- When we shop for nutrition supplements, what are we looking for exactly?
- Are we looking for products made with minimal ingredients, or without soy or dairy? Do we have gluten intolerance? Do we want to stay away from GMOs?
For those who are unfamiliar with GMOs, they are genetically modified organisms, which have been changed in a laboratory in a way that has created something that does not occur naturally.
According to The Non-GMO Project, this process can make "unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods." It is science, but more plainly, many people believe it is unnatural.
I don't know about you, but it makes me feel good as an athlete and consumer when I can find products that meet my needs in several, specific areas. First would be the composition of the product, meaning the ingredients used to make it. In energy bars, for example, I like a decent-sized product made with whole ingredients. I also look to see if there are many names I cannot pronounce in that list of ingredients on the back panel on packaging. Chemicals and sugar substitutes that are not easy to recognize or say make me a little uncomfortable.
As someone who has a relatively sensitive stomach and who must take care when choosing pre and post workout supplements, this information is paramount.
Supplements made from a handful of healthy ingredients help me know that the fuel is clean, will benefit my body, and won’t cause unwanted stomach issues after a race.
Recently, we have brought a fresh brand into our mix of supplements called RXBAR. I first saw this brand on Instagram with its sleek packaging and cool phots of athletes who currently use this bar as part of nutritional regimen.
I always read the ingredients. On the RXBAR packaging the ingredients are listed for you, big and easy to read. But, I was skeptical, so I flipped the package over to look at the nutrition facts on the back. Sure enough, this bar contains only the ingredients listed on the front panel. The makeup of calories, carbohydrates, sugar, fat, and protein are very well-balanced for a bar this size.
Next comes the second-most important aspect of choosing a supplement and that is taste. If a product is healthy but tastes terrible, I won’t be eating it again and I won’t recommend it to anyone else. In addition to taste I consider texture and whether it is visually appealing. I would describe the RX Bar as compact, and even a little gooey in nature. This comes in part from its use of figs and dates as a major component of each of their bars. In my opinion, the best flavors so far have been the Peanut Butter, Coconut Chocolate , and the Coffee Chocolate bar. The bars are chewy, not crunchy, and provide a natural sweetness from the dates and figs.
There are often nuts included in the ingredients as well as egg whites in several varieties. So, you get your protein-packed supplement in a pretty package and from minimal ingredients that are advertised on the bar's package. What’s not to love? RXBARS are my choice for a pre-workout or pre-run snack to provide easy to digest carbohydrates that I can utilize. RXBars can also be used immediately following a long workout or run. They can work to replenish lost energy with a more natural supplement containing at least 10 to 12 grams of protein in each bar.
The brand also boasts no gluten, no GMOs, no soy, no dairy and no B.S. This last one is probably my favorite as it describes the product so perfectly.
Try RXBARS and see what you think!
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