Selecting the Best Nutrition Bars

In an ideal world, every meal and snack you eat would be composed of a variety of nutritious, whole foods—but, in reality, sometimes you need options that are quick and convenient. That’s when having a nutrition bar can come in handy.

These days, nutrition bars aren’t hard to find; in fact, you may be faced with a dizzying array of choices at the grocery store. However, while some nutrition bars contain healthy ingredients that provide many beneficial nutrients, others aren’t much more than glorified candy bars.  Here are some tips that can help you choose the healthiest nutrition bars.

Read the Ingredients List

Some bars are made with as few as two whole-food ingredients, such as dried fruit and nuts. Other bars may be promoted as “healthy,” but the ingredient list may reveal processed grains, sugar, and additives or preservatives. In general, if you don’t recognize and/or can’t pronounce the ingredients, it’s probably not a healthy choice. Some bars contain inulin or chicory root fiber, which increases the fiber content, and/or sugar substitutes such as sucralose, sorbitol, or xylitol.  These ingredients aren’t necessarily unhealthy, but they have been known to cause gastrointestinal problems in some people.

Look for Whole Grains

Many bars are made with nutritious whole grains, such as oats, brown rice, amaranth, and quinoa. These complex carbohydrates provide a steady source of energy, and they also contribute fiber, a nutrient people tend to fall short on. Other natural sources of fiber in bars include fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Check for Sugar

Some bars contain more than six teaspoons of added sugar—more than the American Heart Association recommends women eat in an entire day. Keep in mind that bars that contain fruit also contain sugar, but it’s natural sugar that is not considered unhealthy unless eaten in very large amounts. Assessing the sugar in bars can be tricky, because some Nutrition Facts labels show the total number of sugar grams but do not list added sugars separately. In general, pass up a bar if the first ingredient is a refined sweetener, such as sugar, corn syrup, or honey.

Protein Power

A bar that contains protein may help keep your hunger in check. That said, unless you’re replacing an entire meal with a nutrition bar, you probably don’t need a bar that contains a meal’s worth of protein—typically, more than 20 grams. Bars that contain nuts and seeds typically provide between 6 and 9 grams of protein. Many bars contain added protein; sources include whey protein (from milk), eggs, soy, peas, and brown rice.

Healthy Fats

A low-fat nutrition bar isn’t necessarily healthful, nor is a higher-fat nutrition bar necessarily a poor choice; it depends on what type of fat the bar contains, as well as the other ingredients. A bar rich in nuts or seeds will be higher in fat, but it is healthful, unsaturated fat. Walnuts and chia and flax seeds contribute heart-healthy omega-3 fats.

There are plenty of healthy choices—just make sure the bars add to, rather than detract from, your nutrient intake.  

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