The New Rx Bar - Chocolate Sea Salt

[wulfie]

The ingredient list is:

Dates, Egg Whites, Almonds, Cashew Butter, 100% Chocolate, Sea Salt, Chocolate Flavor

 

My concern is with the chocolate flavor.  Will this bar also be W30 compliant?

 

http://www.rxbar.com/products/cacao-collection.html

[ShannonM816]

The ingredient list is:

Dates, Egg Whites, Almonds, Cashew Butter, 100% Chocolate, Sea Salt, Chocolate Flavor

 

My concern is with the chocolate flavor.  Will this bar also be W30 compliant?

 

http://www.rxbar.com/products/cacao-collection.html

 

You could write to the company and ask them what exactly Chocolate Flavor is, and find out for sure.

 

But before you do that, remember that bars of any kind are really for emergencies only. They're not intended to be used regularly as snacks, desserts, or meal replacements. Also keep in mind that one thing most of us have problems with is a sugar dragon, and any kind of sweet food, even a compliant one, can keep that sugar dragon roaring. 

 

If you feel you need to keep emergency food around, if you're like most people, your best bet would be to keep things like compliant tuna, salmon, or sardines, or even something like a compliant jerky. I know that I find if I keep something sweet tasting around for "emergencies," I suddenly seem to have a lot of emergencies that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have if I kept tuna fish on hand instead.

[jmcbn]

*My* concern would be that dates are listed as the first ingredient - compliant or not that's a sugar bomb right there.....

[ladyshanny]

I know RX bars are Whole30 approved but I'm sure there are a couple that aren't and I would almost say no go on this one per the "no adding chocolate to dried fruit and dates to create a chocolately confection".

 

Cacao (100%): Yes

Cacao (or 100% cocoa) is great when used as a savory spice (our Mocha Steak Rub, found in It Starts With Food, is a great example), but you can also feel free to add it to your coffee or tea, or brew it Crio Bru-style. But per the rules of the program, it’s not okay to add cocoa to dates and other fruits to make chocolate-y confections. Read our Great Cocoa Debate for details.

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.IazSSfFn.dpuf

[Tom Denham]

You should not eat this thing. 

[MeadowLily]

Most of the time, we have to trade up for the Big Win,  complete health  vs. convenience.    A Whole 30 requires some cooking.   You don't have to be an expert to get by.   Fruit and nutty bars are the slippery slope.

 

Many now have daily emergencies and choose bars over protein, vegetables and good fats.   

[wulfie]

Thanks, guys!      Yeah, I generally stay away from them (like Lara Bars), but got an e-mail about this new one and wanted to check it out.  

[Munkers]

For me and mine, I would avoid this during a Whole30 since it violates the no cocoa+date rule that ladyshanny quoted above.

[Robbone]

Before W30 I always kept a low sugar Kind bar in my purse for an emergency meal replacement (I have a bad habit of skipping meals). Are there any bars I can make without the honey? Like reducing apple juice concentrate or something to make the bar stick together?

[MeadowLily]

Robbone, please see Tom Denham's post above.

 

The Whole 30 is all about changing your relationship with food.  Skipping meals is non-starter right out of the chute.   Making bars to replace your Kind bar is second verse same as the first.  These Rx bars and all others are only to be used for emergencies.  You don't want to replace your meals with bars, Robbone.  It's so important to break the snacking cycles.

 

Many have budgeted for a daily emergency by eating these bars every single day.  They also normally restart a Whole 30 just a few days after they finish.  The 2nd go-around, they work hard on eliminating bars, dried fruits, nut butters and nuts eaten in excess.   You can learn from their angst by staying away from the daily bar fix and working towards eating 3 meals aday.   Tom Denham and Lady Shanny have all of the rules and Whole 30 Template attached to their siggie (signature).  They'll help you make great decisions for 30 days.

[AmyS]

Before W30 I always kept a low sugar Kind bar in my purse for an emergency meal replacement (I have a bad habit of skipping meals). Are there any bars I can make without the honey? Like reducing apple juice concentrate or something to make the bar stick together?

Whole30 is all about eating your meals, not skipping them. If you intend to eat on the go, you can pack a meal in a cooler, or take portable food that doesn't need refrigerating for a few hours: hard boiled eggs, cubed roasted sweet potatoes, cans of compliant tuna, salmon, or sardines (plus can opener and fork), etc.

 

One of the key aspects of Whole30 is to get you to pay attention to what you eat and when you eat it. We really do want you to prioritize eating. There is no virtue, and no good health, in skipping meals and then eating a bar of some kind later. We really really do want you to eat actual food. For real. Three times a day. Every day. For thirty days. That's the deal. That's Whole30. Really. Eat up and feel the magic.

