Review: MacroBars
If you've been hanging around this site for a while, you know that I'm a big fan of MacroBars for both on-the-go mini-meals and GP-friendly travel.
Here's why:
They're GP-friendly. Not all varieties, but several of them (see below). Most have 8-10 grams of fat and 1-3 grams of fiber. Perfectly suitable for a mini meal.
They taste good.
They're made of high-quality ingredients. They're vegan and gluten-free, making them suitable for those with multiple dietary needs.
They're nutrient-dense and well-balanced, with good healthy fats from nut and seed butters (Omega-3s!).
They're generally well-tolerated. Like everything else, just because it's GP-friendly doesn't mean it'll work for everyone.
Of the many available flavors, there are four in particular that I eat and recommend for those with GP.
Chocolate + Sunflower Seed Butter
One of my favorites is the Protein Purity. It's nut-free, something I appreciate because I have quite a bit of nut butter in my diet already. The 8 grams of fat comes from sunflower seed butter, which is rich in Vitamin E. You also get 20% of your RDA of food-based iron in this bar. This bar is the only one that contains all brown rice protein instead of a mixture of brown rice and pea protein. Some may tolerate it better for that reason.
Peanut Butter + Chocolate Chips
I'm also a big fan of the Protein Pleasure and Protein Replenishment flavors. These both have about 15 grams of protein and 250-300 calories making them a suitable mini-meal replacement. There are peanut halves in these, but I just choose to just chew them really well. They’d be easy to pick out if you’re more comfortable with that.
Almond Butter + Carob
The Wholehearted Heaven is GP-friendly as-is but only offers 4 grams of protein, not nearly enough to consider it a meal replacement. Add a protein-rich shake, however, and you're in business. The texture of this bar is a bit mushier than the others, but I like it.
I've also tried the Cashew Butter and the Cashew Caramel. Cashew Butter is too low in protein for my needs, though pretty tasty if you like cashews! I wasn't a huge fan of the Cashew Caramel, and it is pretty high in fat at 14 grams; don't think I'd considered it GP-friendly. I have not tried any of the flavors with dried fruit, seeds, or coconut, as those aren’t technically GP-friendly.