"clif" news and stories

One thing that struck me when I was at the Fancy Food Show was that there were a number of products that were marketed at women. Some of them, like chocolates, seemed just to feature girly packaging and slogans, but others touted potential health benefits. In this latter category were two new products that were the result of a collaboration between The Republic of Tea and LUNA: Nutritional Iced Tea for Women and LUNA Tea Cakes. The collaboration was a natural one considering that the companies - both of which endorse healthy lifestyles - have similar values and goals.

Nutritional Iced Tea for Women is the first iced tea designed with women in mind. Brewed, lightly sweetened and packed in resealable plastic water bottles, the all-natural teas have just 50 calories per 12-ounce serving, are made with 70% organic ingredients. On top of that, the teas are fortified with folate, calcium and vitamins B and D. They come in five flavors: Ginger Currant Black Tea, Lemon Blueberry Decaf Black Tea, Kiwi Strawberry Green Tea, Mandarin Orange White Tea and (caffeine-free) Cherry Vanilla Red Tea. They are truly delicious and very refreshing. The fruity flavors really come through (my favorite was the Ginger Currant), with no sugary sweetness to dull them.

In my everlasting quest to find sports food products that 1) work; 2) taste good;  and -- most importantly -- 3)don't embarass me either while purchasing them or consuming them, I've come to Clif's new Shot Bloks.

The idea here is to avoid messy gels and sticky sports drinks (see my early point about having my foods embarass me), and the Shot Bloks definitely pull that off. A bit like gummi bears, a bit like jello, a bit like jelly beans ... but good for you, definitely good for you: they've got electrolytes, a blend of complex and simple carbohydrates, and -- do you want more? -- they're organic.

Shot Bloks come in five different flavors; of these five, two flavors (Black Cherry and Orange) come with a kick of caffeine.

Truth be told, I like candy and coffee more than I like exercise. But Shot Bloks make me think that maybe, just maybe, everything will work out in the end  ...

Snack bars are still growing in popularity for active adults who either need an energy boost or are simply too busy to sit down to a full meal, but there are a lot of busy kids who have the same activity levels. Between school, sports and other off campus activities, many kids don't sit down to a healthy meal or snack when they're hungry. Instead, they reach for candy bars and other fatty snacks that are well within reach at schools and parks. There are several companies with new snack bars for kids that provide a healthier alternative to candy, while still giving kids a taste of something more exciting than an apple or banana.