Good News Tucson - A Family Values Publication

Snack Bars... A Good Choice? by Rachael Martin, MS, RD

So often I recommend to clients to take granola bars along as a snack. They are portable; usually last well on our hot summer days, and make a good complement to other snacks such as fruit.

There are so many to choose from, so this month I did some informal research and explored the health content and taste (with help from volunteers) of many of the bars that are available. This entire article is a matter of my personal opinion, and in no way meant to judge the quality or health of snack bars.

Here's what my group of taste-testers and I discovered:

There tends to be two primary varieties. One group seems to be directed to serious exercisers, especially weight lifters. These are high in calories and protein, and help to fill the need to supplement a diet that requires a high energy intake.

The other group seems to be geared toward those who need a snack along the way, or a quick meal replacement on a busy day. Within this group is a subgroup that is aimed primarily at kids.

Some of the brands of bars sampled included: Cliff©, Luna©, Cliff Kids©, Power©, Kashi Go Lean© (with chocolate coating), Kashi© (uncoated), Power Crunch©, Detour©, Balance©, Zone Perfect©, and Nutrigrain©. Obviously not a conclusive study!

As taste goes, my informal volunteers, found the exerciser-focused bars to be less appealing. This was especially true of kids. It would seem that these bars, though packed with nutrition, may be an acquired taste for some. This is not a criticism of them as we often need or want to develop an acquired taste for foods.

More common bars were better received. Children, for the most part preferred the chocolate-covered, sweetened granola, and cereal bars. Personally, I liked them all!

When I looked into the nutritional content, I found the balance of protein, carbohydrate and fats to be appropriate to the type of bar. The “exerciser’s” type of bar tended to be significantly higher in calories than some of the others, but contained good quality protein and fats, etc, so the calories were well proportioned.

What was of some concern was the high sugar content of the cereal-type and granola bars. They contained healthful ingredients, however frequently had high-fructose corn syrup, as well as honey.

Certainly the sugar content was much lower than in a candy bar, and a granola bar would be a better choice here, but savvy label reading is definitely needed for individuals who prefer to limit simple sugar intake for themselves, or for their children.

My favorites were the health-food store type bars. They tend to be mid-calorie range, not specifically focused on one nutrient over another, and contained a lower content of sweetener.

The bottom line is that snack bars are a matter of personal preference. I would continue to recommend them for between meal energy boosters. Do some experimenting yourself – you might discover some new favorite snacks!

Rachael Martin, M.S., R.D. is the owner of Eating and Body Image Solutions, a nutritional therapy and consulting business. She also works as a freelance writer and speaker on nutritional topics. Her specialties include mental health nutrition, eating disorders, weight management, longevity nutrition and PCOS. She can be reached at 235-1568 or at ebis-rd@earthlink.net