Between Workout Supplements that Actually Taste Good?

Clif Bars are an absolute lifesaver! I run a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym, and in between classes, I often will crave something that will give me a quick boost of energy, but also taste just like a chocolate chip cookie. Behold, the glory of the Cliff Bar: 10 grams of protein, 240 calories, and a whole bunch of deliciousness.

I was first exposed to Cliff Bars at a bike race in my home town of Richmond, VA about 15 years ago. Up until that point, I hadn't even heard of these things, and assumed they were some sort of fringe hippie or workout-fanatic food. But one of the company reps who was sponsoring the event left entire cases of Cliff Bars out for people to try. I was not shy in the least bit and took full advantage.

Much to my surprise, these things tasted just like cookies! They were delicious. I checked up on the nutritional information, and as far as pre-workout snacks go, they're not bad at all. If you're looking for something with insanely high protein, look elsewhere (Met Rx, maybe), but as far as something that tastes really good and has a good blend of protein and carbs, Cliff Bars are awesome.

Best of all, you can get them on Amazon via subscription, so they'll bring them to your home (or to your jiu jitsu gym, in my case!). They're an excellent value, and they are incredibly popular snacks for my staff here at the gym. I therefore heartily recommend Cliff Bars.

You can't eat Clif Bars every day as a replacement for meals, but you definitely can use them to supplement your hunger or energy levels in between workouts, and that's predominantly what I use them for. However, I've found that Clif Bars also make a great snack in between meals, not just between workouts. I'll frequently have a cup of coffee with my bar, and if I use just a stretch of imagination, I like to make believe I'm eating a sinfully delightful gourmet cookie or perhaps a gluten free muffin. However, these bars are considerably healthier, and, as such, I'm getting nutrients along with the calories (and a fair amount of protein).

A lot of my friends who work out (and, let's face it, that's all of my friends) prefer to mix their own protein drinks with powdered mix and some kind of shaker. If that's your thing, that's cool, because it's very economical (you'll save a few cents every drink), but for me, carrying around a shaker or mixer is simply impractical. I'm lazy, at my core.

I enjoy the pre-made drink mixes, and the ones from EAS are a really great value. Not only that, but they actually taste halfway decent. I can't really give a more ringing endorsement than "halfway decent", because we're talking about a drink that contains 42 grams of protein per drink (wow!). I was on a high protein diet a couple of years ago, making sure I got a minimum of one gram of protein per pound of body weight, so I had to get around 170+ grams of protein every single day. These drinks were a life saver.

The chocolate fudge flavor is among the best. I like to mix it up with variety, sometimes getting vanilla, and I think there's another lighter chocolate flavor as well. Whatever it is, don't get anything banana flavored, unless you'r one of those nasty people who like fake banana flavor in things other than Runts candy.