Balance Bar Review: Bar None

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Bar none - get it? As in, my complete, unadulterated opinion? Oh, puns. HAHAHA.

It's a good thing that I'm not going into a career in comedy. :P

But I've never tried Balance bars before, even though I love bars and Balance is a pretty big player in the bar world. 

Anyway, when they came out with the new Nimble bar, I knew I had to try it!

Stevia is really big in the blogosphere (who do I think I am telling this? Half of y'all are addicts!) but it's pretty hard to find food products that use it as the sweetener. I hope to see this change (as I'm sure many of you do, too) but so far, you can pretty much only get stevia-sweetened gum and soda. For the other stuff, your options are good old sugar or something that started its life as the same stuff you clean your pool. 

Right....

Anyway, Nimble bars are the first (as far as I know) in their field to use stevia to achieve that candy bar-sweet taste with just 4g of sugar (compare that to the 20+ grams found in other bars) that won't leave you doing the sugar high-low-crash-BOOM rollercoaster-gone-awry thing. I'm not into rollercoasters (not even the ones at amusement parks). 

For 120 calories, you get 10g of protein, a heck-bunch of antioxidants, Balance's famous 40-30-30 macronutrient composition (carbs-protein-fat), and FloraGlo Lutein/Beta Carotene for better skin. Yup, it's a bar that makes you prettier. A beauty bar?!

Anyway, it's delicious. There are two flavors right now, yogurt orange swirl and peanut butter. I'm usually not into fruity bars (if I want fruit, I have fruit - I want a bar, I usually want candy/chocolate/creamilicious peanut butter) but the yogurt swirl bar is quite good. It's refreshing with strong orange flavor and the creaminess of yogurt - kind of like an orange dreamsicle without the mess!

And peanut butter? Oh, peanut butter. It tastes like peanut butter! And is chewy, rich, sweet, and delicious. You can't go wrong with either of these as snacks/desserts.

Since I was on the whole low-sugar, healthy, yummy Balance bar kick, I tried their Carbwell bars, too. These are much bigger bars and you could definitely pair one with a yogurt and a banana or some almonds for a mini-meal. For low-carbers (I know some bodybuilders/intense lifters go through carb cycles), they only have 2g net carbs and only 1g of sugar. If only these were made with stevia, too...

Except it's probably good that they aren't. Otherwise I'd have absolutely no reason not to eat them all the time.

Don't you love it when your candy bar can't even contain its yummy, sticky awesomeness?

There's Caramel 'n Chocolate, which has the flavor of a Milkyway, but is way more filling and has better last/you feel better when you eat it.

Then there's Chocolate Peanut Butter, which is also just amazing. No chalkiness here! And hello! All that filling? It's like the best part of a caramel delight (only chocolate peanut buttery, instead of caramelly). 

Also, who came up with the chocolate peanut butter combo? Can we award her a Nobel Prize, or something (you know it was a woman - and probably at that time of the month). 

Have you tried Balance bars?

What's your favorite kind of bar - chocolaty and sinful or fruity and refreshing?


Have you supported your local girl scouts yet? It's that time of year! And yes, that's obviously why we go gaga for the cookies. Doing good and all that. ;)

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My Favorite New Things

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I love trying new things, as you know, and I also love reviewing things! I don't tend to post reviews about things that I feel 'meh' about, so if it's up here chances are that I love the food/product - or I hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely! it.

Anyone catch that quote? Okay, so maybe it's a little too early (late?) for the whole Christmas cheer thing. But is it ever not the right time for Christmas movie references?

Anyway, here are some of the things that I've tried recently and have gone gaga over:

Xocai chocolates! These peanut butter cups are creamy milk chocolate with antioxidant/ORAC/flavonoid contents to rival dark chocolate!

And yet they taste just as delicious as Reese's and have the same delightful creaminess.

YUM. I definitely recommend trying them - ASAP! ;)

Amazing Grass Amazing Meal powders! They're really delicious and they're a thick, shake-like drink that energizes me for more studying!

