My doctor was fairly specific: "Reduce your calories and try to stay away from the 'bad stuff.'" While wondering if my doctor understands what I do for a living, I also contemplated what defined 'bad' and proceeded to plan my Snack and Candy Expo experience accordingly.
Trying to eat healthy at a trade show where "candy" and "snacks" are the main event is incredibly difficult. I won't fool you all into believing it was easy as pie to bypass the rows and rows of decadent chocolate treats. It was somewhat tortuous actually.
I did indulge in a few treats while at the show
Awake Chocolate's Milk Chocolate and Caramel Caffeinated Chocolate bars were a god-send to this tired reporter. The really nice guys at the booth told me that I could forgo another trip to the coffee stop in exchange for one of these chocolate bars. Given how crowded the show floor was -- and my love of chocolate -- I was hooked. My taste buds were in agreement and I felt refreshed after my first square. I decided then and there my college-aged siblings are each getting a chocolate bar when they head back to college this fall.
Slimful's 90 calorie Gluten Free 90 calorie chew boasts the ability to help reduce hunger for hours. Without completely understanding the chemistry behind the hunger reduction (other than it included fiber that would expand), I ate my bar (chocolate) and downed my requisite 8 ounces of water which would apparently help the bar expand in my stomach, thus making me feel fuller. While I walked the trade show floor wondering what, exactly, was going on in my stomach, I can attest that I did feel fuller. I was surrounded by candy and snacks, many of which I didn't feel incredibly hungry to consume, so I'd say this one was something of a 'win' in the snack category. @slimfulbar
Quench Gum caught my attention partly because I was thirsty, but mostly because there was an athletic component to the product. I found myself drawn to the fact that the gum can help produce more saliva when feeling a dehydration-infused boost. One stick of the sour gum, and suddenly your mouth becomes a saliva factory. I have an extra piece I'm planning on taking with me on my next long bike ride to see if it works on more than a thirsty trade show-goer. (Kudos to the ladies at the booth who helped me understands the sour-saliva correlation).
For more information on the show, be sure to check out Dave Fusaro's Show Brief
