NUTRITION BAR ESSENTIALS

Confused by the massive variety of nutrition bars on the market today?  Read on to get the best tips and the fundamentals of the nutrition bar.

Don’t assume because a bar says ‘Granola” on the package that is healthy for you.  Some of today’s snack bars are sugar-coated and containing candy like ingredients with high doses of fructose corn syrup.  But not all bars are bad for you.  There are many bars on the market today that include healthy doses of fiber and natural ingredients such as soy, nuts, and oats.

• When consuming a bar a snack, it should be less than 250 calories.  Note that when a bar is higher in calories it most likely higher in sugar and saturated fats as well.

• Don’t forget the fiber. Because fiber takes longer to digest and keeps you feeling full throughout the afternoon, look for bars that contain at least 3 grams of fiber.

• Protein also helps to keep you feeling satisfied throughout the day so look for a bar that contains at least 7 grams of protein.

• Many bars out there contain large amounts of sodium.  The lower the fat content the higher the salt content to replace flavor lost when the fat is removed.  Look for a bar with less than 60 grams of sodium.

• Many bars are loaded with sugar to help improve the taste.  A good rule of thumb is to compare the grams of sugar to the grams of fiber in a bar and aim for a ratio of no more then 3 to1.

• It is quite difficult to find a nutrition bar to that meets all the requirements above, so it’s important to choose a bar that keeps you the most satisfied and won’t leave you craving for more.

Here are Homebodies nutrition bar picks….

Regular Bars

Luna Bar in Caramel Nut Brownie

Think Thin Bars

Kind Bar in Almond Apricot

TLC Kashi Bar in Pumpkin Spice Flax

Raw Bars

Organic Fiber Bar in Chocolate Dream or Apple Apple

Larabar’s in Peanut Butter & Jelly

Wild Bar in Mayan Spice

Avoid these bars:

Snickers Marathon Energy Bars- These bars are overloaded with sugar

Special K Cereal Bars – These bars a high in sodium.

Fiber One Bars – These bars contains high doses of fructose corn syrup and maltose corn syrup.

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