Finding The Best Nutrition Bars

Nutrition bars, energy bars, cereal bars, meals to go, snack bars…  The names vary and the list could keep going on but when you’re staring at a wall of labels, how are you supposed to choose?  Which bars are the best snacks as far as taste?  If it isn’t palatable, and dare I say enjoyable, will you even eat it or will it eventually just fall to the bottom of the snack bin?  What about nutrition?  What ingredients need to stand out as little red flags so you can make a quicker decision in the sea of pre-packaged convenient sustenance?  


I’m comfortable enough in my own skin to openly admit that I excitedly peruse each and every isle of my local Sprouts Farmer’s Market just to check out all the products.  I love going to the grocery store and sometimes I’m really in the mood to read food labels purely out of curiosity.  Occasionally, I even buy stuff.  I am fully aware that this is not normal behavior.  I thought I’d put my weird little hobby to good use when one of my clients asked me what nutrition bars I most highly recommended.  She, like my other clients and young athletes, sometimes has trouble deciphering the labels, decoding the ingredient list and navigating the endless options.  Here are some tips, tidbits and my personal picks; I hope it helps.


Michael Pollan, author of the popular nutrition book Food Rules, said it best when he advised to “Eat food. Mostly Plants. Not too much.”  This rule applies when looking for healthy, nutrient dense food bars.  


What to look for:

• Short ingredient lists. Around 5 ingredients is great!
• Ingredients you can not only pronounce, but know what they are.  Also known as real food
• On American food labels, ingredients are listed in descending order, with the first three making up the largest portions. Preferably, any sugars (anything ending in ‘ose’ such as fructose, sucrose, etc.) should fall behind the first three ingredients listed. Note that too much sugar will provide a quick burst of energy followed by an equally rapid crash.
• In regards to sweeteners, go all nat-u-ral! Honey, maple syrup and fruit juices are great choices!

What to avoid:

• High fructose corn syrup (it’t not just corn, it’s a highly processed byproduct of corn)
• Protein Isolates. These are derived from sources such as soy beans through an extensive chemical process which involves extraction by way of ethanol or acidic waters.
• Agave nectar
• Hydrogenated and/or partially hydrogenated oils
• Artificial sweeteners (chemically created sugar substitutes)
• Foods you cannot pronounce.  If it sounds like it was made in a lab, it probably was and therefore doesn’t count as a ‘real food’.
• Massive ingredient lists.  It’s highly likely that there is a good amount of unnatural “foods” added.
  

Keep in mind that when looking for a nutrition bar in lieu of a snack or meal, a high caloric count with good fats, sugars, minerals and vitamins is essential to properly fuel your body.  Whenever possible however, eat real, fresh food over nutrition bars.  


If the bar you seek is for post workout fuel, look at the protein source (remember, avoid protein isolates), protein percentage, and carbohydrate percentage.  It is optimal to consume something with a 3:1 ratio for carbohydrates : protein.



Bars to Try

1. Lara Bar (This includes their ALT bars Über bars.  Lara also has a plethora of fantastic flavors, all delicious)
2. ProBar
3. Breeze Bar (GF)
4. Slow Bars (Savory, not sweet)
5. Amazing Grass
6. Go Macro
7. Rise
8. Active Greens
9. Z-Bars by Clif
10. Greens Organic
11. Kind 
12. Nature Valley (higher in sugar, but pretty good ingredients)

Bars to Avoid

1. Clif Bar
2. Power Bar
3. PrBar
4. NuGo
5. Luna
6. Think Thin (Although Think Thin Crunch is a decent option)
7. ProBar Core
8. Rise: Almond Honey Protein and Crunchy Carob Chip Protein
9. Detour: Smart Bars
10. ProMax
11. Balance 
12. Fiber One and Fiber One Protein
13. Special K brand bars
14. Quaker brand bars
15. Muscle Brownies

Sources:

Pub Med: US National Library of Medicine.  National Institutes of Health  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7884536

Dr. Andrew Weil

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03391/Nutrition-Bars.html

Dr. Chris Mohr and Dr. Kara Mohr

http://mohrresults.com/peeling-back-the-wrappers-of-energy-bars/

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