Food fight: PB&J Sandwich vs. Bonk Breaker PB&J Bar
There's more than one way to skin a cat. Who came up with that? Mark Twain used the expression...Anyway, let's talk food, specifically a favorite pre and post-workout snack, the peanut butter & jelly sandwich. Just Google "peanut butter jelly sandwich athlete" and a slew of sites appear recommending the sandwich as a worthy source of calories, protein and carbs. (Our recommendation would be to substitute almond butter for the peanut butter. It's healthier. Read why here.)
But for those who may be taking to the road or packing their gear for a long ride or workout, the sandwich may not travel well. Hence another way to skin the cat! The energy/protein bar, specifically the PB&J flavor bar from Bonk Breaker.
Why did we choose Bonk Breaker? The taste and high quality ingredients. Bonk Breaker Bars are gluten, soy and dairy free, and it is one of the first (any maybe only) brand of bars that we like beyond the chocolate & peanut butter flavors. The apple pie really does taste like pie and the blueberry oat is scrumptious. We still cannot believe that we are fans of a blueberry bar!
But how does the bar stack up against the real thing? FOOD FIGHT!
| PB&J | Bonk Breaker | |
|
Calories |
340 | 250 |
| Weight | 115g | 62g |
| Total Fat | 11g | 9g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.5g | .5g |
| Sodium | 500mg | 170mg |
| Potassium | 0 | 175mg |
| Carbs | 55g | 35g |
| Fiber | 7g | 2g |
| Sugar | 20g | 16g |
| Protein | 12g | 8g |
*Notes
- PB&J made using 1T peanut butter and 1T jelly -- which is quite a lot!
- 2 pieces of whole wheat bread 90 calories each slice
- Bonk Breaker also makes a High Protein version of the PB&J bar. It has 15g of protein. We haven't sampled this bar...yet!
- Bonk Breaker Ingredients: rice nectar, crunchy peanut butter, organic gluten free oats, brown rice flour, blackberry jam, rice crisps, non-gmo rice protein, flaxseed meal, sea salt
Given the above comparison, it's a pretty even fight. And we really like that the Bonks only have 16 grams of sugar. For an energy bar, that is impressive. Most bars come in at 20+ grams for a 200-250 calorie bar.
Let your taste buds, travel needs and wallet lead you. Certainly making your own sandwich is cheaper. Bonk Breakers retail for $2 to $3 a bar, pricey. (Trader Joe's sells Clif Bars for a buck.) You can typically secure a dozen Bonk Breakers for $24 online, BUT shipping costs can be onerous. REI and bike shops sell the bars.
Is there another worthy PB&J option? Let us know.
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