Hop Step Jump Your Way to Nutrition and Energy!

Hop Step Jump Energy Bars – Ends the Energy Bar Dilemma

bee-pollen-important-ingredient-in-hop-skip-jump-energy-bars

Bee Pollen – important ingredient in Hop Step Jump Energy Bars

When it comes to fueling our bodies before or after workouts—or when we are just plain hungry—protein bars are a good, quick way to get what you need on the go. However, most protein bars I find in grocery or health food stores are more like blocks of cardboard. They are either thick and feel like cement in your belly after eating or they turn to goo in your hand—especially in South Florida where we are generally in the heat of things! Other bars are grainy or mostly oatmeal and I never feel like I’m getting the fuel I need. And why is everything coated with chocolate or something that melts all over the wrapper before you get it in your mouth?

THE ANSWER to the Energy Bar Dilemma

I found a great alternative when I visited The Sidewalk Chef –a “best kept secret” find! This new prepared food, take-out kitchen and café is located in an unusual spot—an industrial park off of Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale. Perfect for the working lunch crowd and ideal for those who want to take home prepared meals.

Chef Shashank (think Redemption) Agtey, the “Sidewalk Chef” brings his fine dining acumen to this casual eatery with phenomenally flavored dishes, with some spices reminiscent of his native India. Besides being a top chef, he is also an adventure athlete, competing in many Tough Mudders and other endurance races.

In trying to fuel for his own workouts and races, he created some recipes, using only natural, nutrient-dense ingredients for specific bars and is sharing them with us. Since he was a track athlete in college, he named them HOP, Step and JUMP Energy Bars, for the triple jump track event.

HOP is for Energy Supply;
STEP is to Sustain Energy and
JUMP is for Refueling.

Each have 8 grams of protein, which at first I thought was low, but Chef explained that 8 grams is what your body can absorb at any one time, so consuming more is just eliminated by your body. (Just like taking extra vitamins, beyond what your body can absorb, we tend to create very expensive urine!) There are 7 grams of net carbs—healthy ones, 140 calories, only 5 grams of sugar and 13 grams of fiber per bar. They are packed with superfoods like Bee Pollen, Maca Powder, Chia Sees, Cardamom, Pea Protein and Beet Powder and while they taste similar, there are subtle differences between the bars for their specific purpose and they fill you up without feeling heavy. To feel satiated by a tasty protein bar is a big help for us on-the-go people, trying to eat healthy!

To be honest, you can probably just choose the one you like most and use it for ALL your body fueling needs. Chef Shashank is just a perfectionist in everything he does! (Wait until you taste his Bison Meat Balls, Spaghetti Squash to die for, Tarragon Chicken or Kale Salads! He can prepare vegan, vegetarian and special allergy diets upon request. EVERYTHING is natural, fresh and farm-to-table.)

The HOP, STEP, JUMP Energy Bars are sold individually or by the box at the Sidewalk Chef Café, at Life Extension in Fort Lauderdale and online at www.hopstepjumpenergybars.com. Other retail locations include Nature’s Food Patch and Rollin’ Oats in Clearwater, and Abby’s in Tampa.

About the Author: Marilyn DeMartini

Marilyn’s passion for and professional interest in physical fitness and sports began with her first job as a fitness instructor in Pittsburgh, PA. She continued to teach yoga and fitness classes and escalated her commitment when she became certified as a Fitness Instructor and later added a NASM certification in Senior Fitness. DeMartini’s marketing career segued from agency work into fitness apparel marketing, which years later led to writing for sporting goods trade publications, an area in which she excelled as apparel editor, and continued for another decade. As a health and fitness journalist, DeMartini studied under top professionals in the field. She attended numerous fitness seminars and workshops, in search of the hottest trends, latest research and most beneficial workout programs, ranging from fitness fashion and functional training to sport-specific training (golf, running, weight-training) and yoga. She also wrote a Longevity Medicine column for over 1½ years for GNC’s Physical magazine and a fitness for golf column with Golf Tips magazine. Later, DeMartini segued into international powerboat racing where after handling PR for the World Championship Drambuie On Ice team she covered the sport as an online journalist for Speedvision. She also was featured on American Powerboat TV where she interviewed professional racers in venues around the country, presenting the excitement of powerboat racing to viewers on various regional sports channels. Today, while continuing PR and journalism in the marine and other industries, her fitness instruction modalities continue, ranging from yoga to functional and circuit training, running and cycling. She was also featured in a video, “Hard Body Yoga.” DeMartini resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where she owns PR Power marketing agency; she branded FIT Lauderdale to extend to her reach into the area fitness and yoga communities. She is an exercise and yoga instructor and has also conducted workshops for seniors mixing big band music with a chair and stretching exercises called “Big Band Bend & Stretch.”