Lara Bars vs. homemade "Energy Bites"

[cupkayke]

I'm sure I'll come off as a pedantic jerk but...

 

If I make an "energy bite" at home, using: almond meal, pecans, dried fruit, coconut, and flax seed, but they are made into little patties that kind of look like cookies, is that allowed? As a busy mom/student it's really nice to have something I can just throw into my purse if I'm going to be away from my house (and kitchen) for a while. If I added an egg and baked the little patties is that allowed? I just feel like there's this grey area as far as "Whole 30 compliant" bars and pre-packaged food goes, that doesn't apply to items that may be considered "Paleo hacks", even though they have the same ingredients and purpose.

 

I'm really not trying to be argumentative, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, TBH. 

[PamH]

Why make them into cookie shapes?  You can just press them into an 8x8 pan and cut the chunks.  Psychologically, they won't seem as much like a cookie that way and they will travel better...

 

Grind your own blanched almonds to avoid the processed flour.  I would not bake them.  

 

I won't be argumentative back... but it sounds like you are trying to create a cookie substitute which is what W30 works to avoid.  I actually bought some energy chunks today at my local co-op that have all W30 approved ingredients (dates are the sweet) and it was too 'decadent' for me.  I think staying away from bars/chunks/patties as replacements for some of our old go-to favorites would be wise for the time being.

 

That is just me.  I get the busy mom thing!  I just went back to work after 14 years of raising kids and it is CRAZY.  It took a few weeks for me to understand how these homemade snacky treats just don't fit into my Whole30.  If you are not struggling, they could work for you.  If you are struggling to feel good and remain compliant, they could be your downfall like mine.

 

Just a thought.

 

There are a lot of fast options.  Raw nuts (macadamia/hazelnuts are great) in moderation, complaint beef jerky, a hard boiled egg,  an apple...

[cupkayke]

I do get all that- I grind my own nuts and all that, and I actually do press them into a pan and then cut them into bars.

 

It just seems like Lara Bars are a "slippery-slope" food that is in a compliant grey area, at least IMHO.

[Robin Strathdee]

Larabars ARE a slippery slope food for many people, and if they are for you, you should absolutely avoid them. We only recommend them as emergency food and fuel for endurance athletics, not as a snack.

[GFChris]

Larabars are specifically called out in It Starts with Food (p. 193) as something to avoid, because it may prop up sugar cravings. They go onto say, "if you are legitimately hungry, reach for protein and fat, as they are both satisfying and calorie-dense enough to see you through to your next meal."

[Tom Denham]

I carry a ziploc bag of macadamia nuts and raisins when I travel to use as emergency food. It packs and travels easily and I can get more in any good grocery store. The bars you are talking about making are too much trouble to me.

[Jenn B]

I would think homemade certainly outweighs store bought in any case. I had never heard of Lara bars until this forum and bought the date/cashew version to just check em out,  and quite frankly, cannot understand what all the rage is because a couple of dates with a handful of cashews or cashew nut butter is far tastier to me (and better texture), making the Lara bar seem quite bland.

 

As for what Pam H said, the "cookie"/snack aspect of it can be the downfall. I bought "Raw" cookies the other day and ate 1/2 the bag in one sitting. When I cracked the bag again my attitude became "just finish the bag now, that way I won't have any more left!!"

 

Though I finished my whole 30 a while back,  I am trying to find a balance/understanding of how to manage emotional eating. My better snacks tend to be simply a hb egg or two. Your homemade snack, my concern would be, if around the house would become a treat.

 

I work full time, single parent with two elementary age kids, taking 6 graduate credits. I truly only need a snack if I am working out (the pre and post wo meal) otherwise, large meals can sustain me for 4-6 hours inbetween each meal. 

[Guest]

I'm thinking I didn't need enough "snacks" during my Whole30 to worry about having an endless supply of "energy bites" and I definitely spent plenty of money and time on my regular meals not to want to be cooking something else.  The same Larabar has been in the truck for a while, just in case, but it really is "just in case."  If I can, I'll eat anything I have around that already has protein, fat, and veg between meals, if I do get hungry.  Fruit is out of bounds for me between meals - it feels like a snack or -gasp- dessert.  The dragon eats sugar and I try not to feed him.

[cupkayke]

I don't actually make the energy bites- I just think that Lara Bars are really not Whole 30, and one would be better served if they ate some nuts and dried fruit instead. I suppose I was just trying to differentiate between the two and find out why I kept seeing them pop up in these forums fairly frequently. The only time I tend to need a "snack" is when I forget to bring lunch to school or eat a big-enough breakfast. It's no longer an issue as I'm not taking classes this summer and I'm not working either.

 

I just laugh at the "Primal Packs" and Lara Bars being espoused on the forums. I thought the point of the Whole 30 was to "eat real food". These things are not real food. 

[PamH]

You do bring up a good point that we are overlooking.  I guess I thought you were actually wanting to make the bars/cookies and not merely questioning the difference.

 

No, Lara Bars are not food as far as Whole30 goes.  I think beef jerky is, though.  Not sure why I think that, but maybe it is because I love Primal Pacs and not Lara Bars.     I'm not having either W30 and I'm not sure I'll be adding them back afterward.

