1. Kuddos Bars to Vega Protein Bars
Kuddos Bars were candy bars poorly disguised as snack bars with M&M’s, Snickers, and Dove Chocolate flavors. The beautiful thing about Kuddos Bars was, because they were “snack” bars, you could eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anytime between.
For a grown-up version of a Kuddos Bar, pick up a Vega Protein Bar. These bars have the same crispy bottom layer covered in delicious chocolate, nuts, and chocolate chunks. But with 10 grams of protein, you can get more hunger satisfaction while still fulfilling your chocolate craving.
2. Nutri Grain bars to GoMacro bars Protein Bars
Nutri Grain bars may still be a staple on-the-go breakfast for some. And who could blame them? They’re soft, fruity, mushy and delicious. But they also contain processed ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and soybean oil, among others. To still get that mushy, chewy texture and deliciousness with more wholesome ingredients (and more protein), try a GoMacro bar.
GoMacro Bars have 11 grams of protein, vegan and gluten-free ingredients, and come in a wide variety of flavors.
3. Rice Krispies Treats to Mezcla Plant Protein Bars
The sweet, crispy delight of a Rice Krispies Treat can now be found in a more refined, adult flavored version via Mezcla Plant Protein Bars. Eat Mezcla, based in Brooklyn, NY, has three bars in the ultra-amazing flavors of Japanese Matcha, Mexican Chipotle Hot Chocolate, and Peruvian Cocoa Peanut Butter. Umm, are you salivating yet? Because I am.
The bars are crunchy and sweet without that stick-to-your-teeth feel of Rice Krispies Treats.
I’m NOT a fan of spice (like, at all) but surprisingly the Mexican Chipotle Hot Chocolate bar was my favorite flavor. Sometimes protein bars can have a weird aftertaste, but not with Mezcla. The Mexican Chipotle Hot Chocolate has a delightful *zing!* aftertaste of chocolatey spice that makes each bite exciting. You can try 3 bars for free (just pay shipping costs).
Also, a bonus of buying a Mezcla bar: they feature local artists’ work on each package. When you buy a bar, you can use the QR code on the package and be taken directly to Mezcla’s art gallery featuring artists from all over the world.
4. Brownie Bites to ThunderBird Real Food Bars
When you crave a brownie, you crave the ooey-gooey texture that combining rich chocolate, sugar, and butter provides. As a kid, when brownies weren’t readily available, we compromised with a plastic pack of Hostess Brownie Bites. But did that really satisfy us? Or just leave us with a kind of sicky, stale taste in our mouths?
Maybe I’m biased because when I’m craving a gooey brownie on the go, instead of reaching for Brownie Bites I go for a health bar like a ThunderBird Real Food Bar. Paleo, vegan, and grain-free with no added sugar, these bars feel like an indulgence without the sickly sweet, refined-sugar aftertaste.
5. Quaker Oats Chewy Dipps Bars to LaraBar Protein Bars
So much of childhood eating was pretending food covered in chocolate was a healthy after-school snack rather than what it actually was: dessert. Nothing wrong with chocolate, but to upgrade your favorite Quaker Oates Chewy Dipps to a more wholesome, healthy snack, look no further than LaraBar Protein bars.
LaraBar Protein Bars aren’t covered in chocolate, but they come in delicious chocolatey flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter and Almond Butter Chocolate Brownie (my fave). Each bar has 11 grams of protein and very simple, wholefood ingredients like dates, almonds, pea protein powder, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
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