Roasted Nut Crunch Bars From Nature Valley

Starting around 6:00 am, my family, like most families these days, is pretty much in constant motion. Someone’s coming, going, returning and/or getting ready to take off again right up until suppertime. Since we work from home, my youngest daughter (Stephany) and I don’t get in on the foot racing quite as much as the others - but we do have our daily errands and Starbucks trips we have to make.

At any rate, I want everyone to eat healthily. Active lifestyles take a lot of protein and energy. But my crew isn’t always available for a sit down breakfast, lunch AND supper. They’re all here at supper, of course, but breakfast and lunch are usually only Sunday events - IF everyone isn’t too tired to get out of bed in time!

When my husband and daughters head off to work/school - or when they make a pit stop home - I keep a huge basket of snack bars on the kitchen table for them to select from. They’re convenient and non-messy to grab and take along. There’s nothing to drip on your clothes and nothing to come off onto your hands or steering wheel. Having them conveniently located in the kitchen is perfect because not only is it the heart of the home, it’s also where the door is that everyone uses for their entrances and exits. The bars are perfect to grab on the way out or on the way in. They’re also there when Steph and I want a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

I never even noticed it before, but our favorites have all been Nature Valley Bars - The Peanut Butter and Oats ‘n Honey Granola Bars ar faves in the morning. For extra protein, we’ve always smoothed a little peanut butter on top of the bars. One of my daughters is vegetarian, so I look for extra ways to hit her with protein every chance I get. Health bars are PERFECT for her.

My favorite bars (even though I honestly love them all) have always been the Yogurt Nature Valley Bars - particularly the Lemon and Vanilla ones. I swear, they’re like dessert they’re so delicious.

They have a run for their money now, though. Nature Valley has come out with some amazingly yummy new bars. Nuts are the name of the game with these bars, and not just any nuts, mind you: Roasted Nuts! I can’t even begin to tell you how delicious they are…and so crunchy! If you’re as big a nut lover as I am, you’re going to absolutely love these bars. They’re available in two varieties: Peanut and Almond and I can’t get enough of either one. My daughter, Emily, grabbed two on her way out this morning - one of each. On her way to her car, I saw her peeling one open after putting the other one in her purse (to be whipped out between classes - somewhere between Spanish and Biology, I’m sure…college kids need all the energy they can get).

The number one ingredient (as in the only thing you taste) in Roasted Nut Crunch Bars from Nature Valley is roasted nuts, followed by five other natural ingredients. In addition to the peanuts and almonds, each bar is packed with sunflower seeds. When I first crunched my way happily through one of these bars, my first thought (okay, after “Oh, Man!”) was how they were what Peanut Brittle would be if it took a turn for the healthy. They aren’t like candy, don’t get me wrong - they’re naturally delicious and healthy - but they do it in such a delicious way!

My daughter Brittany (the vegetarian!) doesn’t just have a sweet tooth - she has a whole head full of them! But these bars appeal to her in a really big way. Which makes me happy because they have 7 grams of protein.

I’m thrilled to be able to give my family yet another healthy snack, and I know your’s will love them, too. Not only are they a great source of protein, have you been reading about the health benefits of nuts. They’re beginning to get as much attention as Green Tea!

Don’t tell the experts at Nature Valley what I’m about to say - after all, they work so hard on making healthy snacks to help us all watch our weight and achieve better health….but I got an idea last night as I ate an Almond Crunch Bar. I envisioned myself melting chocolate and dipping the bars, then letting them harden on waxed paper - just like I do pretzels, strawberries, etc. Shhhh, don’t rat me out.

Be sure to check your store shelves and load up on these Nut-licious bars. Like I said earlier, I never even realized that I always bought the same brand. I’d always just grabbed whatever looked good, and then kept buying it if it tasted great. But when I saw that Nature Valley had come out with a new outrageously nutty health bar, I went to my basket thinking, “I think some of the bars I buy all the time are by Nature Valley…” - come to find out, they’re ALL Nature Valley!

Thumbs up all the way for these bars - they’re Nature Valley’s best yet. EVEN better than the Yogurt bars I’m so addicted to. What can I say, it’s a nut thang…and I’m squirrel-mad about nuts. Give them a try, you’ll be a crunching, smiling, squirrel-mad, nut about nuts addict, too! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a Roasted nut bar….