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Replace your energy bar with a Cookie!


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Home Forums General Forums Food, Hydration, and Nutrition Replace your energy bar with a Cookie!

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  • #1306507
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    http://www.sunflourbaking.com/nutrition.html

    I have taken two trips with these cookies: JMT in 2011 for 15 days and recently, 130 miles on the PCT.

    I have one of these for lunch and one for dessert or my 2 am night time snack to keep me warm through the night.

    They are insanely calorie dense at 150-160 per ounce. (Typically 3-4 oz cookies)

    That can work out to 450 calories for a 3 ounce cookie or 600 calories for a 4 ounce cookie.

    Compare that to a 230-240 Power Bar at 2.1-2.3 ounces.

    (I eat Power Bars on the trail because they require "less" chewing. They disolve in my mouth, which makes them easy calories on the go while on the trail.)

    These cookies happen to be Vegan and some are Gluten Free, which is not a big deal to me as I love meat.

    They come in a variety of types/flavors.

    The only complaint is that they are a little dry, but they also have a shelf life of 2-3 months and eating one with some water is fine.

    I paid $1.99 to $2.29 each and are cheaper in bulk.

    If you are sick of just eating bar after bar, these might be a nice alternative for you.

    Anyway, thought I would let people know about this alternative to bars.

    I have had enough Cliff Bars that I won't eat anymore of them.

    -Tony

    #2015033
    Daniel Pittman
    Spectator

    @pitsy

    Locale: Central Texas

    Still not as good as Lembas.

    #2015063
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    "They are insanely calorie dense at 150-160 per ounce. (Typically 3-4 oz cookies)"

    Not if you add up the calories ingredient by ingredient, unfortunately. The first cookie come out to about 130 calories/oz. The rest were also off by ~30 calories/bar/oz. It is always wise to add up the calories ingredient by ingredient, as inaccuracies are rife throughout the entire food industry. It is an area crying out for regulation by the Feds. Good luck with that!

    #2015082
    Jim Colten
    BPL Member

    @jcolten

    Locale: MN

    They are insanely calorie dense at 150-160 per ounce

    That would put them right up there with Girl Scout cookies! (all except Tagalongs (sp?))

    #2015090
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Tom,

    Thanks for pointing out their error or deception in adding up their calorie count.

    That said, I do find that they work for me as an alternative to just eating bars.

    -Tony

    #2015105
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Ooh, I like! The gluten0free and vegan ones, there are some it looks like my youngest son could eat (nut/pb free as well). The bean flours add a lot of fiber as well.

    I'd rather eat these kinds of things than Girl Scout Cookies…gag. Those things are nasty!!!!!

    #2015109
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    Sarah, I will always pick your Cran-Mac recipe.

    –B.G.–

    #2015120
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW
    #2015147
    Will Webster
    Member

    @willweb

    I think I'll stick with BG's Logan Bread recipe – or as we call it, Gross Bars.

    #2015153
    Jim Colten
    BPL Member

    @jcolten

    Locale: MN

    These two creations are usually well received:
    monster cookies: http://www.cooks.com/recipe/d51lm4qp/monster-cookies.html
    Hudsons Bay Bread: http://www.holry.org/essays/baybread.html

    and I'll be trying this granola recipe soon:
    http://www.deliciousasitlooks.com/2012/10/recipe-for-french-vanilla-almond-granola.html

    as well as Sarah's cran-macs

    #2015190
    CW
    BPL Member

    @simplespirit

    Locale: .

    Way too much processed crap in there for me. I've pretty much quit all store-bought bars except the Lara variety that have minimal ingredients (usually dates, nuts, and maybe some other fruit).

    #2015248
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Chris, the ingredients are not overly processed as it goes for "processed foods". If anything, they are different flours and gums – which one would use at home if they made it.

    Be wary of Larabars. They are not the small company they used to be. It is why the bars don't taste as good anymore. They are owned by General Mills.

    If you want to be scared…look at this flow chart:
    https://www.msu.edu/~howardp/OrganicMay2013zoom.png

    #2015250
    CW
    BPL Member

    @simplespirit

    Locale: .

    All of those grain flours are no bueno. We don't use any of that stuff at home personally. If we use "flour" it's coconut or almond.

    I'm not really worried so much about who makes the Lara bars, as long as the ingredients are real foods, minimally processed, and limited in number. I'd prefer to make them myself, but that's time I can't spend doing other things I love. :-)

    FWIW – I did notice a new type of Lara bar recently (while visiting family near Atlanta) that is full of crap I have no interest in. Interestingly, our local stores don't carry them. I do live in a "foodtopia" though with a lot of hippies.

    Looking at the vegan cookies:

    unbleached enriched wheat flour (enzyme added for improved baking, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin), organic evaporated cane juice, fruit juice, natural grain dextrins (brown rice syrup [not barley derived], grape juice concentrate), expeller pressed canola oil, xanthan and guar gums, potato starch, tapioca flour, leavening (calcium carbonate, calcium lactate [not dairy derived], citric acid), carbohydrate gum, pure vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, soy lecithin, natural chocolate and vanilla flavors

    So we have grain flour, then processed sugar, then fruit juice (ok), then more processed sugar, then corn oil…. beyond that is mostly ok until you get to the "natural" flavors which are anything but and usually quite scary in chemical makeup.

