Do you remember when the only thing convenience stores carried in the way of snack food was a candy bar? Today the bars are still available but they are no longer alone. Joining the candy bar in a bid for your business are nutrition bars. For a long time the only way to get them was from a nutrition store in in advertisements in the back of a fitness magazine. Due to the rise in health consciousness around the world, fitness companies are now making sure; their products are more readily available. Which is why you can now buy them from many retail outlets, the question is are nutritional snacks actually healthy?
Honestly, the value of nutritional bars will be based on the individual product. Some are much better than others and that is why it is important to look at a few indications as to whether or not they truly are nutritional or not. So, here are five criteria that you can go by
Look at the supplements the nutritional bar provides. If the bar contains heaping amounts of protein for muscle building of carbohydrates for energy and after workout recovery, then it would definitely be a valuable bar to purchase. Nutritional bars that contain vitamins and minerals would be a huge plus as a well. In short, if the nutritional bar contains helpful ingredients, then it would fall into the realm of healthy.
It should go without saying that sugar content is bad news. If you find a nutritional bar high in refined sugar, you should chunk it aside. That being said make sure you read the fine print, brown sugar is not refined therefore the bar could have nutritional value. High fructose corn syrup and refined sugar nutrition bars are to be avoided. These ingredients are junk food and therefore the bar is not healthy.
Find the fat content on the bars nutrition label. There are three components most all food items are made of, fats, carbohydrates and protein. This means if protein is low then carbs and fat will be higher, naturally. Having one ingredient outweigh the others a bit is not terribly bad however if the fat content becomes too high the nutrition bar is not nutritious. Heavy fat content is another reason to put a bar back in favor of something else.
How many calories does your nutritional bar contain? Sugar and fat are tied to this number quite closely. When the bar is high in caloric value this is a good indicator the bar is not a healthy choice. If fat calories are the main culprit, this is even truer. Use bars that are low in calorie count and high in good ingredients.
When in doubt, try to stick with name brands. Yes, new nutritional bar brands do pop up on store shelves all the time. Some of these bars are quite good and definitely contain nutritional value. However, if you want to play it safe, you may wish to keep purchasing nutritional bars that have name value and have been on the market for an extended period of time. This way you will have a better idea as to what you are getting.
Honestly, the value of nutritional bars will be based on the individual product. Some are much better than others and that is why it is important to look at a few indications as to whether or not they truly are nutritional or not. So, here are five criteria that you can go by
Look at the supplements the nutritional bar provides. If the bar contains heaping amounts of protein for muscle building of carbohydrates for energy and after workout recovery, then it would definitely be a valuable bar to purchase. Nutritional bars that contain vitamins and minerals would be a huge plus as a well. In short, if the nutritional bar contains helpful ingredients, then it would fall into the realm of healthy.
It should go without saying that sugar content is bad news. If you find a nutritional bar high in refined sugar, you should chunk it aside. That being said make sure you read the fine print, brown sugar is not refined therefore the bar could have nutritional value. High fructose corn syrup and refined sugar nutrition bars are to be avoided. These ingredients are junk food and therefore the bar is not healthy.
Find the fat content on the bars nutrition label. There are three components most all food items are made of, fats, carbohydrates and protein. This means if protein is low then carbs and fat will be higher, naturally. Having one ingredient outweigh the others a bit is not terribly bad however if the fat content becomes too high the nutrition bar is not nutritious. Heavy fat content is another reason to put a bar back in favor of something else.
How many calories does your nutritional bar contain? Sugar and fat are tied to this number quite closely. When the bar is high in caloric value this is a good indicator the bar is not a healthy choice. If fat calories are the main culprit, this is even truer. Use bars that are low in calorie count and high in good ingredients.
When in doubt, try to stick with name brands. Yes, new nutritional bar brands do pop up on store shelves all the time. Some of these bars are quite good and definitely contain nutritional value. However, if you want to play it safe, you may wish to keep purchasing nutritional bars that have name value and have been on the market for an extended period of time. This way you will have a better idea as to what you are getting.
About the Author:
If you are looking to stay healthy and get lose weight at the same time then you owe it to yourself to check out author Dorthy Weatherbush's list of diets that work. On that list you will find the Medifast diet plan that has been recommended by over 20,000 doctors since 1980. Their nutrition bars are delicious.
