The Best Snack Bars To Beat That 3pm Snack Attack

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I am one of those snack bar freaks, a connoisseur even.  If you find the right one, it can be a perfect midafternoon snack or a quality breakfast or lunch replacement in a pinch.

For a snack, look for something that is between 100-200 calories.  For a meal replacement, based on your personal caloric intake, try not to go above 350 calories.  Try to avoid bars that contain a ton of sugar or sugar alcohols, hydrogenated oils or saturated fats.  It's a good idea to find a bar that has a good mix of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Thunderbird Energetica - every flavor is delicious but I am particularly fond of the Cashew Fig variety.

thinkThin Lean Protein & Fiber - a great afternoon snack that delivers 10 grams of protein and only 150 calories and five grams of sugar. Also like their Divine bars.

Luna Bar Protein - a lower glycemic bar, with 12 grams of protein that's under 200 calories.  More of candy bar consistency.

Luna Bar  - in general, these provide around eight grams of protein, five grams of fiber with around 13 grams of sugar. They're a better alternative than a cookie that my former fat self would eat. I especially love the Blueberry Bliss, Chocolate Peppermint Stick or Iced Oatmeal Raisin flavors. They also come in 100-calorie mini form, which I love.

LARABAR - sort of a girlie bar but is 100% natural and made with real food like nuts, dates, apples, carrots and other products you recognize. The Carrot Cake flavor is great. Be careful, though. I have almost broken a tooth from a rogue pecan shell in LARABARS. These also come in 100-calorie minis. I also love their Coconut Macaroon Sweet & Salty Über bars. YUM!

Fiber One Protein Caramel Nut Chewy Bars - don't judge. These aren't 100% all natural but if I am craving chocolate or a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, these hit the spot. They have 130 calories, seven grams of protein, seven grams of sugar and five grams of fiber. They're insanely good.

Make Your Own Snack Bar

You can also make your own bar. Nigella Lawson has a great snack bar recipe she calls a "breakfast bar" but you can adjust it to your own personal preference.  I alter it by using nonfat milk, almonds or walnuts instead of peanuts and nix the coconut. I always add flaxseeds for the omega 3 benefit.

I've made a goji berry walnut version and oatmeal raisin (tip: use liberal amounts of cinnamon)  These truly are "clean out the pantry" bars which are cheaper than anything you can buy in the store.

What am I missing? I'm always on the lookout for relatively good-for-you snack bars. Please share your favorites in the comments section.

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NBA Set to Lockout Its Players Tonight, Player Reaction Via Twitter

Here we go again.  All that feel-good Mavs mojo from the championship will come to a crashing thud later today when the NBA heads into its first work stoppage since the 1998-99 season.  On the bright side the Mavs could be the champs a little longer and those vet guys (I see you, J Kidd) will get some rest.

The NBA will lock out its players Thursday night when the current collective bargaining agreement expires at 11pm Dallas time.  Both sides have failed to reach any common ground on a new CBA.

NBA team owners, coaches, team executives and staff members are basically following a gag order and not commenting.  The Dallas Mavericks have made it clear they will not speak about the lockout.  Nothing from owner Mark Cuban, GM Donnie Nelson or head coach Rick Carlisle on the subject.

Cuban and Shawn Marion did seem to be focused on more positive issues like lunch and championship hardware.  Here are their tweets with the accompanying pictures from Thursday:

@matrix31 Fresh in my kitchen



YUM!

@mcuban Who is under there Yoda, ET or Larry O ? My kitchen never looked so good



Cuban's counter & Yoda? I like the Tiffany blue

Here are a few more NBA player tweets for your lockout pleasure, with a triple latte bonus from Shane Battier (best NBA tweeter out there, imo):

@ShaneBattier Dear @NBA, lockout hasn't even started and I already miss your loving touch. Come back, baby. Cocktails and talk this out?


@ShaneBattier I think I have just decided to balance the national budget while I wait for the CBA to be signed. Wish me luck. Goodnight good people.

@ShaneBattier Barring a last minute miracle, looks like the lockout is on like kong. Anyone hiring/needing tall dark and handsome? Negotiable. Make offer

@andrewMbogut NBA Friends: Its July 1 in Australia, Lockout has started for me!! #unemployed #needwork #workingonresume #HOLYSHIT

@agentzeroshow So too all my NBA mates don't go overboard that's what they want us too do..so stay out of trouble and good luck

@dwilkins3000 Guess it's official...we are LOCKED-OUT!! Sad day for the NBA and it's fans. Hopefully we will resolve this sooner than later about 1 hour ago

@JJ Redick47 Last day of camp for me. Probably won't be able to go tomorrow #lockout. For everyone who has asked me to plank- WON'T HAPPEN! #stupidity about 7 hours ago

 


Your NBA WORLD CHAMPION Dallas Mavericks to Present Letterman Top 10!