[Melissa Urban]

Guys, this one opens up a can of worms that we (the Whole30 team) need to address in a big-picture way; not just realated to this particular flavored bar. I'm sure there are other products in the works from a variety of companies that straddle the line of "technically compliant but we don't like it" and we want to make sure we do the right thing here, and not set a precedence that doesn't line up with our integrity.

 

For now, the verdict is out on these, and we are discussing internally, and will post a decision (and full explanation) soon. Which means if I were you, despite the technically compliant ingredients, I'd think long and hard about including them in your Whole30.

 

Melissa

[Gogogio]

My husband love these things and I think it's confusing that Whole30 says no processed protein powders (like egg white protein powder) and no additive (chocolate flavor etc.) HOWEVER the Rx Bar is APPROVED!?? My jaw dropped when I saw that label on the Rx bar.  A Lara bar, I can understand.. although it has been chooped up/processed, the Rx bar has artificial flavoring! How is this approved!? It looks like Whole30 is making money from Rx

 

The whole30 changed our lives and 6 other people in our family as well because we bought the book and told everyone. But slapping a Whole30 label on a packaged sugary product is far from natural, whole food eating. Not to mention an isolated processed protien 'product' like egg white protien powder. That's FAR from eating a boiled egg. And doesn't this encourage snacking anyway? 

 

The Rx website says As prescribed by Nature. Where in nature do you find chocolate flavor?

 

From the website:

100% Natural

Get the energy you need in eight ingredients or less -- without grains, added sugars, gluten, soy, dairy or any artificial or processed ingredients.

 

Sure you could email them, they'll explain away the 'flavor.' Don't eat this crap.

 

In my opinion, the whole30 programs loses credit by approving an Rx bar. $$$

[Chasey]

My husband and I am on our last few days of our first Whole30. I have never cheated, that I am aware of. There have been ups and downs, but I feel compelled to weigh in here.

As a person that commutes 3 hours (round trip) to work each day, doesn't get a lunch break, and works two jobs, one of my complaints is that Whole30 seemed very simple at first (I downloaded the 2-3 page program PDF and joined this forum). The unintended things is I spent more on groceries than I ever have, and spent every second of free time either cooking or cleaning. On the upside, I think I regulated my insulin for my PCOS and lost a couple pounds and felt pretty good on the whole.

But, as I dove in more, it seems like some things are arbitrary, or at least unnecessarily obtuse. Like these Rx bars. Everything says all are ok except the Peanut Butter. But don't use them to snack, or for dessert, or to avoid whole meals, or wait...if you like sugar. Ok now that seems silly to me. I get the mental component and appreciate that, but a food is either on plan or it isn't. Like the woman who was chastised for eating berries and coconut cream at the end of her meal as a dessert when, had she had it for breakfast it would have been fine. I am perturbed here, at the end having worked REALLY HARD to do everything right there are more rules, like the veggie, fat, and protein with every meal and nothing but those . Nowhere does it say that on the original get started PDF. I know there are books, etc. but that seems like pretty important info, and kind of robs my job at having been successful thus far and makes me feel like a failure, which is the whole point of making yourself succeed on this plan. Otherwise, why can't I just have honey, or truvia, or some of the other seemingly strict-for-no-real-reason things.

Anyway, the thing about these RxBars is they can be a lifesaver to wean off refined sugars, I ate about 3 on my 30 days. I thought, "wow, these are amazing they made a bar taste this good with just those 4 ingredients!" I should have known better. They say right on the front -proud and loud- the "ingredients," but those are not the ingredients ?! I'm sorry but chocolate is not "egg whites, almonds, dates, cashews," How do they get away with this, and why is this a company Whole30 approves if the majority of us are buying it based on a misrepresentation, or as the company says, "BS." That's my two cents. Thanks everyone. 

[ladyshanny]

17 minutes ago, Chasey said:

My husband and I am on our last few days of our first Whole30. I have never cheated, that I am aware of. There have been ups and downs, but I feel compelled to weigh in here.

As a person that commutes 3 hours (round trip) to work each day, doesn't get a lunch break, and works two jobs, one of my complaints is that Whole30 seemed very simple at first (I downloaded the 2-3 page program PDF and joined this forum). The unintended things is I spent more on groceries than I ever have, and spent every second of free time either cooking or cleaning. On the upside, I think I regulated my insulin for my PCOS and lost a couple pounds and felt pretty good on the whole.