    #2015252
    Jerry Adams
    BPL Member

    @retiredjerry

    Locale: Oregon and Washington

    I usually make these. Slightly modified version of oatmeal cookies from "King Arthur Whole Grain Baking"

    3 ounces butter
    10 ounces peanut butter
    1 1/4 cup (9 3/8 ounces) dark brown sugar
    3 Tbs (2 ounces) dark corn syrup or molasses
    3/4 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp salt
    2 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp ginger
    1/4 tsp nutmeg
    1 Tbs cider vinegar
    1 Tbs Vanilla
    1 egg
    1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) whole wheat flour
    1 1/3 cup (4 5/8 ounces) old fashioned rolled oats
    4 ounces chopped nuts (peanut, pecan, or walnut, or…)
    6 ounces raisins (or other dried fruit – dates, figs, cranberries,… chopped into raisin sized pieces)
    6 ounces chocolate chips (I prefer the 60% Cacao chips because other chips consist of mostly sugar)

    I make it into 48 cookies. Bake at 350 F for 14 minutes. I put the chocolate chips on top of each cookies and let them melt onto it as it bakes.

    Per cookie:
    1.1 oz
    181.5 cals
    9.8 g fat
    17.0 g carb
    6.4 g protein

    #2015316
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Chris…I was a nut and fruit person until we found out our youngest son is anaphylaxis to all nuts. Yeah, not fun.

    That means we had to eradicate ALL nut flours out of our diets overnight (I can say that 2 ER visits in one month gets pricey – first for peanuts, second for cashews). He is also allergic to gluten, eggs and dairy.

    So fore me…..I had a 180 rotation on how I packed for hikes and how we eat at home. We use a lot of brown rice flour, sweet sorghum flour, tapioca flour – and keep it vegan to avoid eggs.

    All it takes is one time of watching your child at 16 months react so violently, to realize that nuts are not exactly friendly to everyone.

    I am pretty well known for how we eat – it is as unprocessed as can be – but no, I don't see all grains as evil. I never have. Everything in moderation. Sure, almond flour bakes great with eggs….but not until another say 17 years has gone by will I be enjoying that again……

    #2015317
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    you SHOULD worry about General Mills owning so many companies. Want to talk about GMO crap? They are behind blocking consumers knowing.

    #2015341
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    "That said, I do find that they work for me as an alternative to just eating bars."

    I don't doubt that for a minute, Tony. My only purpose in posting was to alert you, and potentially others, to the misinformation. Choice of food is always a strictly personal decision that I would never seek to influence. The good news is that the cookies' high carb count means you will have a robust flame in which to roast your fats. ;0)

    #2015347
    Jim Colten
    BPL Member

    @jcolten

    Locale: MN

    Another great looking cookie recipe! Thanks Jerry.

    Hard to have too many of these, I find variety an important element of backcountry eating satisfaction.

    Make a batch of something, vacuum seal them in packages of 3-4, store in the freezer. For the next outing, grab some of each kind and you are ready to go!

    #2015442
    CW
    BPL Member

    @simplespirit

    Locale: .

    Hmm…was he allergy tested for all nuts? The reason I ask is technically neither peanuts or cashews are nuts. Both of those are legumes and a common allergy. I don't think (haven't researched it heavily) true nut allergies are quite as common and can be misdiagnosed due to cross contamination. I'm ok with some raw grain-type foods (ex. steel cut or rolled oats and quinoa). Unfortunately, most of the preground or processed stuff sold in the store isn't what it says it is.

    I'm starting to really wish I lived a few generations ago before all this crap existed. When gas was cheap and food was real.

    #2015459
    Jerry Adams
    BPL Member

    @retiredjerry

    Locale: Oregon and Washington

    "I'm starting to really wish I lived a few generations ago before all this crap existed. When gas was cheap and food was real."

    Before the internets and sites like this existed

    When we spent all our time farming in order to barely survive the coming winter.

    When half of us would have died while we were children : )

    #2015465
    CW
    BPL Member

    @simplespirit

    Locale: .

    "Before the internets and sites like this existed

    When we spent all our time farming in order to barely survive the coming winter.

    When half of us would have died while we were children : )"

    Well, my family members of the time lived in to their 80s, but maybe I just have good genes. :-)

    #2015488
    Sarah Kirkconnell
    BPL Member

    @sarbar

    Locale: Homesteading On An Island In The PNW

    Um yes. He has had extensive testing with an allergist doctor. He has life-threatening allergies. Considering I have had to use an Epi-Pen on him already once, it is real for us.
    Cashew allergies are actually more common than peanut ones.
    It has nothing to do with cross contamination – his numbers are extremely high.

    I trust Bob's Red Mill for their products. They are a good company, and hey, I have met Bob himself.

    This "crap" always existed. People just died back then. Food wasn't anymore real, unless you were growing your own – if anything canning and freezing methods of preservation has made food safer.

    #2015548
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Tom,

    No worries at all….always glad to get your advice or simply pointing out the "deceptive" calorie count on their packaging.

    I should say that at lunch time I also eat two slices of salami and take a shot of olive oil. (Yeah, it is kinda disgusting, but I have a very poor sense of smell and taste and can eat stuff that might make others sick).

    After my JMT trip in 2011, I just could not bear the thought of chewing on a rock hard Cliff bar every again.

    The Power Bars are disgusting in their own way….I call it baby poo taffy, but on the upside, not much chewing needed and I can eat them on the go without stopping on the trail.

    -Tony

    #2015566
    USA Duane Hall
    BPL Member

    @hikerduane

    Locale: Extreme northern Sierra Nevada

    My now retired neighbor used to stay out for weeks he said back in the 70's. 80's, eating pasta and olive oil. No re-supply for weeks. He is a little short, but a big guy.
    Duane

    #2015576
    Kathleen B
    Member

    @rosierabbit

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    When I make Sarah's cran bars, which is pretty much constantly, I always double the craisins and walnuts, and I usually use homemade granola without the sweetening for the cereal, because the recipe itself has plenty of sweetening. Sometimes I use corn flakes. One of those bars is my breakfast on the trail. We get up, pack up, and head out munching on the bars. They power me for hours. I love those things.

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