Fiber: Get the amount you need every day

Brett Blumenthal - Sheer Balance

Don't let the name fool you. This isn't a food from the Great Space Coaster! Founded in 2004, Gnu Foods is a small company that believes in maintaining an all natural philosophy, making foods that are targeted at addressing specific nutritional needs and health conditions.

As you probably already know, I'm a huge fiber fanatic. I've made my case before about how important it is to a healthy diet, and to a healthy lifestyle. With the average American consuming only 5 of the recommended 25 - 35 grams a day, however, it is obvious that getting enough fiber in your diet is relatively challenging.

Gnu Bar - Flavor and Fiber makes this challenge virtually nonexistent. Flavor & Fiber, Gnu Foods' first product, is a nutrition bar; and after having tried them recently, I'm addicted. On a scale of 5, they get a 5. Here's why:

  1. Nutrition Quality: At a mere 130 - 140 calories a bar (depending on the flavor), these flavorful snacks pack a whopping 12 grams of fiber (including both soluble and insoluble) into your day. That is practically 50% of the recommended daily intake, within approximately 5 - 10% of your caloric intake. Compared to other products on the market, Gnu Foods is a much higher quality product.

  2. Taste: Gnu Bars currently come in 5 tasty flavors: Banana Walnut, Cinnamon Raisin, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Brownie and Orange Cranberry - satisfying almost any taste buds out there. Personally, I'm a big fan of the Orange Cranberry and Chocolate Brownie. If you are an Oatmeal Raisin cookie fan, however, you will find the Cinnamon Raisin Bar a delicious healthier version.

  3. Texture: Soft. moist and chewy, these bars are far from their high fiber cardboard counterparts.

  4. Quality of Ingredients: Quality does not get much better than these bars. Any and all sweetness comes from fruit juice and the flour is pure organic whole wheat flour. Further, Gnu Bars don't contain any of the following: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Refined Sugars (except chips in Chocolate Brownie), Cholesterol, Trans Fat, Soy, Hydrogenated Oils, Preservatives, Artificial Flavors or Colorings, Yeast, Dairy or Whey, Sugar Alcohols, Maltodextrin or Methylcellulose. These bars are pure, natural goodness.

  5. Price: I'm not going to lie. These puppies aren't cheap. That said, if you buy them in bulk (16 per pack), they come in at a reasonable $1.50 - $1.75 a bar. Click here to buy!

These bars can be a great daily snack to help ensure you are getting your prescribed dosage of fiber. Have you tried them? What were your thoughts?

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