 

Ingredient for ingredient, a handful of nuts/fruits and many of the Lara Bars are equal.  I think it is the avoidance of processed and packaged foods where the discrepancy arises, and probably this Forum realizes they can't take away EVERYTHING in this day and age of people rushing around too fast for their own good so they throw us a bone.  ??

 

Pedantic jerk.  Look what controversy you've caused.  haha 

[cupkayke]

Well Pam H, I am nothing if not a pedantic jerk!

[GoJo09]

What I find funny, and truly illustrates how individual we are, is that I can have a Larabar in my handbag and I won't eat it unless it truly is necessary (out later than planned and have nothing else to get me through until I get home for dinner).

 

But if I have a wee bag of nuts and dried fruit in my handbag the thought of it will drive me crazy until I smash them. Even though they're the exact same ingredients... I think it's the sealed nature of the Larabar that differentiates them to my brain, and the fact that I could "Just have one or two nuts and put the rest back" if I'm only a little hungry, whereas once opened I know I'll be eating the whole bar.

[PamH]

What I find funny, and truly illustrates how individual we are, is that I can have a Larabar in my handbag and I won't eat it unless it truly is necessary (out later than planned and have nothing else to get me through until I get home for dinner).

 

But if I have a wee bag of nuts and dried fruit in my handbag the thought of it will drive me crazy until I smash them. Even though they're the exact same ingredients... I think it's the sealed nature of the Larabar that differentiates them to my brain, and the fact that I could "Just have one or two nuts and put the rest back" if I'm only a little hungry, whereas once opened I know I'll be eating the whole bar.

 

 

FANTASTIC point.  I think I would be the same.  The sealed bar vs the ability to just take a few...  

 

That is why homemade bars would be deadly for me.  I'd spend the entire time with a knife; evening out the rows.

[missmunchie]

What I find funny, and truly illustrates how individual we are, is that I can have a Larabar in my handbag and I won't eat it unless it truly is necessary (out later than planned and have nothing else to get me through until I get home for dinner).

 

But if I have a wee bag of nuts and dried fruit in my handbag the thought of it will drive me crazy until I smash them. Even though they're the exact same ingredients... I think it's the sealed nature of the Larabar that differentiates them to my brain, and the fact that I could "Just have one or two nuts and put the rest back" if I'm only a little hungry, whereas once opened I know I'll be eating the whole bar.

 

Ha, and I am the exact opposite. I've had a bag of almonds that has been sitting in my purse for a week. If I had a LaraBar in there, it would be grinding at my brain, "Eat me ... eaaaaat me!"

 

For my 2 cents, the point (from my perspective) is to navigate away from grab-and-shove-in-face foods and focus on the "real" foods as many have pointed out. As I do this more, I am finding tons of options for quick snacks over LaraBars and paleo pacs - sliced carrots an other veggies, canned tuna/sardines, olives, hb eggs, leftover chicken, etc. All of this stuff I usually have in the fridge and can whisk into a baggie or container to stash in a purse before a busy day.

 

For me it's fun to challenge myself and see if I can find ways around the whole "bar" mentality for quick food.

 

One hurdle I've had to overcome is snack does NOT have to equal fruit or something sweet, and just because I'm hungry and the clock doen't say it's mealtime yet doesn't mean I can't have lunch at 10:30, or dinner at 4:00. Of course when you're teaching or something you can' just sit down to a plate, but if you're going to pop down a bar or something anyway, why not make it a chunk of chicken thigh or a few olives?

[GoJo09]

For my 2 cents, the point (from my perspective) is to navigate away from grab-and-shove-in-face foods and focus on the "real" foods as many have pointed out. As I do this more, I am finding tons of options for quick snacks over LaraBars and paleo pacs - sliced carrots an other veggies, canned tuna/sardines, olives, hb eggs, leftover chicken, etc. All of this stuff I usually have in the fridge and can whisk into a baggie or container to stash in a purse before a busy day.

 

For me it's fun to challenge myself and see if I can find ways around the whole "bar" mentality for quick food.

 

One hurdle I've had to overcome is snack does NOT have to equal fruit or something sweet, and just because I'm hungry and the clock doen't say it's mealtime yet doesn't mean I can't have lunch at 10:30, or dinner at 4:00. Of course when you're teaching or something you can' just sit down to a plate, but if you're going to pop down a bar or something anyway, why not make it a chunk of chicken thigh or a few olives?

 

Absolutely - and when I'm at home or work, that's what I do. But I can't just carry a chicken thigh around in my handbag for a few weeks on the offchance that I'll be late and/or hungry one day! Actually, I suppose I could chuck a tin of tuna in oil and a plastic fork into my handbag...

[calee]

What I find funny, and truly illustrates how individual we are, is that I can have a Larabar in my handbag and I won't eat it unless it truly is necessary (out later than planned and have nothing else to get me through until I get home for dinner).

 

But if I have a wee bag of nuts and dried fruit in my handbag the thought of it will drive me crazy until I smash them. Even though they're the exact same ingredients... I think it's the sealed nature of the Larabar that differentiates them to my brain, and the fact that I could "Just have one or two nuts and put the rest back" if I'm only a little hungry, whereas once opened I know I'll be eating the whole bar.

