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Product Review: Fitbar

As an avid outdoors-person (personally and professionally), I am seldom at home making meals for myself. It is a constant struggle to ensure that I am fueling myself wisely to meet the energy level my activities demand.

One moment I could be running on a mountain; another; leading a team exploring caves. This unpredictability is all good except that my nourishing myself can get tricky. When I decided to attempt to summit the highest peak in Europe, Mt. Elbrus in Russia (5,642 masl), I knew that I need to be smart on my calorie intake. Russian meals are not exactly friendly to outdoor herbivores like me. I can make vegetarian meals for myself while on camp but my dilemma is my food for the trail.

Luckily, Ms. Diana Ong of Fitbar Philippines sent me enough samples to fuel me not only for the hike but also for the months of training leading to the actual expedition (Note: It is VERY important to "road-test" your food so you know exactly how your body will react to it). Fitbar satisfied my five requirements for trail food: budget-friendly (it retails at around Php20/piece) small, light-weight (around 25g per pack), nutritious (cholesterol-free, trans-fat free and is a good source of fiber) and tasty (they come in two varieties: Nuts and Fruits). In a cold environment, biting into a hard granola bar can be, uh, tough (pun not intended) so I appreciate that Fitbar is soft and chewy --- it made quick-munching easy. For my Mt. Elbrus expedition, I was hiking about six hours a day. It even went as high as 11 hours on the summit day. The days were physically and mentally tough, to say the least, and demanded full attention to keep myself and my team safe. Good thing I didn't have to think on what to eat while on the slopes. I'll just open the zip of may backpack, take bite into a Fitbar, chase it down with hot tea and I am good to go.

I'm not really into calorie-counting as my sport is pretty demanding but for those who are watching what goes into their tummies (which eventually shows at their hips), you'll be happy to know that Fitbar is only 110 calories per bar so you can definitely snack with no worries. However, if you are allergic to peanuts, be advised that Fitbar lists peanut butter as one of its ingredients. I would also advise not to use it as a meal replacement especially if you are into endurance sports (it's a snack bar, come on now). Use it as an energy boost whenever you need one. I now always have one in my bag wherever I go.

Bar type: snack
Calories: 110
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 3g
Sugar: 4g
TRIPinas Rating
Cost: 5/5
Weight: 5/5
Nutritional value: 5/5
Taste: 5/5

Where to buy: leading supermarkets


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