Tuesday Healthy Eats and Treats

I've decided to start a series.  As a health conscious runner who has a busy life, I am constantly on the lookout for yummy, healthy snacks to grab and throw in my lunch box each morning before work.  Packing a healthy, filling lunch is important to me because I'd rather eat something that keeps my energy up and gives my body what it needs to do this whole running thing, than anything in the vending machine.  But I need a little convenience too.  I'm busy.  And who isn't?

I also think food products attempt to disguise the bad stuff they contain, which is why reading labels is important.  Now, I do not know what every ingredient is, but I do know some of the bad ones and I try to avoid as many of those as I can.

This series is going to address all of those things.  Each Tuesday (for it starts with a T - just like "treats"), I am going to address one healthy eat or treat that I believe is good for us and convenient.  I'm going to read labels, consider cost and location, taste test and tell you what I think.

And if you have something you think I should try, send it to me at Jane.Reneau@gmail.com.  If you notice I've included a treat that is NOT as healthy as I think, you should definitely comment and give me and the other readers the scoop!

So, let's get started!  My first healthy eat and treat is an all time favorite that I discovered at a race expo.  It is the Cascadian Farms granola bar.  I eat one of these almost every day.  This brand is organic and they make cereal, granola bars, jellies, frozen dinners, and juices.  But my most favorite is the granola bar.  My flavors of choice are the chocolate chip, peanut butter chip, and white chocolate chip (although I bet all the others are pretty great as well).

The chocolate chip has 140 calories.  That may sound like a lot, but take into consideration that it satisfies that craving for something sweet, has nothing harmful to you in it (unless you have certain allergies), and keeps you full for a while due to the rolled oats.  Most candy bars contain double the amount of calories as one of these.

I have found them at Kroger, Publix, Earth Fare, and Wal-mart, although that is not an exhaustive list.  They are usually a little over $3.00, but you can usually find coupons for them and Kroger sometimes has sale going.

So grab a box the next time you are grocery shopping and I bet you won't regret it!  And tune in on Tuesdays for the next healthy treat!