But, as I dove in more, it seems like some things are arbitrary, or at least unnecessarily obtuse. Like these Rx bars. Everything says all are ok except the Peanut Butter. But don't use them to snack, or for dessert, or to avoid whole meals, or wait...if you like sugar. Ok now that seems silly to me. I get the mental component and appreciate that, but a food is either on plan or it isn't. Like the woman who was chastised for eating berries and coconut cream at the end of her meal as a dessert when, had she had it for breakfast it would have been fine. I am perturbed here, at the end having worked REALLY HARD to do everything right there are more rules, like the veggie, fat, and protein with every meal and nothing but those . Nowhere does it say that on the original get started PDF. I know there are books, etc. but that seems like pretty important info, and kind of robs my job at having been successful thus far and makes me feel like a failure, which is the whole point of making yourself succeed on this plan. Otherwise, why can't I just have honey, or truvia, or some of the other seemingly strict-for-no-real-reason things.

Anyway, the thing about these RxBars is they can be a lifesaver to wean off refined sugars, I ate about 3 on my 30 days. I thought, "wow, these are amazing they made a bar taste this good with just those 4 ingredients!" I should have known better. They say right on the front -proud and loud- the "ingredients," but those are not the ingredients ?! I'm sorry but chocolate is not "egg whites, almonds, dates, cashews," How do they get away with this, and why is this a company Whole30 approves if the majority of us are buying it based on a misrepresentation, or as the company says, "BS." That's my two cents. Thanks everyone. 

Hey @Chasey - thanks for your post! I'll just address a couple things so that we're all on the same page.  

The meal template (have fat, protein and veggies at every meal) is a recommendation for best possible results. Not a rule. If you did a Whole30 with nothing but dates and almond butter for 30 days, you'd have done the basic program. The template is how to take that elimination plan and move it forward for better health, habits and relationship with food.

The lack of sugar/sweetners is simply to address how often sugar is unnecessarily added to foods AND to draw attention to how addicted most people are to the sweet stuff. 

Having said all of that, the RX bars are approved, yes. However many of us don't like that they are (the chocolate ones, I'm looking at you!), the fact is that Melissa decided that they are suitable to the program. The recommendation to everyone is that if you are prone to sugar/sweets cravings and reliance, these are not for you. This is the part where we want people to take personal responsibility for what they are doing and assess for themselves if these are just replacing a snickers or if they are a convenient and not problematic emergency food, for them. The program can't outlaw every single thing that people might over-eat or eat in an unhealthy way. People crack out on almond butter. It's still permitted but we tell them to reign it in, put it off limits or incorporate it into a recipe rather than eat it out of the jar with a spoon. Not because it's not "Whole30 compliant" but because they will not get the results they are likely looking for by eating a jar of almond butter.

"Weaning off refined sugars" - yes and no. This can work for some people - yourself for example. But for most people who have sugar issues, using these bars doesn't help them fix anything, it just spikes that sweet-tooth. We really recommend that people go for protein + fat if they have to eat something during a sugar craving. Typically the only way to really kill that sugar dragon is to starve it. Similar to quitting smoking. If you still smoke a cigarette a week or 3 in 30 days, you're still a smoker. The only way to quit the habit is to quit the habit. 

For the person that ate the berries and coconut - I'd need to see that post again for context, but I would guess that she was probably talking about cravings or hunger or similar and eating a "dessert" like that wouldn't be in her best interest. She wouldn't necessarily have had a green flag to include it at breakfast either because the recommendations are to have protein + veggies + fat at every meal. Fruit + fat wouldn't fit. It IS only a recommendation though. Breaking the dessert habit is only a recommendation. But if people come to us wanting best possible results for health, habits and their relationship with food, these are the things that they are going to be told to work on.

Let me know if you want to discuss further?

[slc_melissa]

The ingredients of the RX bars are compliant, but they are no longer on the Whole30 Approved page and haven't been for years: https://whole30.com/2015/06/future/

(I know this is nit-picky, but I get really hung up on language specifics and people asking if things are approved vs. being compliant.) 

[Heidi—]

I was on Day 5 of my Whole30 & I was ravenous with hours to go before I was able to cook dinner - I ended up eating a Chocolate Sea Salt RxBar only to realize (& panic) later that one of the ingredients on the back was “chocolate”. I emailed the company (after searching high & low for an answer within the forums) for further explanation so I knew 100% whether or not I needed to start over at day 1. According to their response (pictured) & sifting through all the forums/rules/guidelines of the program, I’m calling today day 8 instead of day 3.

 

Good luck out there, Whole30ers! You got this!

 

[SugarcubeOD]

Melissa has condoned this labelling change for RX bars as compliant, however they should be very carefully used in your Whole30.  If you do have a ton of time between lunch and dinner regularly or you know one day you will, plan ahead and try and have protein and fat as it will hold you longer than these 'candy' type bars.

But yes, you're right, you didn't break any rules so Whole30 on