Plus, they pack a powerful punch:

And you have to love the bubbles:

My favorite flavor is chocolate - its color is a little...interesting. But it tastes like a chocolate shake - only somehow refreshing? I love when my tastebuds are confused (in a good way)!

I've also been loving this, on the dessert end of the spectrum. ;)

Protein Bakery peanut butter white chocolate chip cookie. They need to stop packing those in two-packs, because I can never stop at just one!

They're sweet and rich and creamy and sooooo moist. I guess that's what happens when your first ingredient is good ol' peanut butter.

The chew factor is ridiculous! I like my cookies big and soft. How does Protein Bakery know me so well???

And lastly, a cookie parfait. How do you make a cookie parfait, you ask? Easy. You crumble cookies (obviously more jumped in after the picture, but I wanted to catch some of the yogurt, too) on top of yogurt. I used Goji Gourmet Ginger Walnut cookies.

The sucky thing about late night snacks is that you can never get a good picture! I need one of those fancy light box things.

And when I say late, I mean laaaate - I hope my mom isn't reading this, she's always telling me to stop studying and get some sleep. Oh, moms. :P

You know me. Of course a crispy rice treat and a big handful of Walmart's best trail mix (peanuts, raisins, and M&Ms) joined the party. And a ton of peanut flour mixed into the top half of the yogurt, for awesomeness - it got seriously cookie dough like.

Oh, but I probably shouldn't put my food on my laptop. Whoopsies, bad me!

There are also chocolate chip Goji Gourmet cookies - quite an interesting flavor combo.

What's your go-to late night snack?


What are some of your favorite recent food product/brand discoveries?


Does your sleep schedule get out of whack around midterms/finals/random exams?

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Xocai Healthy Chocolate Product Review

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Hi, guys!

I just finished my first organic chemistry midterm, so to celebrate (that might be the wrong word, as I'm fairly confident that the exam thoroughly took me for exam), I'm posting a review of a super-yummy new chocolate that I got to try this week!

It's Xocai and it's a healthy chocolate brand with a bunch of different varieties of chocolate (including milk chocolate peanut butter cups and even a chocolate energy drink).

Its selling point is that it's really healthy, even though it tastes and feels (no kidding, the mouth feel is perfect) just like normal chocolate.  They have more antioxidants than chocolate normally does, with less sugar, so you can get more of a benefit.

But blah-blah-blah. What's the taste like? I mean, come on - that's what matters!

It's so good!

This is the dark chocolate nugget and it is dark and delicious. It takes a while to eat (even though its small) because its so intense. I had it with a handful of almonds and let me tell you - what a perfect post-exam snack! I can't wait to try the peanut butter cups now!

But really? I'm just throwing myself (an invisible) party, because I'M DONE WITH MY FIRST ORGO MIDTERM! One down, two (and a final) to go!

What's your favorite brand of chocolate?


How many midterms do you have (per class)?

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Looking Good for Good

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We all like looking good. We all like doing good.

Except sociopaths, but I digress.

Anyway, if we all like looking good and doing good, what about doing good by looking good? In that spirit, here's a quick overview of a few fashion rands that enable you to do good by looking good!

FEED

They have bracelets, bags, apparel, etc. and are relatively affordable! The cause? World hunger.

Missoni for Orphanaid Africa

The red and white styles aren't cheap (think close-to and around $100) but how many shirts can say that they work towards fighting childhood disease, hunger, and poverty in Africa?

Fashion Fights Cancer

 You can look cute in this cuff while fighting cancer! If you have a ton of money (those are real, devastation-free diamonds).

Livestrong

Does your windbreaker help fight cancer?

Toms

It seems that people either love or hate Toms. Yes, it's pretty much canvas in a really simple slipper form, but there is something to be said for simplicity. But several styles are vegan! And, at least, for the fact that a pair of shoes is donated to a child in need for every pair of shoes that is bought. 

