I rarely buy any type of 'energy' bar because I think they’re usually overly processed and expensive, so I make my own nut- and date-based energy balls to have as pre- or post-workout snacks or dessert.
However, I recently bought Melissa’s Clean Snax Pumpkin Seed nuggets ($8), and I like them more than my homemade treats. They're made with pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and chia seeds and are lightly sweetened to hold all the ingredients together. A serving (five pieces) has 150 calories, six grams of protein, two grams of fiber, and less than a teaspoon of sugar. They come in four flavors, but I like the higher protein and lower sugar counts of the Pumpkin Seed variety. Look for them in the produce sections of most supermarket chains.
— Julie Upton, RD, guest contributor