How fun is this!!!!!!  (and look who is on the show with Carlisle)

The celebrations continue for the Mavs. This from the cut and paste department:

THE 2011 NBA CHAMPION DALLAS MAVERICKS TO PRESENT THE TOP TEN LIST ON CBS’S “LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN,” WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15

NEW YORK, June 14 – Members of the Dallas Mavericks, the 2011 NBA Champions, will present the Top Ten List on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Wednesday, June 15 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Eight players from the team, including MVP Dirk Nowitzki, plus head coach Rick Carlisle and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, will present the Top Ten List via satellite from the American Airlines Center in Dallas. This will be the team’s first talk show appearance since their victory. The Mavericks clinched their first NBA Championship Sunday, June 12, beating the Miami Heat 105-95 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Also visiting the LATE SHOW Wednesday, June 15 are actor Jim Carrey, who stars in the new film “Mr. Popper’s Penguins”; Rosie Huntington-Whiteley from “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”; and musician Todd Rundgren, who will sit in with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra.

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

Mark Cuban, Dirk and Mavs sing "We are the Champions"

The best thing about winning an NBA championship is all the ridiculous, crazy, fabulous crap you get to do that you never thought you would EVER experience. From riding in parades, to popping an $80,000 bottle of champagne, to sharing moments with teammates, family and friends that are truly priceless; it's the best feeling in the world. Honestly. The absolute best.

Singing off key in one of Dallas' best watering holes is another one of them. Some Mavs players including Dirk Nowitzki, along with staff members, friends and owner Mark Cuban indulged at the Loon earlier this week. Moments like this are truly once-in-a-lifetime and the Mavs are taking every opportunity to take advantage of them.

*Tip of the hat for the heads up on the video to Brian Dameris.

O/T: If I shared with you some of the things I did after the Rockets won the title in 1995, you might never look at me the same. I was a 21 year old PR intern who rode in the Rockets victory parade.  I took a celebratory offseason trip to La Jolla with the team, all paid for by owner Les Alexander.  And I had many all-nighters at the Volcano and Los Andes (our watering holes that season) with Rudy T and the gang.  It was the best experience of my life.  I like to joke that it was all downhill from there. ;)

Any Different Pre-Game Rituals for the Mavs Prior to Game 6?

In a word: no!

Mavericks players are doing the same thing they've done all postseason which for most includes a good pregame meal and an hour long nap.

"Today you just relax, do your normal routine," Mavs guard Jason Terry said Sunday morning at shootaround.

Having said that, he admittedly is the one superstitious exception.  His pregame routine is quite different from his teammates. 
  
"I'm very superstitious so all those superstitions will be intact and ready to roll," he added.

His biggest one: how he ties his shoes.  For him, getting the perfect tie is paramount.

What is the Mavericks Mindset Going Into Game 6?

Rick Carlisle's Sunday morning shootaround media session lasted an almost record-short one minute and 53 seconds.  Individual players' interviews weren't that much longer.  That's because eight hours prior to tip off of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, there's not much more these players and the Mavericks head coach can say about their Sunday night matchup with the Heat.

"This is Game 7," Jason Terry proclaimed on the American Airlines Arena floor.  "This is our approach tonight.  We're trying to get this thing done tonight."

If what the Mavericks have done previously this postseason is any indication, the odds are in their favor.  Dallas is 3-0 in closeout games this year.  Plainly put, they've ended playoff series when they've had the chance.   Whether it was the Blazers, Lakers or Thunder, Dallas got it done.

"It's been a killer instinct," center Tyson Chandler said when I asked him about the team's approach going into series-clinching games.  "Understand that you don't want it (the series) to go on, that you don't want to give the other team any hope, any chance.  You finish them while you can."

So what is the Mavericks mindset as they are just one win away from reaching that goal, winning the franchise's first-ever NBA title?  From what I've been able to glean, they're focused and relaxed while trying to maintain a bit of an edge.

"Same thing we been doing throughout the playoffs: we keep a certain amount of focus," Chandler said. "You don't change anything.  You don't try to get overhyped or animated, anything like that.  You just focus on the game, focus on execution, what you can do to succeed.

"This has been a very intense two week period," Rick Carlisle said during his 100-yard dash-like interview.  "It's an extended period yet it seems to go by quickly.  You just kinda roll with it.  I embrace the intensity of it and I know our guys do."

Why You Still Won't Be Hearing From Mavs Owner Mark Cuban Anytime Soon

You've heard all postseason long about Mark Cuban's silence.  You haven't heard him talk any trash about this postseason.  He hasn't made any postgame show appearances, given any lengthy interviews or made reference to dirty Riverwalk water.  Sure, he may have vented about a call or said a thing or two about the Dodgers but that's about it.

While he's been incredibly cordial and polite to all of us, even delivering a live postgame fist-pump to me on TXA21 outside the Mavs locker room in Portland after a Game 6 six win, he's politely declined ust about every substantial on the record interview request.

Don't expect that to change.

After the Mavs amazing comeback win in Game 4 Monday night in Oklahoma City he came out of the locker room following the game while the media throng was gathered in the hallway.  He had a relieved, half-smile on his face.  A number of media peeps asked him if he wanted to talk.  He broke into a bigger smile and shook his head no.

We joked with him, asking him if he's ever going to talk again, considering how well his team is playing with his lips somewhat sealed.  It was another broad smile with a head shake as he walked away.  He said something to the effect of "I'm not messing with what's working."

Much has been made about the genesis and inspiration of this silence.  I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't a more coordinated effort.  Perhaps head coach Rick Carlisle has seen what a potential distraction Cuban's chatter has been in the past and maybe suggested that the owner stay quiet.

Just a thought.