What to look for in a Quality Protein Bar? + my R.e.d.d. Superfood Bar Review

Happy Friday my friends!

Do you eat protein bars? I swear every time I’m on social media I see someone posting about their favorite protein bar or a new protein bar they tried and love. Sales of sports protein bars were $488.7 million in 2015, up about 32% from $371.6 million in 2010. Americans love protein bars especially if you are an avid exerciser or in the fitness industry. Protein bars are a convenient and quick way to get the protein your body needs. The issue though, is that so many protein bars in the market are filled with junk ingredients that do more harm to your body than good.

How do you know what’s a good protein bar and what’s not?

I typically avoid ingredients like: Soy Protein Isolate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Canola Oil, Fractionated Palm Kernal Oil, Sugar Alcohols, Artificial Sweeteners and Artificial Flavors.

Most protein bars in the market are actually worse for you than a candy bar. Some contain one or two of these ingredients and some even contain ALL of them!

I love to eat a protein bar before my early morning workout because they are usually low enough in calories and small enough that they don’t fill my stomach up too much and because I don’t have time to eat a huge breakfast in the morning before my workout.

I recently got the chance to review a new brand of protein bars called R.e.d.d. Bar. These bars are super delicious,not too filling, and they have 9+ grams protein, 11 superfoods (and if you know me…I love my superfoods!), 23 vitamins & minerals (again…I love nutritional supplementation), & last but not least they also have 35+ mg of natural caffeine from Yerba Mate. (side note…I love yerba mate tea!).

Their bars are free of:

• Gluten
• Dairy
• Soy
• GMO’s
• Brown Rice (contains high levels of inorganic arsenic)

At the time of my review of these bars, there were 3 flavors: Peanut Butter (my fav!!), Chocolate & Oatmeal (2nd fav!), and now they came out with a new Mint Chocolate which I can’t wait to sample! You can buy these bars in variety packs or in packs of your favorite flavor. I will definitely be ordering more of the Peanut Butter since that one was definitely my favorite flavor. You can sign up to receive their emails and in doing so they will give you 10% off your first order + free shipping! 

Let me know if you try these bars and what you think of them! Also, remember that when you buy bars for cheap prices that you are getting cheap ingredients. I would much rather pay a little bit more for high quality ingredients that give my body the best possible nutrition than waste my money on cheap ingredients that do my body harm. (the same goes for your vitamins and everything else you put onto and in your body)

Stay Healthy my Friends!

XO,

Carrie A Groff
Healthy, Fit & Barefoot!

P.S. If you haven’t signed up for my 52 Healthy Habits course, what are you waiting for? It’s a free course where you will receive 1 email every Monday morning that has 1 healthy habit that you can add to your life to make 2017 your healthiest year yet! Sign up here and you will start receiving your emails the Monday following your confirmation email. You will also get free access to my 52 Healthy Habits Facebook group.