ModernGear Food: A protein bar that tastes like it should be bad for you

I'm not a gym buff, but used to be a little more active in that department. That was back when protein bars were chalky-tasting, so that goes to show how long ago that was! Since then (lo, all those years ago!), science or cooking or industry has made leaps and bounds of progress, and protein bars actually taste really, really good now. Like, so good you'd think they're bad.

Here are a few of my favourites - these come in handy when I need a snack to get me through til dinner when my tummy growls mid-afternoon, and these days with my new job, as a meal replacement when I don't have time for lunch (with a banana and an apple to round it out).

I really love the original Clif bar, and my favourite flavour has to be Banana Nut.
It just tastes like a baked goody that you'd make at home - bananas, chocolate chips and walnuts - say no more. Wait, I'll say this: only 6g of fat - and no saturated fats at all.

I also like the carrot cake flavour:
Clif's also makes Luna nutrition bars for women. The Berry Almond bar is delicious, it honors the Breast Cancer fund, and it is packed with organic berries in all their antioxidant goodness.
I think next I'd like to try the Chocolate Peppermint Stick one - kind of the healthier version of a York Peppermint Patty.
My new favourite bars are by Balance.

The almond brownie bars taste exactly like their name - you would think that this is a just slightly healthier version than the ones you make at home. 14 grams of protein, 6 grams of soy protein, 9 grams of fat, and 23 minerals and vitamins makes for a bar I can get behind!
I get mine at either Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, and when I was shopping at Von's a few nights ago, they didn't have this flavour so I decided to try Chocolate Peanut Butter. I didn't notice that this bar was part of the Balance Gold series, ooh la la!

I think the Balance 100 calorie bars would also be great to have in your bag in case of emergency - like when you have a craving for something sweet, your tummy is screaming "GIVE! ME! CHOCOLATE!", and you head towards the snack machine. Arm yourself for those moments with protein bars that are as good tasting as what you'd get from that vending machine or at the store.