in fat and protein, nuts and seeds are more satisfying. Plus, they don’t cause a spike in blood sugar (which can end up leading to more hunger). Basically, there are lots of benefits beyond just avoiding gluten.

There are also quinoa protein bars that contain quinoa and raw snack bars that contain sprouted seeds like sesame. These provide a different texture, but are also a good alternative to people trying to avoid peanuts or tree nuts.

Therefore, if you want to make your own paleo bars, start with nuts, seeds or nut butter as your base. Honey helps keep the mixture together and protein powder can add more protein to your snack. You can find out more by watching the video here. The other ingredients and flavors that you add are up to you, and many people test out a few recipes before they find something they really like.

Perfect Foods Bars – Are They Paleo?

I heard some friends talking about Perfect Food Bars recently because they said their kids really liked them, so of course, I thought I’d check them out. At first glance, the ingredient list doesn’t look paleo. However, there were a lot of things I noticed about these bars, so I figured I’d let you know what I thought.

By the way, if you like fruit-and-nut type snacks, trail mix bars or appreciate superfood ingredients, I think you’ll dig these. Also, if you’re trying to get your kids to eat whole food healthy snacks, try these. They are voted #1 Best Tasting Whole Food Bar, although I haven’t found out by whom.

Stuff You Might Like…?

First of all, they have a lot of health benefits, especially for people with certain food sensitivities:

All Natural Ingredients (about 80% organic)
Gluten Free
GMO Free
No Preservatives
No Soy

Second, they have more protein than many other paleo bars. Therefore, if you are looking for a high-protein after-workout snack, this one may be worth checking out. Besides being good post workout, high-protein snacks are also more satiating.

Third, if you read the ingredient label carefully, you’ll notice halfway down that there are organic “whole food powders” added to boost the nutrition content (Bonus!!). There are organic ingredients like papaya, tomato, alfalfa, kelp, carrot, spinach, dulse and more…

No wonder each bar contains high amounts of vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin E (45%), Magnesium (28%) and Copper (22%). By the way, I took these numbers off the Almond Butter flavor package and each flavor will vary. I’ve got all flavors listed below.

Fourth, the Perfect Foods Bar is substantial. It is approximately 300 calories per bar, with a good amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates. For some people, this could work as a mini meal replacement if they are traveling or away from home.

No matter what type of snack you use them for, they are a bargain as far as price, ringing in at only about $2.50 per bar. Not too bad for an organic, gluten-free mini-meal snack.

What You May Not Like About the Perfect Foods Bars…

First, yes these bars are packed with protein, but part of it is from organic rice protein. Although not really unhealthy (in my book), most experts don’t consider rice paleo, probably more so when it’s processed even more into a protein powder.

Second, dairy. It’s in there. In the form of nonfat milk powder. However, if you are paleo but don’t want to give up your cheese or whey protein shakes, this ingredient may not bother you. And it also may not bother you once you know that you get a healthy dose of calcium from each bar.

So, here is a list of the Perfect Foods Energy Bars: