Bars, bars and bars.

First off my apologies for another nutrition posting, but everyone lately seems to be asking about it! I will be posting an exercise post very soon. I have had tons of people lately telling me that they are eating granola bars/power bars/ clif bars, etc. So I decided to post a few of them.
Let's start with the Clif Bar, which one client believed was a health food.

The Clif Bar comes in awesome flavors like Black Cherry Almond and Peanut Toffee Buzz. I've had them, they are really good. I wonder why? This is straight from their website:

 It’s the first bar we made, and it’s still everything we’re about. Whole, all-natural, organic ingredients. Performance nutrition. And great taste. Whether you’re on a 150-mile bike ride or exploring a new trail, this energy bar is built to sustain your adventure.

 Once again we are taken back to the conversation about carbs as fuel. Clif Bar is not lying. When you go on a 150 mile bike ride your body is going to need carbs and tons of them. But when was the last time you went on a 150-mile bike ride? Uh huh. Thought so. Instead you're sitting at your desk munching on this thing during a conference call and in the meantime taking down 250 calories and 44 grams of Carbs, 20 of which are sugar. Just to give you an idea, 4G of carbs= 1 teaspoon (approx.). So go to your kitchen, pour out 5 teaspoons of sugar onto a plate and you'll see what your eating. Energy bars are NOT for sedentary individuals. They are NOT a diet food. They are fuel for people on 150-mile bike rides! The first ingredient in a Clif Bar? Organic Brown Rice Syrup. SUGAR. Added sugar is probably the biggest enemy for most people when trying to lose weight.

How about these puppies?

General Mills, who I truly believe is run by the devil himself, is responsible for these NATURE VALLEY bars that have been around for a long time. Notice anything? Less calories and sugar than the Clif Bar, but still 190 and 12 g(3 tsp) of sugar...yikes. I've also had these and it is almost a guarantee after 2 bars you will want more. These bars teach us a valuable lesson as well. If I give you a bowlful of spinach and then pour a cup of honey on top of it, I have successfully made spinach a food to get you fat.  So beware of foods that brag about whole grains or other healthy keywords when they are conveniently packaged with various forms of sugar. Look at the ingredients! Always!

How about these?

Think Thin bars have no sugar and tons of protein. Great, right? My advice on these is typically enter at your own risk. Sugar alcohols (which make the bar sweet without adding sugar) have not been widely studied except for a few studies that suggest if you make a steady diet of them you may get diarrhea. Sounds like fun, huh? Check the ingredients:

Protein Blend (whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, calcium caseinate), glycerin, coating (maltitol, palm kernel oil, cocoa, soya lecithin, salt, natural flavors), maltitol syrup, soy crisps (soy protein isolate, cocoa powder, calcium carbonate), cocoa powder, ground peanuts, water, canola oil, natural flavors, soya lecithin, tricalcium phosphate. Vitamins and Minerals: ascorbic acid, d-alpha tocopherol, niacinamide, zinc oxide, vitamin A palmitate, electrolytic iron, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, biotin, potassium iodide, vitamin B12.

Glycerin? Like from my soap? Yummy. I've tried these things...they taste just like other protein bars. In other words, like junk.

So the question I get is, Rob, I want something to eat as a snack or small meal that I can carry. What happened to the good old days of carrying an apple around? Add a small handful of almonds and bingo. The nice thing about almonds is they dry your mouth out like a desert and you have to drink more water to get them down! Bonus! Seriously people....stop eating packaged garbage or stop complaining about your lack of a six pack. Pick.