I'd be all over them, if it weren't for the complete lack of arch support (then again, they could have the best arch support ever and I still wouldn't be willing to wear the wedding styles to my wedding, if I ever get married). 

Toms - love 'em or hate 'em?

What's your favorite brand of fashion for a cause?

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Ulta KeraStraight (and foooood)

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I barely ever go to the hairdresser.

I know, what? But I just don't. And so, over winter break (yea, this post is a wee bit overdue) I went to Ulta and...did the KeraStraight thingy!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was going to be pretty open-minded (even though it cost $215!).

My Before:

Then I let my bum mold into the hard plastic seat at Ulta for close to four hours, holding perfectly still (hard for such a long period of time). For the experience, I paid $215 (plus $15 in tips and $85 for shampoos & conditioners that wouldn't kill the treatment - because normal ones will).

Just kidding! I love it! If it weren't for the atrocious price (that's the only thing that's making me seriously consider whether or not I'll maintain it in the future).

My After:

So soft, swishy, and shiny!

It's seriously so soft that I want to pet myself on the head sometimes.

Kidding. Kind of.

And since I'm posting pics from winter break:

I always get so spoiled by how good food (and not just snack food) can be when I go home for break. Then I return to school and, well...

Have you ever tried KeraStraight?


What beauty stuff do you do (dye, shave, tweeze, make up, manicure, etc.)?


How much would you spend on your hair?

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Fashion Inspiration: Selena Gomez

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Selena Gomez is a lovely girl and an endearing actress, but why we really like her is because of her fun fashion sense (and not in the LOL sense).

Simple

Casual

I'm all over the red color accent!

Elegant

Going to Class

Okay, fine - she probably wasn't going to class. Do these kids go to school, anyway? But I would definitely wear this to class.

Speaking of which...bye for now - study time!

Oh, but first - my study snack:

It's rare that I crave citrus, but when I do - I wonder why I don't crave it more!

Another Amazing Grass drink mix...

This time with barley grass and alfalfa, too...

I hadn't washed my shaker cup yet, so I tried just pouring it in a cup and swirling:

Not the best idea. Next time, I'll just clean the shaker cup. Still, this was tasty! Maybe I'm weird, but I really enjoy that green drink taste. As compared to the pure wheat grass drink, this one has a more rounded (does that make sense?) flavor. It's nuttier?

Whatever, it's yummy and that's all that matters. ;)

What do you think of Selena's style?


Who's style do you like?


Are you a green drink fan?

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Fashion Disaster Alert! AKA, a healthy snack and a healthy laugh

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Let's start with the healthy snack, shall we?

Crudites with ranch dip and:

These raw superfood bars are based on dates and have the Amazing Grass Green Superfood blend mixed in:

They're so yummy! Sweet and rich with a berry under taste and lots of nummy, nummy nuts@!

Okay, time for that healthy laugh I promised you.

Sure, no one most people don't really go out of their way to have their outfits be funny, but the fact is that fashion is not only a source of aesthetic pleasure, but also - at times - one of entertainment.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a walking fashion disaster at times, too. And I'm sure you are, too. It's normal. Here are some other fun fashion disasters. 

I hope you have a nice laugh! See? You've already done something for your health today!

Gaga's economizing her wardrobe:

Gaga always takes it pretty far, but this took it decidedly too far - or not far enough? Maybe next time she'll remember to put on pants and a shirt (or at least a shirt, since she doesn't seem to be a big fan of pants).  

Britney's had a laundry mix-up:

Cute shorts (I'm not even going to comment on the K-Fed cap) but couldn't you get the top in your size? If her kids were girls you could pass it off as a simple case of clothes confusion, but as is...

Victoria's Down-sized Tux:

What's the theme here? Missing garments. Sure, the shoes are cute - but that doesn't mean we won't notice that you forgot your pants on the way out.

