The New $1.19 Trader Joe’s Find So Good I’m Stocking Up

The thing no one tells you about working in a restaurant is just how hungry you’ll be. It’s astonishing just how much energy you need to whizz around a two-story contemporary casual restaurant, deftly balancing incredibly hot plates before delicately placing them in front of their prescribed diners. Take it from me, your resident server-turned-bartender who survived the era of pandemic dining.

Before working in a restaurant, I had a corporate job with hour-long lunch breaks that often included indulgent meals of gigantic burgers, arguably the best pizza this side of the Atlantic, and more milkshakes than I care to divulge. I’ve always had a healthy appetite, but I became ravenous once I started working at the restaurant. Between all the mouthwatering food passing by and the fact that I was clocking nearly 14,000 steps a day, satiating my appetite felt nearly impossible. 

To solve the problem, I relied on a steady supply of snacks like trail mix and Clif Bars to stave off my cravings between serving up bowls of gumbo and unctuous braised lamb shanks to table after table. While I no longer spend my days running back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room, I still love a chewy Clif Bar now and again. Their only setback is their moderately high sugar content, which is great for an initial boost but can make you crash later on.

Why I Love Trader Joe’s New Energy Bars

Thankfully, I can always count on Trader Joe’s, and they just dropped a Clif Bar dupe that’s got me stocking up. The new Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Energy Bars are perfect for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up or a pre-workout snack. They have the same familiar chewy texture as their more popular counterpart, and when tasted side by side, I could barely tell the difference. Best of all, the bars at Trader Joe’s have slightly less sugar, a win in my book.

It’s safe to say I’ve found my new hiking snack for when I’m feeling peckish. It doesn’t hurt that they only cost $1.19, less than many of their brand-name counterparts. I apologize in advance for clearing the shelves, but can you really blame me?

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