Top 5 Nutrition Bars

From MSN Diet & Fitness:

They were once the sole dominion of endurance athletes. Now nutrition bars (commonly called “energy,” “sports,” and “power” bars) are so decidedly mainstream they’ve been transformed into an $860-million industry.

Yes, we Americans are consuming energy bars every day like we do candy on Halloween. That’s not necessarily an awful thing. But if you’re standing in a supermarket aisle staring at rows and rows of attractively packaged bars, how do you possibly choose between a chocolate peanut butter Lean Body, a hemp seed laden plums and currants Alpsnack, and a cookies and cream by Atkins?

Partly it depends on whether you’re seeking a snack, a meal replacement, or a boost to your workout. But plain old good health should come first, insists nutritionist and author Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., and you must study the product labels so you know what you’re eating.

Some golden rules most nutritionists agree on:

• Steer away from bars that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. “They’re deadly, they have no place in a nutrition bar,” says Lieberman.
• Choose real flavors over artificial
• Go low fat (four to seven grams), and check the calorie count (230 calories or less is ideal)
• Look for whole grains and sugar alcohols (good carbohydrates) and forgo bars that contain sugar (bad carbohydrates). “If there’s too much sugar it’s a candy bar… You might as well eat a dessert,” Lieberman exclaims.
• Make sure there’s some protein in the mix (a 4:1 carb-protein ratio is excellent)
• Fiber is important
• Pick a bar with 10 to 30 percent of suggested daily values of vitamins and minerals.
  

With that settled, here are five of the best energy bars you can get your hands on.

1. PowerBar – the original, some say the best. “PowerBars were first used by cyclists and marathon runners as an easy way to eat the carbohydrates they needed to complete an event,” explains Douglas Kalman, nutrition expert with the private drug and supplements research firm, Miami Research Associates. Fast forward a couple of decades and PowerBars are for every man and woman and come in 12 flavors. Thumbs down for adding some high fructose corn syrup.

2. Clif and Luna Bars – Made with wholesome organic oats and soybeans, nothing quite beats the taste, nutrition, and popularity of an apricot, carrot cake, or black cherry almond Clif Bar (to name but a few). Luna Bars are the low-cal version made by the same company for women. Fortified with nutrients such as folic acid and calcium, the LemonZest and Chocolate Pecan Pie Luna Bars score highest on taste tests.

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