Miley goes to Funky-Town:

There's a lot of experimentation that goes on every fashionista's life, but we're glad that this mangled/shredded/ripped look didn't last. 

Funny fact: Trader Joe's and Aldi are owned by the same company. Love them!

Gaga's a Meathead

This one is less entertaining than disgusting. I suppose that's because I'm a vegetarian. I seriously don't mind at all when others eat meat, but this? It's hideous and appalling. Plus, the metaphor falls short.

Gaga wants to show that she's not a piece of meat by covering herself in meat? And that makes sense how? That's why those animals were bred, raised, and killed - to be part of a failed metaphor?

I wonder how many families that meat could feed...

Anne has wings!

We just wish those wings weren't on her pants. Clarisse Renaldi would not approve.

Pammi Goes Big:

If you want to get a boob job, and that's really up to you (it's your body), just make sure that you don't think the same shirts from your flat-chested days are going to cut it.

They won't.

Rihanna Experiments:

Those pants are so unflattering - for anyone! - with their dizzying business. Then the sheer bustier on top add even more lines. Oh dear. Thank goodness, Rihanna has come far since then.

Katy's Fairytale:

Unless you live in Pixie Hollow, this probably shouldn't be in your wardrobe.

Have you seen/been a funny fashion disaster lately?

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Amazing Yummies!

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Scroll down for the WINNER!

Okay, so I don't do this whole writing a post about something *while* I'm eating it thing very often, but this doesn't happen very often:

What's this? A super-delicious Protein Bakery oatmeal chocolate chip cookie! Which, alongside a tetrapack of chocolate soymilk and some peanut butter is the study snack of the moment.

As in, this very moment.

But seriously - do you see that fluffiness? The chocolate chips are super sweet and chocolatey and melty - not at all stale-tasting, like you sometimes get with packaged cookies. Then again, these are baked in small batches, so maybe that's why they're soft, fluffy, and delicious.

And as to why they're substantial enough that, even though they taste of buttery, sugary goodness, they're perfectly acceptable as a study snack and have something substantial to bite into? That'd be because they're whole grain with 2g of fiber and 4g of protein (oh, yeah!).

Oh, and no terrible sugar crash to come - there are only 3g of sugar per cookie so, even though I'm eating both in the packet (shhhh), that's still only 1.5 teaspoons of sugar - which comes with a total of 8g of protein. That's probably why it's:

                                                                               

And as far as that low sugar stat goes, these aren't little cookies (none of that silly business where companies achieve low sugar stats by making products the size of your pinky nail). And all natural ingredients!

Now that I'm done raving, let's take a second to look at some of the other yummies from Protein Bakery:

I can't wait to try everything else! And I'll definitely have to order some of those Espresso Brownies with Cappuccino Chips that I just saw on the website...

Anyway, it wouldn't be fair to make you guys salivate over all that awesomeness if I weren't going to share.

Sooooo - GIVEAWAY TIME! It's the best kind of time. =D

The winner will be announced next Wednesday, February 1st!

Here's how to enter (leave a separate comment for each, so that you have more chances to win):

* Follow Living, Learning, Eating on GFC
* Blog about this giveaway (leave the link in the comments)
* Follow (@LiveLearnEat) on Twitter and tweet the giveaway 
* Follow (@proteinbakery) Protein Bakery on Twitter 
* Like Protein Bakery on Facebook
* Go to their website and tell me which product you're most excited to try!


This is for continental USA readers only and the winner gets $45 worth of a taste of Protein Bakery - 2 brownies/blondies, 2 colossal (they're not kidding) cookies, and 3 cookie 2-packs (like the one I had, above)!

AND THE WINNER IS:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:9Powered by RANDOM.ORG

sa-weet!

Send your full name, shipping address, and telephone number to livinglearningeating (AT) googlemail (DOT) com within the next 24 hours to claim your yummy prize!

Is this great, or what? I already feel all energized and ready to go - organic chemistry studying here I come! Bye for now. :)

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