Originally published September 26 2005
Snack bars are not as nutritional as you might think
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Most granola and cereal bars found in the cereal aisle of the grocery store have added sugar, saturated fats and sometimes (check the label!) dangerous trans fat. Be sure to choose a healthy granola bar, high in dietary fiber and low in sugar.
Snacks help growing kids meet their energy needs and give adults a source of fuel when blood sugar dips and concentration flags through the day.
Judging by the expanding snack food aisle in the grocery store, granola and cereal bars are becoming increasingly popular.
And they're often perceived as more nutritious than cookies, donuts and chocolate bars.
But with ingredients such as chocolate chips, candy pieces, peanut butter, caramel, marshmallows and yogurt coatings, some look more like a candy bar.
One serving (� cup or 30 grams) has roughly 150 calories, six grams sugar, seven grams fat (including one gram saturated fat) and 2.5 grams fibre.
Read the "Nutrition Facts" box on a package of granola bars and you'll see that some brands have as much as four teaspoons of sugar per bar, thanks to the addition of glucose, syrup, glucose-fructose and/or refined sugars to the granola and coating.
One Quaker Chewy Yogurt Strawberry Granola Bar has 150 calories, five grams fat (3.5 grams from saturated fat) and 12 grams sugar (three teaspoons worth).
One Compliments Blueberry and Yogurt Chip Granola Bar (30 grams) that is semi-dipped in real milk chocolate provides 120 calories, 3.5 grams fat (including 1.5 grams saturated fat), 10 grams sugar and two grams fibre.
Nature's Path Organic Granola Bars boast three grams of fibre each and zero trans fat and they're made from not just one, but two whole grains: rolled oats and brown rice flour.
Look for a product that has at least two grams fibre, zero grams trans fat, and no more than 1.5 grams saturated fat and 10 grams sugar per serving.
Cereal bars are also popular snacks, even though they're intended for people who don't have time to sit down to a bowl of cereal and milk.
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