Excerpt from my upcoming Peak Performance E-Book: Guide to Endurance Sports Nutrition…

I recommend using bars for training fuel and recovery - they digest well and provide quick fuel. However, I see a lot of athletes who start to use bars to replace every day whole foods. Bars alone will not provide  all the nutrients you need to stay healthy, so make sure they are not the focus of your primary diet. So with so many energy bars offered in the market it is hard to know which one you should be eating. As with most performance products you need to self diagnose what works best for your body.  Here I breakdown the attributes you should be looking for.

Before and During Workout

Choose a high carbohydrate bar (between 25-50g) made of simple carbs to provide quick energy. Look for the bar to contain low fiber (less than 5g), low protein (less than 10g) and low fat (less than 4g). If the bar contains fiber, fat and protein that are above those numbers it will slow digestion and ultimately your performance. If you do choose to eat a bar during your training session, make sure to drink 5-10oz of water with it.  Some of my favorite bars in this category include Clif, Luna, Odwalla and PowerBars.

Post Workout

Choose a whole foods bar that is made of few ingredients to help ease digestion and recovery. Those with natural sources of carbohydrates and protein are best. If you do not like these natural bars make sure to look for a post workout bar with a quality protein source such as hemp protein.  Examples include: Lara, ProBar, Think Organic, Pure Bar  and Vega!!

Want to make your own whole foods bar?  Here is an easy quick recipe you can make in minutes….

Cranberry Hemp Nut Bar

Ingredients:

2 cup walnuts

1 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup oats (gluten free if possible)

2 tbsp agave nectar

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1 tbsp virgin coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend.  Press firmly into a pan and put in the freezer for 1 hour to form. Cut into squares and enjoy. You can wrap each square individually and store in the freezer for an on the go snack.