What bars should I eat? Not very many!!
The pickins' are slim, to be honest!
Have a look at the following ingredient labels from a few popular bars on the market:
1) CORN SYRUP, SOY CRISPS (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, RICE FLOUR, ALKALIZED COCOA), CHOCOLATEY COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA, WHEY, NONFAT MILK, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR), WHOLE OATS, DRY ROASTED PEANUTS, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, INULIN (FROM CHICORY), NATURAL FLAVORS (CONTAINS PEANUT, MILK, SOY LECITHIN), RICE CRISPS (MILLED RICE, SUGAR, SALT, BARLEY MALT), SALTED PEANUT BUTTER, VEGETABLE GLYCERIN, AND LESS THAN 2% OF PEANUT FLOUR, ALMOND BUTTER, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, MINERALS: CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, FERROUS FUMARATE (IRON), VITAMINS: ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), VITAMIN B6 HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1). CONTAINS ALMOND, MILK, PEANUT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES WHEAT
2)Soy Protein Nuggets: ( isolated sou protein, tapioca starch, salt) Chocolate Flavored Coating (sugar, fractionated palm kernal and palm oils, cocoa powder [processes with alkali] nonfat milk, sorbitan monostearate, soy lecithin, natural flavor)Peanut Butter Fudge:( corn syrup, sugar, peanut butter, high fructose corn syrup, palm kernal oil, milk protein, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, carob seed gum, salt, caramel color, beta carotene, vanilla extract, peanut oil with other natural flavors)Peanut Butter Chips:(evaporated cane juice, palm kernal oil, partially defatted peanut flour, nonfat dry milk solids, maranatha peanut butter [peanuts, salt] whole milk solids, salt, soy lecithin)
3) Protein blend (calcium caseinate, whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate), glycerin, coating (maltitol, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, sodium caseinate, dairy oil, soya lecithin, natural flavors, salt), maltitol syrup, cocoa powder, water, ground almonds, soy crisps (soy protein isolate, rice flour, calcium carbonate), canola oil, chocolate liquor, soya lecithin, tricalcium phosphate, natural flavors, salt. Vitamins and Minerals: ascorbic acid, d-alpha tocopherol, niacinamide, zinc oxide, vitamin A palmitate, electrolytic iron, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper gluconate, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, biotin, potassium iodide, vitamin B12.
After reviewing the items in the ingredient panels, do you really want to put any of that in your body? Soy, dairy, legume & grain- based products, additives, artificial flavors, colors and sugars… WHY? For convenience? How about an apple and some raw walnuts?
If you do want to have a bar, there are but a few I'd recommend. Here's my favorite:
The LaraBar! With the exception of their peanut butter flavor, all the rest are paleo- friendly, and the ingredient panels look like this:
"CASHEWS. DATES."
It doesn't get much cleaner than that! Once in a while ,right after a workout, when it's a perfect time to have a higher glycemic food, like dried fruit, would be a great time to have a piece of a Larabar. Alternatively, if you're having a mid day snack, balancing it out with some sliced turkey wrapped around some baby spinach leaves would be a great balance.
Be a smart consumer and don't assume that just because something is sold in the health food section that it is actually healthy! Read the labels and if there is anything on the list that you cannot identify as a food- DONT EAT IT! Can't stress that enough…
