Fitness Friday: ProBar Meal Food Bars

Two words: Vegan Bars. My fitness crazed brother is hooked on protein bars and shakes. No, he isn’t vegan. He is responsible though for introducing me to protein bars. While I love the idea of them, I don’t love the ingredients. I’ve tried many vegan bar varieties with ho-hum success.

I have a vegan friend who has now become my vegan encyclopedia! I even have an Evernote notebook full of things he has recommended. I’ve been vegan for almost four years now. It is so nice to know someone local who has been vegan for twenty years. When he mentions restaurants, hiking spots, or anything vegan, my ears perk up.

He casually mentioned that he really liked ProBar Meal Food Bars. An almost 400 calorie bar is a full meal for me. I had no intention of eating a whole ProBar Meal in one sitting, but I was intrigued when I saw them on sale in Whole Foods. I purchased a couple of different varieties.

I now eat half a ProBar Meal about 20-30 minutes before an Insanity or hiking workout. At about 180 calories for half a bar, it is just enough to give me energy but not enough to force me to think about what I just ate because my stomach is too full or upset. Thanks to ProBar Meal bars, I can concentrate on my workout performance instead of regretting my food choices.

My favorite flavor is the Oatmeal Raisin. The Chocolate Coconut is a distant second. I don’t care for the superfood or Koka Moka flavors at all. The Chocolate Mint tastes like a mint brownie. It was far too sweet. The last thing you want pre-workout is something full of sugar! I will now start ordering 12-packs of Oatmeal Raisin ProBar Meals in bulk!