Natural Protein Bars

I'm switching it up today for Thinking Out Loud and talking about protein bars. More specifically, about my slightly obsessive addiction to them. ha.

Like really ya'll.

Some people have cookie jars. I have a jar literally OVER FLOWING with different types of bars--protein, meal replacement, fruit/nut, granola.... you name it, I have it. One can never be over prepared, right? And please tell me I'm not the only one?!

I rely on protein/nutrition bars to keep me going during the day. As a fitness professional with sometimes multiple workouts a day, I need a quick fix in between so that I'm not crashing before my next session... because let's be honest, Insanity is hard and if I'm not feeling it, no one is feeling it.

Even when I'm on the run, I like to know that what I'm eating is good for me and not filled with lots of processed "junk"--added sugars, syrups, and things I can't even begin to pronounce. So when Natural Balance Foods reached out to me to try their line of Nakd Crunch Bars, let's be real--I was totally game.

And I love the company's mission--
"Natural Balance Foods is a young British company devoted to increasing world happiness with delicious and healthy snacks, humor and helpfulness."

Awesome, right?

When the box came in the mail, I was like a kid in a candy store... or protein bar store? ha. Seriously. My initial reaction was utter joy over the amount of FLAVORS that I was sent. Cashew cookie? Cocoa delight? Banana Crunch? PECAN PIE?! Before even trying them, I knew they had to be good.

And then I looked at the list of ingredients and was IMMEDIATELY impressed. Each bar consists of fruits & nuts.... period (the crunch bars have an extra kick of protein as well!). After doing some research on the website, I came to find out that it takes 45 minutes to make a bar--compare that to the 3 hours and 45 minutes it takes to make others!

Another thing I can dig? The bars are wheat, dairy and gluten free. Not only that but there's an expiration date printed on every single bar. The bars are never even baked, only cold pressed. How neat is that?

IT'S REAL FOOD YA'LL. 

But let's be honest here, none of that matters if they taste like cardboard, right? Well, I'm here to tell you that they don't. At all. They're delicious in fact. I was actually surprised at just how good they really were. Even the flavors I didn't think I would like as much, were crazy good. My favorites were pecan pie (yum!), cocoa orange, berry delight (I'm usually not a huge berry fan!), and of course, cocoa crunch because we all know I'm a chocoholic.

As someone who considers themselves a "bar" expert, I will continue adding these into my rotation. No crazy ingredients + great variety + killer flavor = my kind of snack.

If you are on the look out for a Natural Protein bar that delivers key nutrients and satisfies your cravings, I highly recommend Eat Nakd bars! You can purchase them on their website  or Amazon!

What do you look for in a snack? What are you favorite bars? Or better yet, do you hoard them like I do?! ha. :)

Sarah

Disclosure: Natural Balance Foods provided me with an assortment of their products at no cost. I received no monetary or other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.