Where do I even
begin? It’s difficult to put into
words the inspiration and energy surrounding Recovery Day 2015 in downtown Salt
Lake City and how it felt to be amongst those celebrating their personal paths
to recovery. The day started with
a 5K and ended with representing the FTR booth, which happened to be the second-most visited booth of the
day with approximately 2,000 visitors!
In collaboration
with Steve Acker (Ian and Tessa’s dad), the Food to Recover dietitians had a
particularly exciting project in the works for Recovery Day. In the weeks prior to the big day,
Allana, Kammi, and myself had been testing various recipes for energy
bars. Cleverly named “Recovery
Bars”, our goal was to develop an energy bar with vitamins and minerals
specific to those who are in recovery based on peer-reviewed, scientific
literature. Amongst the many nutrients
of interests were vitamin B12, vitamin B6, thiamin, glutamic acid,
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), protein, and many more while being mindful of limited added sugar and caffeine. Following a taste test we held at the
FTR gym, we decided on two delicious recipes to sample at Recovery Day! Visitors at the FTR booth
raved about our Mango/Coconut and Banana/Peanut Butter energy bars and provided
feedback on what they loved about our recipes and valuable suggestions for
improvement.
Moving forward, we
hope to obtain a grant from the Clif Bar Family Foundation with our unique,
community-driven cause for product development. With hard work and dedication to establish the
optimal nutrient profile, shelf stability, and awe-inspiring packaging, we aim to have Recovery
Bars in stores next year as a sustainable method of fundraising for Fit to
Recover.
Stay tuned for
updates on this adventure!
Be well,
Stephanie Roque,
MS, RD, CD
