I’ve been a big-time snacker for so long as I can keep in mind, so comfort and paramount for me in the case of selecting up provisions on the grocery retailer. But when I can not make it there on any given weekend (hey, the road outdoors of Dealer Joe's isn't any joke), I usually go for some type of caffeine and sweet state of affairs. A bandaid, if you'll.
Currently, although, I’ve been dedicated to leveling up my snacking sport. As an example, I’ve really loved changing candies and fruit snacks with contemporary or dried apples and a smidge of honey, or by munching on combined berries. Whereas I’m much less a fan of decadent desserts and pastries, typically the temper for baked items strikes, which had me questioning if there was a more healthy dupe to maintain available. Enter: BelliWelli soft-baked snack bars.They’re gluten-free, probiotic-packed, low-FODMAP, and vegan—in addition to particularly crafted for individuals who battle with digestive points.
As a veritable snack aficionado on a mission to forge extra gut-friendly habits—to not point out an fanatic for something and every little thing associated to the microbiome—I used to be intrigued to see for myself simply how useful these bars could possibly be. With that in thoughts, I ate one BelliWelli bar a day for every week straight to see how my cravings and digestion fared. I’ll depart you with my ultimate BelliWelli assessment afterward; however first, let’s cowl how nutritious and GI-friendly these snacks really are.
What makes BelliWeli a snack with stomach advantages
Earlier than we cowl the good-for-you substances BelliWelli bars comprise, it’s price noting what they avoid. They omit dairy and gluten, each of which might set off digestive points for some. (Lactose intolerance impacts as a lot as 70 p.c of adults globally. In america, celiac illness impacts about one p.c of individuals, whereas non-celiac gluten sensitivity impacts about 6 p.c of individuals, in accordance with a 2017 assessment within the World Journal of Gastroenterology.)
These bars are additionally freed from sugar alcohols, which might exacerbate digestive misery in individuals with intestine imbalances. “It's thought that sugar alcohols are poorly absorbed within the physique and feed micro organism residing within the massive intestines … [which can] create extra fuel and fermentation, thus selling the imbalance that already exists,” Sarah Greenfield, RD, CSSD, beforehand advised Nicely+Good.
With these potential pink flags out of the best way, which particular substances make BelliWelli bars a gut-friendly, wholesome snack? To begin, a single bar comprises 4 grams of protein and three grams of fiber. (ICYMI, solely seven p.c of adults in america get sufficient fiber each day, regardless of its advantages for supporting common BMs, cardiovascular well being, and extra.) “The bars additionally comprise 500 million CFU probiotics—which is greater than sure yogurts and kombuchas—in order that they hold your intestine in verify,” says Peyton Berookim, MD, MA, FACG, AGAF, a BelliWelli advisor and double-board licensed gastroenterologist on the Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California.
“The bars additionally comprise 500 million CFU probiotics—which is greater than sure yogurts and kombuchas—in order that they hold your intestine in verify,” says Peyton Berookim, MD, MA, FACG, AGAF, double-board licensed gastroenterologist
Dr. Berookim additionally notes the model’s emphasis on using high-quality substances. “Conventional bars often comprise preservatives to keep up form, however BelliWelli lacks these synthetic substances,” he says. As a word, the BelliWelli bars I sampled contained eight to 9 grams of sugar—together with six to seven grams of added sugar—the latter of which must be capped at 24 to 50 grams each day.)
Associated Tales
Dr. Berookim calls out a couple of noteworthy substances that stand to help your intestine and total well being, together with:
- Cinnamon (which he deems as anti-inflammatory)
- Chia seeds (a wealthy supply of plant protein, insoluble fiber, and omega-3s)
- Oats (a whole-grain soluble fiber)
- Acacia fiber (which he says is anti-inflammatory)
- Almond butter (one other nice supply of plant protein)
Lastly, the GI physician shares that these snacks are licensed low FODMAP by Monash College. (FODMAPs embrace carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that may set off digestive misery within the type of bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fuel, and abdomen ache.) All issues thought-about, Dr. Berookim says the bars are significantly better tolerated than typical treats for individuals who:
- Undergo from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Expertise bloat or any type of digestive points
- Have gluten or dairy sensitivities
“BelliWelli bars are a very nice nutrient-dense various for anybody in search of a very more healthy and gut-friendly snack bar,” Dr. Berookim concludes.
My BelliWelli assessment
To begin, let’s cowl how these bars style. At current, BelliWelli affords seven flavors. I sampled 4 of them—chocolate chip cookie, birthday cake, cinnamon swirl, and strawberry shortcake—throughout my week-long trial. I used to be stunned that every turned out to be tastier than I’d anticipated, and efficiently hit the spot so far as my cravings have been involved. I’d say that they strike a cheerful medium between a traditional cookie and a protein bar, packing the satisfying sweetness of the previous and missing the usually chalky (or worse, cardboard-like) style of the latter.
Now, for the million-dollar query: Did these bars yield discernible advantages for my digestion? On this level, I can’t say that they have been full game-changers, however I undoubtedly suppose the outcomes will range from one individual to the subsequent. As an example, my digestion tends to be common most of the time and I’m lucky sufficient to say that I solely expertise stress IBS circumstantially (*knocks on wooden*). I additionally eat and/or take probiotics each day—together with Bacillus coagulans, the pressure BelliWelli makes use of. (I did, nonetheless, pause taking probiotic dietary supplements to higher gauge my outcomes from the bars alone.) And whereas I don’t observe my fiber consumption to a T, I’ve made a latest effort to verify I've fiber-rich fruits and veggies each day, and all the time throw a hefty serving of chia seeds into my smoothies.
Nonetheless, I do suppose that BelliWelli bars have the potential to maneuver the needle for some individuals—specifically those that are extremely delicate to gluten and/or dairy, lack fiber and/or probiotics of their diets, and expertise ongoing digestive points. Nonetheless, I used to be happy to find that these bars may really be a good dupe for cookies and comparable candy treats, all of the whereas providing a stability of macros and probiotic perks. On the finish of the day (actually and figuratively), I’ll gladly attain for one the subsequent time I get a snack assault so I can proceed the development of satisfying my candy tooth with nutritious fare.
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