I'm the same way! I put a Larabar in my desk and another in my car on my first day of Whole 30. I haven't eaten either one. But I had to let go of hand to mouth nuts the first week because I overindulged.

[ultrarunnergirl]

 

For my 2 cents, the point (from my perspective) is to navigate away from grab-and-shove-in-face foods and focus on the "real" foods as many have pointed out. As I do this more, I am finding tons of options for quick snacks over LaraBars and paleo pacs - sliced carrots an other veggies, canned tuna/sardines, olives, hb eggs, leftover chicken, etc. All of this stuff I usually have in the fridge and can whisk into a baggie or container to stash in a purse before a busy day.

 

For me it's fun to challenge myself and see if I can find ways around the whole "bar" mentality for quick food.

 

One hurdle I've had to overcome is snack does NOT have to equal fruit or something sweet, and just because I'm hungry and the clock doen't say it's mealtime yet doesn't mean I can't have lunch at 10:30, or dinner at 4:00. Of course when you're teaching or something you can' just sit down to a plate, but if you're going to pop down a bar or something anyway, why not make it a chunk of chicken thigh or a few olives?

 

Absolutely - and when I'm at home or work, that's what I do. But I can't just carry a chicken thigh around in my handbag for a few weeks on the offchance that I'll be late and/or hungry one day! Actually, I suppose I could chuck a tin of tuna in oil and a plastic fork into my handbag...

 

 

I try to always carry a tin of wild sardines in water wherever I go. They are better than tuna in flavor, IMO. And crazy nutritious.

 

I always carry a tin when I travel by air (along with an Epic bar, an RX bar (these are dangerous for me though), some baby carrots (they'll last several hours) and some olives. Macadamia nuts too but those also are dangerous for me.

[cinagain]

I must admit, this kind of debate drives me a bit crazy.  I think it's very easy to get TOO caught up in perfectionism.  Don't get me wrong...I've tried to be as compliant as possible with this Whole30 eating.  But yeah, once I ate farm raised salmon...another time, I made mayo with lemon juice and didn't realize it had bisulfite in it (discarded the mayo after that), and just today, I ate a Larabar.  My house is a wreck (remodeling), my kitchen isn't easily accessible today, I worked out this morning and was making a shopping run right after...the Larabar was the easiest thing to eat on the way home and isn't going to trigger any insane chocolate, candy, sugar cravings because I'm not going to LET it.

 

What I like about Whole30 is the idea that we're all figuring out what works best for each of us as INDIVIDUALS. I did Body for Life years ago.  The "forced" meals  (and having a conversation with someone who was proud that he ate a chicken breast in the bathroom while on break) made me realize that even a GOOD thing can easily become bad when it's overdone. I don't mind reading labels and choosing a healthier alternative.  I don't mind cooking more at home so I can control ingredients better.  I don't mind trying to fit every meal to the meal template and drinking more water.

 

But seriously, having an occasional dessert is NOT bad in normal day-to-day life.  Having dessert every day or after every meal...yeah, not so great.  But what if that dessert is a poached pear vs a slice of cake?  Again, not bad, especially if you're coming from a place where every dessert, every day, is a big bowl of ice cream.

 

What's my point in all of this?  None really...except to say that I think some people get a little bit too hung up on being "perfectly compliant."

[Charlsye]

I totally agree with cinagin.  If you personally can't have larabars because they're a food without brakes for you or they trigger sugar cravings, then make that a part of your personal Whole30.  Whole30 is already extremely restrictive and to judge people for eating something convenient and compliant is bordering on obsessive.

[leahcarn]

I'm going to respectfully disagree here. Whole30 is a mental as well as a physical reset, so to use larabars to prop up a sugar craving (which could be easily done if you allowed them without any sort of disclaimer) goes against the spirit of the program, and would negate a lot of the mental benefits seen, and prevent people from looking for whole food solutions.

Having said that, the whole larabar discussion is moot for me because they aren't sold in my country. If I were doing a multi-day hike I would make energy balls in a similar fashion and consider them compliant in the same way as a larabar for endurance athletes

[cinagain]

I think that's the key.  IF Larabars are used to prop up a sugar craving, it's a completely different situation than if it's being eaten as a fuel source because other fuels aren't available (for whatever reason). But with that reasoning, eating a piece of fruit as a dessert/to prop up a sugar craving is just as "wrong" by Whole30 standards.

Context matters.  For example, it IS possible to binge on cauliflower or kale chips.  Calorically, it might be ok, but if the mindset is about binging, it's still not ok.

 

That's part of why I posted what I did.  I'm completely onboard with people trying to make the mental and physical changes in Whole30...but sometimes, being too stringent is NOT a success but actually a step backwards.  After all, isn't part of Whole30 about "learning to ride your bike?"

 

Just for the record , after having the Larabar yesterday, I still haven't craved sweets.  In fact, there's a pan of homemade brownies in the kitchen right now.  HABIT makes me want to go get one, but that's it. No real desire to eat one, no craving, etc.