Photo: Glacier National Park
Now that it’s time to harvest that spring corn while the resorts are still getting some snow–or even get out on your first exploratory surf mission to Mexico–and we’ve got more daylight, you don’t want to be stopping for full meals during the day. But neither is the old glucose high/crash from sugary snacks ideal. So what’s an adventurer to do? Grab one of the new breed of snack bars that are lower in carbs and high in slow-burning protein and fat and free of those sketchy chemicals that were the dubious hallmark of such fare for far too long. Here are a few solid options that will help you push through until dinner and that well-deserved après beer:
Mad Macro
A relative newcomer to the market, Mad Macro is one of the few bars to contain collagen, one of the most abundant proteins in the body and a must for joint maintenance and repair. Other ingredients include high-fat nuts and seeds and some Himalayan sea salt to help replace the sodium you’re bound to lose through sweat. With options like coffee and coconut, pumpkin spice and the unreal salted chocolate almond, Mad Macro is one of the best-tasting bars out there, and believe us, we’ve tested more than our fair share.
RX Bar
What started off as a hard-to-find bar is now available at chain stores like Natural Grocers, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Each kind of RX Bar is powered by one of the highest quality proteins going: good ol’ fashioned eggs. Few bars have clean enough ingredients to list their ingredients in big print on the front of the packet, but that’s exactly what the good folks at RX Bar do as they have no GMO Frankenfoods to hide – or, as they boldly put in on the label, “no BS.”
Rise Bar
This bar has the fewest ingredients of any we’ve found – always 3, 4, or 5, depending on the flavor, such as almonds, whey protein, and honey. That means it’s easier to digest and isn’t going to kick start inflammation with a bunch of artificial junk that your body can’t process. Another bonus is that many of the Rise Bar flavors don’t get super sticky, so there’s no more of that awful gooey feeling when you stick your hand into your jacket pocket. Another bonus: these tasty snacks are certified organic, gluten-free, and kosher.
