I get asked all the time about protein and snack bars. There are a lot out there that can actually cause more harm than good because they are loaded with fat, calories and sugar. If you are having a bar as a snack or one of your six mini-meals a day…you should keep it around 200 calories or less. Two of my favorites are Think Thin bars and Larabars that I get at Whole Foods. The Think Thin bars are great because they have 0g of sugar and you get 15-20g protein. On average they have about 230 calories, which isn’t too bad…but you can always eat half and save half for later. My favorite thing about Larabars is that they usually only have 2-3 ingredients and are made of just fruit and nuts. Simple is always better and you don’t want to be stuffing your body full of chemicals and crap or it will start to show on the outside. I buy the mini bars that have 100 calories each.

I get asked all the time about pre-made/prepped foods here in Houston. Everywhere you go there are stores and shops where you can pick up pre-packaged meals and snacks that are supposed to be “Fit” and made for people that want to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. For the most part, I think that most offer the right amount of calories and fat, with the exception of a few that are portioned for male bodybuilders (haha)!  So, your decision mainly lies with taste and price. Just watch sodium levels, because many that seem to taste better are loaded with salt.

I decided to try the new Snap Kitchen yesterday on Kirby to see what they offer. They have a cute store with a place to sit and eat inside as well as a salad bar, where someone will make you a custom salad. I bought a few things to try including their Spicy Sambal Tofu w/ veggies, Curry Dusted Cauliflower Steak w/lentils and the Spinach and Goat Cheese Scramble w/ sweet potatoes. I actually liked all of the dishes, except the tofu was a little too spicy for me. Some of their items are a little high in calories and fat (like the 290 calorie, 11g fat breakfast I had this AM), but that’s because they are pretty dense and filling. I ended up only eating 1/2 of the breakfast, so only had 1/2 the calories and fat. Overall, I think they have great variety (gluten free + vegetarian!) and would recommend this place for a quick meal on the go!