There was a day when the only snack you could get was a candy bar, especially in convenience stores. This sweet snack is still available however today they are not alone on the shelves. Nutrition bars have been added to the inventory. For quite some time the only way you could get these bars was through a fitness magazine or special mail order service. With the rise in interest in health and nutrition, these bars are now available on most store shelves. The only question left is whether these nutritional snacks really nutritional?
In truth, each of these nutrition bars must be evaluated individually. There are those that are much better for you than others are. What you need to know is how to evaluate a bar and determine its nutritional value. Below are the five telltale signs
What kind of supplements does a particular bar provide? Look at the ingredients and nutritional values if you find a bar that offers large amounts of protein or carbohydrates they are good for building muscle and after workout recovery, not to mention energy. This is a valuable addition to your daily diet. Minerals and vitamins are also great additives to have in your nutrition bars. Basically, if the bar has things inside that are helpful to the body it could be considered healthy.
Beware of sugar content. When a nutritional bar is loaded with refined sugars then it is usually not a good item to purchase. If the ingredients mention that the sugar is brown sugar, then it will be a much more nutritional item since brown sugar is not refined. Bars that contain refined sugar or, worse, high fructose corn syrup, then the bar needs to be skipped. It simply is not a nutritional item due to ingredients that are more akin to junk food.
Find the fat content on the bars nutrition label. There are three components most all food items are made of, fats, carbohydrates and protein. This means if protein is low then carbs and fat will be higher, naturally. Having one ingredient outweigh the others a bit is not terribly bad however if the fat content becomes too high the nutrition bar is not nutritious. Heavy fat content is another reason to put a bar back in favor of something else.
Never lose sight of the caloric value of the bar either. Calories will mostly come from the sugar and fat contents. As a rule, the bar with the largest number of calories is not often the best choice for your health. If the calories are mostly coming from fat, this is even truer. Try to find low calorie nutritional bars for your next snack.
Stick with the name brand bars when you have any doubt. Every day it seems there, is a new bar hitting store shelves? Many of these may actually be quite good and have nutritional value, however most people prefer to play it safe in the beginning. Name brands are well loved for a reason and you may want to continue using them even in the face of new ingredients and nutritional bars. Sometimes it is better to use the product you know and know what you are getting.
In truth, each of these nutrition bars must be evaluated individually. There are those that are much better for you than others are. What you need to know is how to evaluate a bar and determine its nutritional value. Below are the five telltale signs
What kind of supplements does a particular bar provide? Look at the ingredients and nutritional values if you find a bar that offers large amounts of protein or carbohydrates they are good for building muscle and after workout recovery, not to mention energy. This is a valuable addition to your daily diet. Minerals and vitamins are also great additives to have in your nutrition bars. Basically, if the bar has things inside that are helpful to the body it could be considered healthy.
Beware of sugar content. When a nutritional bar is loaded with refined sugars then it is usually not a good item to purchase. If the ingredients mention that the sugar is brown sugar, then it will be a much more nutritional item since brown sugar is not refined. Bars that contain refined sugar or, worse, high fructose corn syrup, then the bar needs to be skipped. It simply is not a nutritional item due to ingredients that are more akin to junk food.
Find the fat content on the bars nutrition label. There are three components most all food items are made of, fats, carbohydrates and protein. This means if protein is low then carbs and fat will be higher, naturally. Having one ingredient outweigh the others a bit is not terribly bad however if the fat content becomes too high the nutrition bar is not nutritious. Heavy fat content is another reason to put a bar back in favor of something else.
Never lose sight of the caloric value of the bar either. Calories will mostly come from the sugar and fat contents. As a rule, the bar with the largest number of calories is not often the best choice for your health. If the calories are mostly coming from fat, this is even truer. Try to find low calorie nutritional bars for your next snack.
Stick with the name brand bars when you have any doubt. Every day it seems there, is a new bar hitting store shelves? Many of these may actually be quite good and have nutritional value, however most people prefer to play it safe in the beginning. Name brands are well loved for a reason and you may want to continue using them even in the face of new ingredients and nutritional bars. Sometimes it is better to use the product you know and know what you are getting.
About the Author:
If you are looking to stay healthy and get lose weight at the same time then you owe it to yourself to check out author Dorthy Weatherbush's list of diets that work. On that list you will find the Medifast diet plan that has been recommended by over 20,000 doctors since 1980. Their nutrition bars are delicious.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire