Paleo Fruit Bars – “Go Native”

Go Native Paleo Fruit BarsAlthough many people who follow a paleo diet don’t eat a lot of fruit, it can be nice to have it on hand when your sweet tooth is having a craving.

Packaged natural fruit snacks last longer than fresh produce, so you can easily keep them on hand for afternoon pick-me-ups, healthy kids snacks, on-the-go treats, a long commute, a busy day at the office or even an after-dinner dessert.

As we all know, it’s a lot better to break a diet with a healthy sweet treat than to succumb to a bag of cookies, tub of ice cream. Not only will your body thank you, but you won’t have to deal with the lingering regret afterwards.

The Go Native Raspberry and Apple Premium Fruit Bars are perfectly designed for these cravings. Not only are they all-natural (containing fruit puree, fruit juice and citrus fiber), but they are packaged in small servings, so that if you only want a couple of bites to curb your craving, you don’t get sucked into eating an entire 350 calorie treat. These snacks only have about 65 calories and 16 carbs per individually-packaged serving.

Here’s some more good stuff:

  • They only contain non-GMO fruit
  • They are nut-free, soy-free and gluten free so they can fit into pretty much anyone’s diet plan
  • They don’t contain added processed sugars, artificial flavors or preservatives

Go Native Bars provide an easy way to steer kids to eat nutritious snacks instead of candy bars and chips. As opposed to being handed an apple or banana, kids often prefer a edible treat in a package. It’s a hassle-free to get them to eat their daily serving of fruit, and it’s less work for parents.

…But maybe these paleo fruit bars not for you?

Even though these bars have significantly less sugar than other sweet bars, if you are trying to eliminate sugar altogether from your diet, you may want to stick with sweet treats sweetened with stevia. Alternatively, you could go with a sweet and salty nut bar like the PaleoLife Bar, Raw Revolution Bars or Caveman Bars that have a good dose of healthy fat to slow down the absorption of sugar so you don’t get a blood sugar spike.

Go Native Fruit Bites Mango and Apple FlavorOther flavors? Why yes!

Besides the Apple Raspberry shown above, there are 3 other flavors (in the form of “fruit bites” rather than bars):

Of course, you don’t have to buy naturally-made fruit snacks. You can make them yourself and choose them ingredients and flavors that you specifically want.

As long as you don’t mind spending time in the kitchen, there are several recipes that are fairy easy to make, and some don’t require cooking. You can then keep them in small zip-lock bags for when you are ready for a sweet treat, but keep in mind that they won’t stay fresh as long as the pre-packaged variety.

How to make your own fruit and nut bars at home using just 3 ingredients and a food processor:


Cara Rennie, PaleoBarChart.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 Desserts-To-Go?

Desserts-to-goOh dude.

Brownie Bomb. Mustang Bar. Cacao Now. Bandito. MacAttack.

I don’t think I need to say much here. The names and photos speak for themselves.

If you are in need of a paleo dessert, look no further. No gluten, grain, dairy or other ingredients you don’t want.

They are ready-made and individually packaged, so you can grab them and go. You might even be tempted to sneak one of these tasty treats in for breakfast.

Oops! Did I say that out loud?


Brownie Bomb

MacAttack

Mustang Bar

Cacao Now!

The Health Bomb of paleo desserts!

Bandito

Yes, you’re right. It looks like a peanut butter cup.
But it doesn’t have any peanut butter!

But What’s So Great About Paleo Desserts?

OK. So maybe I’ll say a little more. Even if you’re not a regular dessert-eater, it’s always nice to have healthy sweet treats on hand in case you need them – so you can prevent yourself from going on a full-fledged sugar-eating binge.

These mini paleo desserts essentially satisfy your occasional carb cravings but give you healthy nutrients instead. At about $4.50 a serving, this may seem a little steep for a packaged paleo snack, but when compared to the guilty hungover feeling we get after eating a giant slice of chocolate cake or pint of ice cream – it’s cheap!

Besides, the laugh you get from telling people you had a MacAttack after dinner is worth the price of the treat itself.


Get the Brownie Bomb *Paleo Dessert* Here

 

Cara Rennie, PaleoBarChart.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

3 Sugar-Free Protein Bars – 12 Flavors

“Sugar-Free” can mean different things to different people. For example, some people may consider the white or brown granulated version as “sugar”, but they think raw honey or agave nectar is not. Other people put all caloric sweeteners in the “sugar” category.

Something to keep in mind about honey: the raw version has more vitamins and micronutrients than filtered or pasteurized honey, says Tyler Daniels, author of Paleo Crock Pot Recipes.

Benefits of Avoiding Sugar:

One of the biggest causes of fat storage has to do with sugar and the hormone insulin. Essentially, it can send a message to the brain to store fat if you are eating a lot of sugar and/or simple carbs in your diet.

According to John Chatham, author of Paleo for Beginners, eating sugar on a regular basis can lead to insulin resistance with a fluctuation of blood sugar levels. By avoiding sugar, you can maintain a more consistent blood sugar level and thereby reduce fatigue.

That sugary donut for breakfast may be the culprit of having low energy, and many people just assume that they need to drink more coffee!

Consider This…

When looking for a sugar free protein bar, some shoppers simply want to find a low-carb snack. If this is you, check out raw or vegan protein bars, as they can be very low in carbs (ie the Live Pumpkin Bar has 5 grams of sugar) even though agave nectar is one of the ingredients.

These clean protein bars also provide healthy fats and other nutrients which provide give you energy without spiking your blood sugar levels.

For This Discussion…

For this discussion, “sugar” will encompass all sweeteners except for those that are calorie-free. Natural foods that happen to be sweet, like dates or raisins, will not be considered a sugar.

Therefore, protein bars that contain ingredients like raw honey or agave nectar will not be included on this list. However, bars that contain dates, other dried fruits or sugar alcohols can be on the list. So, on with the show…

PaleoLife Bars

The PaleoLife Bar is high in protein (17 grams) and high in good fats but low in sugar (2 grams). Coconut, Cocoa and cinnamon enhances the flavor.

PaleoBar Cocommune Bar

This bar is rich and chocolate-y and is sweet because of the maltitol syrup (sugar alcohol). It’s high in healthy coconut fats, which is also considered an immune booster, but the protein-per-serving count is only 2 grams. Sugar is 1 gram per serving.

Quest Nutrition BarQuest Nutrition Protein Bars

Quest Protein Bars are known for having high protein content and very low sugar because they are sweetened with stevia and erythritol. I would consider these sugar-free protein bars. They contain natural ingredients, are gluten-free and are high in fiber as well.

They come in a variety of different flavors (see below), all of which receive high ratings. They also are well-priced, at about $2 a bar when purchased in bulk (box of 12 bars).

Warning: Don’t read this list below or you will get very hungry.

Cara Rennie, PaleoBarChart.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