The people earnestly contemplating the wall of power bars at the grocery store used to make me roll my eyes. What’s the point, anyway? A meal should not come in the form of a bar, and I was skeptical of how they were really any different than taking a handful of vitamins. But now that I’m training for a marathon next fall, I’ve had to change my tune. A little.

I have come to accept the fact that runners really do need a burst of carbohydrates to keep their muscles limber and electrolytes to keep them from retching. If I don’t get these things within thirty minutes of finishing a run, I’ll be limping up and down the subway steps the next day like a three-legged turtle. And sometimes a proper meal is too far away to be practical. So here are some of the highlights of my reluctant foray into power foods.

Power Bar: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavor, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 16g, Calories: 240
Like Kleenex or Xerox, this was the bar that gave its name to a whole category of products, so it seemed like a good place to start. The taste and texture were pleasing, but man, was there a lot of it. Continue reading →