How Your Snack Bar is Ruining Your Diet
Is it really a snickers in disguise?
When it comes to snack, you’ll be most satisfied with whole foods, like a fruit, some nuts or nut butter, or a plain Greek yogurt. But sometimes we need more portable, less perishable items and thats where the nutrition bar comes in! However, not all bars are created equal. Here are 3 ways to make sure your snack isn’t just a dressed up candy bar that is secretly sabotaging your health goals.
It is too processed. Foods that are overly processed are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt. So, first, look at that ingredient list. If sugar (or sugar by another name like “agave”, “syrup”, or “honey”) are listed first, step away from the bar. It is basically a candy bar pretending to be good for you. Healthy, less-processed bars will have whole-food ingredients listed first, like walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, or fruit. Then, check out that nutrition label… you want to keep Total Sugars to 5g or less, Saturated Fat to 3g or less, and Sodium to 170g or less.
It doesn’t have enough of good stuff. Protein and fiber are the ultimate combo when it comes to feeling full, satisfied, and energized. You want a bar with at least 6g or protein and at least 4g of fiber. This combo will satisfy your hunger, curb other cravings, and keep you healthfully fueled until your next meal.
You’re treating it like a meal. If it has been more than 4 hours since you last ate, it is time for an actual meal, not a bar. Even the healthiest snack bars will still not satisfy you the same way a real meal will. Instead, the bar can leave you in a prolonged snacking phase where you’re grazing mindlessly on foods around your home or office. If a true meal is not an option, or it is officially time for your mid-afternoon snack (oh, hey there, 4pm!) then pick a bar that is between 100-200 calories.
My top 5 bar picks to grab-and-go:
- KIND Bars
- EPIC Bars
- Raw Crunch Bars
- Mediterra Savory Bars (Sun-dried Tomato Basil Bar and Kale Pumpkin Seed Bar)
- The Perfect Bar-MINIs
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