Luna Bars

I enjoy eating Luna Bars and love the fact that they are vegan. I like the flavors especially the ‘cookies and cream delight’ and ‘chocolate pecan pie’. I think they are convenient as they keep well in your bag and are there for times when you are hungry and need something to snack on or if there is no vegan food available. They also satisfy my cravings for something sweet and fill me up when I need something to eat and would otherwise eat something not especially good for me.

With that said I have come to think that Luna Bars are for the most part a ‘glorified candy bar’. Not unhealthy but not exactly healthy. Although Luna Bars are a packed with lots of vitamins they also have a lot of fat, sugar and a lot of carbohydrates too. I would not rely on them as a source of supplement for your diet. I recommend instead that you take a daily multivitamin as well as consider a B12 and calcium supplement to be sure you are getting the nutrients you need. Soy milk and other vegan staples are sometimes fortified with B12 and calcium- keep your eye out for them and make sure to try to incorporate these enriched versions into your diet.

Finally, being that Luna Bars are high in sugar, protein, fat and carbohydrates I recommend that you do as I do and use your discretion. I try to limit myself to eating them only on days when I know I will have a hard work out and know I will burn it off. If you can pack healthier snacks do so, but if it is your best choice- eat up.

Beer, Liquor and Wine

Your favorite alcoholic beverage my not be vegan simply because the ingredients. Non-vegan ingredients are sometimes used to sweeten your beverage like honey as well as white sugar, which final bleaching process uses animal bone. Animal products such as cream, eggs and even chicken are also known to be added to a drink to give it its unique flavor. Breweries sometimes use isinglass, a substance derived from fish bladders, gelatin, another animal byproduct, milk proteins such as casein and potassium caseinate, animal albumin, which is egg albumin and dried blood powder, or chitin, which is fiber derived from crustacean shells to clarify beer and wine. Usually these clarifying processes are used in place of filtration, therefore if a beverage says it has been filtered it is likely these animal products were not used. Liquor brewers may also use animal products to filter their products; some liquors have been known to contain traces of bone char. To see if your favorite drink is vegan check out this site with an in-depth vegan alcohol list: http://www.tastebetter.com/features/booze.