Everyone today is jumping on the nutrition bandwagon and trying to supply dieters with the magic quick fix to their weight loss needs. You walk down any nutrition supplement aisle in any grocery or super-store and you will see how many products flood the shelves. Protein bars, weight loss bars, meal replacement shakes, build your immune system bars, and the list goes on and on. For the most part, the bars taste like chalk. How do you know what to spend your money on? Which product is best? Well, for me personally, I am not a fan of supplements unless you know your diet is inadequate. I feel as though you should get what your body needs by eating natural, whole foods rather then popping a pill or chugging a protein shake.
However, if you have the extra money to spend and occasionally purchase some of these products there are some that are better then others. An interesting article I found was one discussing a company producing supplement bars, called Element Bars, and allowing people to personalize a bar according to their taste likes and dislikes.
Element Bars claim to be made from all-natural ingredients that have been minimally processed and without any artificial sweeteners or processed starches. To build your bar you must first decide the base texture you want by choosing “Oaty”, “Crispy”, or “Datey”. From there, you can add fruits, nuts, sweets, and finally a choice of “Boosts” – the powdered supplements that contain large portions of protein, fiber, or antioxidants. Although consumers are encouraged to create what they want, the website will warn them if the product they are choosing will result in a chalky disaster. You can purchase a 12-pack of these bars for $36 (a competitive $3/bar) and you will receive your order in about 7-10 days.
The idea of creating your own supplement bars is pretty cool; however still take caution in wasting your money on items if you could eat natural, whole foods instead.