Are There Any gluten-free Protein/energy Bars?

[CeliacMother]

Help! My teenage son has celiac disease and is very involved in athletics. He's just beginning track season which means lots of running. All of his teammates carry hi-protein energy bars to keep them going through practice after the long school day. I noticed last year that they also carried them in their bags to the track meets. My son needs something to help him sustain his energy too! Any suggestions? Fruit gets bruised,etc. and can be messy to eat on the run. The bars we've tried from the local health food store that are labeled gluten free are just awful tasting! I read the labels on Zone Perfect, Carb Wise, and Protein Plus bars and don't see any gluten. It seems almost too good to be true. Does anyone know if these are indeed safe? Thanks for any info. you can offer!

[StrongerToday]

I don't know about these brands. I eat Lara bars which state they are gluten and dairy free.

[2Boys4Me]

Sun-rype Energy to Go fruit bars are gluten-free.

[Mango04]

Alpsnack bars, Organic Food Bars, Larabars and Clif Nectar bars are all pretty good.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

I eat Lara Bars and Envirokidz Cereal Bars...

[Guest schmenge]

I've always liked the Caramel Blast Balance Bar. Now, to be clear, the manufacturer DOES NOT CLAIM THIS PRODUCT TO BE GLUTEN-FREE. There is no gluten in the ingredients, however it is manufactured on the same equipment which DOES have wheat products and so the risk of cross-contamination. In my experience I have not had an issue, but the possibility exists.

[rmmadden]

Lara Bars and Bumble Bars are both gluten-free and say so right on the package. They even taste good!

Lara Bars have 5g of Protein;3g of Fiber and, a total of 230 Cal.

Bumble Bars have 6g of Protein; 4g of Fiber and, a total of 230 Cal.

Cleveland Bob

[Guest nini]

I absolutely LOVE Larabars, but they are a bit pricey, so I tend to stick with Enjoy Life Foods snack bars, they don't have as much protein in them as the Larabars, but they are yummy...

Think Organic also makes some energy bars that are gluten free, I haven't tried them so I can't vouch if they are any good or not.

Another snack bar is the ones made by Glutino, these remind me of Fig Newtons...

It may take trying several different kinds before finding which ones he likes, and some flavors may be better than others, but once he does find some, stock up! They are very handy.

I do massage therapy in a chiropractors office and I need to keep my energy up, these bars are a quick boost of energy and protein to keep me going.

[Maureen]

We get the Organic brand and my 14 yo daughter likes them. She takes them for lunch everyday. They have different flavors so if he doesn't like one you can try another one. We get the vegan one.

[Becky6]

I love the bumble bars!

[CeliacMother]

We get the Organic brand and my 14 yo daughter likes them. She takes them for lunch everyday. They have different flavors so if he doesn't like one you can try another one. We get the vegan one.

Maureen - Thanks for your reply. My son also is 14, and he's a freshman in high school. He was just diagnosed a year ago, and this past year has been pretty tough. It's unbelieveable how many social activities revolve around pizza, cookies, cakes, etc.!! Or his "group" going to the movies and then walking to Steak 'N Shake or MacDonald's. I just wondered how long ago your daughter was diagnosed and how she's adapted. My son is very careful because he hates getting sick, but it's not always easy. School lunches are a pain also, but he's in a private school and the "chef" is aware of his situation and really makes an effort to offer gluten-free items every day. This is a huge help. It would be interesting to know how other kids his age are dealing with celiac disease....... if you don't mind sharing.

Thanks!

Pam

[francelajoie]

Most of the ProMax bars are gluten-free. I think the only one that isn't is the oreo one. We have a store here on the east coast (Trader Joe's) that have a gluten free shopping list and the Promax bars are listed on it. They are pretty big and I use them as lunches all the time. I do recommend a bottle of water to accompany it. They are very dense.

[Nantzie]

I'll second the Alpsnack bars. I used to love Kashi bars (gluten filled), all whole grains and nuts all stuck together with sweet, yummy goodness. So I was thrilled to find the Alpsnack bars. They're very small, but they're also filling, so they're perfect. I'll usually have an Alpsnack bar and a piece of fruit for breakfast, and I'm good til lunch.

There are several teenagers on this board. One of our most helpful and knowledgable members is celiac3270, who is 14 as well. (For the first month or so I was on here, I totally thought he was like 30.) Maybe your son would like to post in the Teens section and get to know some people his age who also have to deal with the social/eating aspect of teen life.. Sometimes it's just nice to talk to people who have the same experiences.

Nancy

[LqrMan]

I have tried a few different protein type bars but the one that I always come back to is the Honeybar Organic Trail Mix bar. They are 200 calories, have 13g of fat (mostly good fats), 1.5g of Sat. fat, 17g of carbs, 2g of fiber, 12g of sugar, 7 grams of protein (why I like them), and they taste good too!