The Energy Bar

Energy bars are one of those confusing items that are marketed as healthy but often times misguide and confuse people.  The first thing to remember about energy bars is that “energy” means calories not a magic burst of life, thus most energy bars a densely packed calories and probably shouldn’t be eaten as common snack food. Most of us eat energy bars for one of two reasons:

1.    A workout boost that adds extra protein and replenishes carbohydrates
2.    Convenient meal replacements that can help you loose weight. 

Personally I use energy bars for both reasons but now that I’m running about 5-7 miles a day and about 12 miles on the weekends for marathon training it’s critical for me to focus on replacing carbohydrate stores and repair torn muscle tissue with protein.

The problem with energy bars is ALL of them promise to work wonders but there’s a thin line between some energy bars and candy bars if you don’t know what to look for. If you’re an athlete you want energy bars to improve performance and not slow you down that’s why its particularly annoying that energy bars marketed towards athletes can be so deceiving.  Similarly when you’re trying to loose weight you want something that’s going to keep you full longer you  and not something loaded with sugar and fat that’s going to leave you unsatisfied.  

So how do you pick the right energy bar?

For Athletic performance look for

1.  A bar high in carbs because Carbs are the fastest source of energy used for physical activity, and raise your blood sugar to give that quick rush of energy
2.  Low sugar preferably less than 18 grams
3. Low fat under 5 grams, fat will slow the digestion of carbs and may hinder your workout

As a Meal Replacement

1.  At least 8 grams of protein that will leave you satisfied  (I also recommend eating at least one real food like a piece of fruit or cheese stick
2. Low saturated fat, less then 3 grams
3.   Low sugar less than 18 gram
4.  Low fat under 5 grams

One of my absolute favorite brands of energy bars to help with marathon training but also to eat for lunch is The Luna bar . The Dietitian’s at Rebecca Bitzer and Associates  and I are impressed with their all natural organic ingredients, low glycemic index, high fiber and low calorie varieties.  They actually taste like real food (which is a must for me).   My personal favorite is the Chocolate peppermint stick Luna bar with only 180 calories,  8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 120 mg of potassium, 5 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar, and 28 grams of carbohydrates. This is a great bar for after meal workouts to replace carbs and but also supply me with protein to keep me satisfied.  Hope this helps clear some confusion!

Oh and I hit 13 Miles this morning 4/23/11.