I hope all of you had a great long weekend… and for those of you who didn’t get the day off.. I hope you still had a good weekend! 

I mentioned that I tried Gu Chomps for the first time, on my last run . I REALLY liked them. I’m still trying to decide if I like them better the Clif Shot Bloks … and I actually think I do.

For one, I think they are a little bigger in size. Maybe it’s my imagination? I tried the watermelon flavor – with no caffeine. Remember? I don’t do well with caffeine!. I really liked the watermelon, it was a bit tangy and I found it refreshed my mouth more than the lemon-lime Clif Bloks. They are definitely “GU-ier” and desolve better aswell. Two big chomps (no pun intended), a swig of water later and they are down. Maybe next time I’ll try the blueberry pomegranate flavor… that sounds pretty good, don’t you think?

In regards to price comparison between the two I think the Clif Bloks take the lead (not by much though). I checked online and for a box with 18 packs it costs $35.75 and for a box of 16 packs of the Gu Chomps it’s $35.20 (both have 60g/pack), so more bang for your buck with the Clif Bloks. If you read the small print you’ll see that GU Chomps (for 30g) have:
90 calories
50mg of sodium
11g of sugars
100 % vitamin C and 100% vitamin E and is gluten free.

The Clif Bloks are pretty comparable other than they do not have any vitamins and are made with 95% organic ingredients.

Personally because it’s not much of a difference, I would go by what works best for me and flavor… or my mood.

Have you ever tried Sport Beans? I have always wanted to try them but haven’t yet… and to be honest, I probably won’t before race day.

. . .

Time for some FOODSPIRE!

I don’t remember the last time I bought a box of granola bars. It has become a weekly thing in our house to make homemade granola bars and I love it! These bars are definitely my favorite!! My cousin shared this recipe with me but I adapted it a bit and substituted ingredients to my liking. So don’t be afraid to experiment with your favorite ingredients to find a taste that you love.

Better than Boxed Granola Bars

~ 2 cups rolled oats
~ 1/4 cup raw brown sugar (or 3/4 regular brown sugar)
~ 1/2 cup wheat germ
~ 1/2 cup flax seed (optional)
~ 3/4 tspn. ground cinnamon
~ 1 cup almond flour (or all-purpose flour)
~ 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or more!)
~ 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
~ 3/4 tspn. salt
~ 1/2 cup honey
~ 1 egg, beaten
~ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
~ 2 tspn. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.

Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla.

Mix well. Don’t get discouraged if it seems dry. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. If the bars cool completely before cutting, they may be too hard to cut.

ENJOY!!

PS: I have used regular flour to make these bars but I now only use almond flour. I like the texture it gives the bar and don’t find them to be as hard. I have also substituted the oil for apple sauce, although I don’t reccommend it. Go big or go home! GMan did not enjoy them as much. The apple flavor was a bit overpowering and the texture wasn’t the greatest.