When I was younger, I used to get gently teased by my friends for always having snacks within arm’s reach. If anyone was hungry -they’d always say “Ask Michelle, she’s got snacks in her bag”, while it was a bit of a joke, there was some truth to it as well and honestly, not much has changed in adulthood.
I’m on the go, a lot, and yes, there is still always some sort of snack in my bag. I don’t like to get too hungry, it interferes with my concentration and causes my energy to dip. But I am also quite specific about the snacks that I do have in my bag because if I’m going to eat something I want it to be something that is going to sustain me and my energy levels as well. That’s the whole point of having the snack, right?
Because I’m often walking, driving or flying – snacks need to be two things: Portable and satiating. That’s why I was so excited when Nuzest re-launched their Clean Lean Protein bars. Thanks to the perfect blend of ingredients these little bars are exactly what I need to keep going until the next meal. The two main things that help to keep these little bars so filling are the protein and fibre.
Each protein bar contains up to 13g of plant protein from European golden peas and the balance of protein contains all 9 amino acids, making it a complete source of protein for those who prefer a plant-based diet. Ultimately, protein is one of the building blocks that make us who we are. It has all kinds of jobs from muscle repair to giving our tissues and organs shape. On the outside, protein is important for keeping us full and satisfied. That along with fibre means that we’re not going to have those dips in hunger and energy if we consume it regularly.
When it comes to fibre, these little bars have a whole 7g of dietary fibre! Ideally, we’re having 30+ grams of fibre per day and so as a snack, these bars are a great head start. Enjoying these alongside other fibre-filled foods such as whole grains, veggies and fruit will certainly give you a good chance at reaching recommended amounts. As well as keeping us fuller, fibre also helps with digestion, and we all know the importance of a healthy gut for overall health.
Another great thing about these little bars is that they contain 3 mg of iron which also gives us a good start on the recommended amounts per day. These bars are great if you are a vegetarian or vegan as they provide a good source of both protein and iron that we might be missing out on from animal products. It’s important that we’re also ensuring that we’re getting iron from other sources if we choose not to eat meat, but these bars can help us out.
There are a lot of protein bars on the market. Just go to your nearest supermarket and you’ll see walls of options with varying amounts of protein and carbohydrates. However, you may need a science degree to decipher the ingredients. While it’s not harmful per se to consume these bars occasionally- these ingredients will often taste like how the ingredients sound. They are quite ‘chemically’ for lack of a better term and don’t taste very wholesome in my personal opinion. The Nuzest Clean Lean Protein Bars, however, have ingredients I’d have in my cupboard at home. The bars, though different flavours, are mainly a variety of different nuts and seeds and dates.
So, as a woman on the go – it’s important to me that my snacks are convenient, portable, tasty and filling and these little Nuzest vegan protein bars tick all the boxes. I can just throw a couple in my bag and I know that when hunger begins to strike and I’m nowhere near home, I have something that will keep me going until the next meal.
