Eating for energy

As seen on BCTV August 26th, 2003

Energy Bars

Energy bars have become a common sight in our grocery stores, food marts, health food stores and in our fitness facilities. So do they really give us energy? Are they a healthy meal replacement? What IS the scoop on energy bars?

First evaluate ‘why’ you are eating energy bars...

If you are eating energy bars because you think they contain specific ingredients that will give you more ‘energy’ – think again. ‘Energy’ simply means ‘calories’. And these calories will, in turn, give you energy. But this energy is not anything special – it can easily be derived from regular food. If you are chomping down an energy bar during your workout to provide you with more ‘energy’, you are actually just consuming more calories – calories you may be trying to burn off, if weight loss is your goal! However, if you are an endurance athlete that exercises for more than one hour, a bite or two of an energy bar every 15 minutes can help provide you with quick, portable energy as your glycogen stores become depleted.
If you are eating energy bars because they are an easy meal replacement – think about the nutrients you are missing by not bothering with real food. Energy bars contain carbohydrates, protein, fat and some vitamins and minerals, however, they don’t contain phytochemicals and other important compounds that you will only find in whole foods. They also tend to be low in fibre and contain hydrogenated fats, not what you are looking for in your everyday meal or snack.
If you are eating energy bars because they are a quick, portable snack – you are partially on the right track. They are certainly a better choice than reaching for a candy bar or bag of chips! Energy bars can be used as a healthy snack if your meals are more than 4 hours apart. However, there are many other healthy snacks available that contain more nutrients, fiber and good types of fat. Think about choosing energy bars for snacks only sometimes, instead of making it a daily habit.

Next, if you choose to eat energy bars for snacks, keep these nutrients in mind:

Type of fat - you want to limit saturated fats, hydrogenated fats and vegetable oil shortening.
Fiber - you want to choose a bar that has at least 2g of fiber
Protein content - you want a bar that contains approximately 10-15g of protein
Calories - around 200 kcal or less for a snack or else eat ½.

Some examples of energy bars that fit into the guidelines above:

	Calories	Total Fat	Sat. Fat	Protein	Fiber
Clif	230	4	2	10	5
PowerBar Performance	230	2	1	10	3
PowerBar Essentials	180	4	2	10	3
Balance Outdoor	200	6	1	15	2
GeniSoy Nature Grains	230	3	0	11	3
TwinLab Soy Sensations	180	5	1	15	6
Luna	180	4	2	10	2

NOTE: the nutritional information may or may not be present on your energy bar (this is now mandatory but will take some time to come into effect). However, you can take a look at the ingredient list. You want ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils, cocoa butter and palm kernel oils to be closer to the end of the list, rather than the second or third ingredient. Try to choose one that does contain the nutritional information so you can be an informed consumer.

High protein bars tend to be higher in saturated fat, higher in calories and lower in fiber. If you are an athlete whose protein needs are increased, you can easily obtain this extra protein from whole foods, assuming total calorie intake is increased as well.

Some examples of high protein bars:

	Calories	Total Fat	Sat. Fat	Protein	Fiber
Met-Rx Protein Plus	250	8	6	34	0
EAS Simply Protein	310	7	4	33	1
MLO Bio Protein	300	6	4	21	2
Balance +	210	7	4	15	0
*Snickers Chocolate Bar	280	14	5	4	1

*for comparison

The Bottom Line

Don’t use energy bars as meal replacement – try to bring lunch with you or buy a balanced, low fat, high fiber lunch from a restaurant.
If you use energy bars as snacks, choose one that is low in saturated fat, moderate in protein and higher in fiber. Eat a piece of fruit, some carrot sticks, or some yogurt with your energy bar to make your snack more balanced.
Don’t use energy bars as your everyday snacks – try bringing more fruits and vegetables, a handful of nuts, a half a peanut butter/jam sandwich, or some left over dinner with you for a snack instead. However, energy bars are a better choice than a chocolate bar.
Remember, energy bars are a source of calories - calories that would be better off coming from whole foods, if possible!

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV's Noon News Hour!

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