Best Nutrition Bars for Women

Meal bars, nutrition bars, energy bars, granola bars, weight loss bars, protein bars, breakfast bars, cereal bars…. HELP! What to buy? What are the best nutrition bars for women? Marketers are banking on the knowledge that eye-catching packaging and nutritional claims on product labels (often with no basis in research) will get you to buy whatever seems good. Making the best choice takes time. There are so many products and choices that it has become a bewildering task even for nutritionists!

That’s why I decided to take a closer look at nutrition bars. I will admit I had simply been avoiding this kind of product. I reasoned I could get by without them. However, there are times when I’m overly busy or traveling and having a proper meal isn’t possible. Can you relate? Having a small stash of nutrition bars can be helpful.

I’ve found these bars to fit into four basic categories.  Energy bars. Protein bars. Calorie and portion-controlled bars for weight management and/or meal-replacement (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) and snack bars.

1.    Energy Bars: These tend to have more carbs for extra energy in the form of calories. They are popular with athletes who need an energy boost and are eaten before or during exercise.

The bars are sometimes called power bars or sports bars and were originally designed for athletes participating in marathons.

2.    Protein Bars: As the name suggests these bars are higher in protein. They were developed to provide a nutritional boost for strength training and muscle building.

3.    Weight-Loss/Meal-Replacement Bars: These offer you an option for having a quick portion-controlled and portable meal without too many calories. Some provide you with better nutrition than a candy bar (many do not). That’s the good news. But none are as good as the nutritionally balanced meal they are meant to replace.

Many weight management/meal bars were formulated to match a particular weight loss program. (Zone bars, la weight loss bars, slim fast bars, etc.)

4.    Snack bars: These bars provide a small portable snack and vary widely in nutritional content and calories.

What you need for successful weight management are weight loss/meal replacement bars and snack bars. I’ll share some tips on how to choose the best for you.

Choosing meal and snack bars: What you need to know

To keep calories under control look for meal bars with 250 calories or less and snack bars with 100 calories or less. Adding low fat yogurt or cheese and/or some fresh fruit to a 250-calorie meal bar can give you a reasonably well-balanced meal on the go for less than 400 calories. Keep the total calorie count to 350 or less and it can fit in a low calorie diet of 1200 to 1300 calories.

Next look at the protein count. If you have chosen a bar to provide you with a meal you want to have enough protein to keep you feeling satisfied for as long as possible along with meeting your nutritional needs. Look for 10-15 grams of protein. With a snack bar, I would look for a minimum of 2-4 grams of protein.

Getting enough fiber is another key factor in keeping hunger under control on a low calorie diet. Dietary fiber helps fill you up and reduce hunger much longer than refined carbohydrates such as white bread or sugar. Look for 3 grams of fiber or more with a meal bar, 2 grams or more with a snack bar.

Limit sugar and refined carbohydrates. A serving of carbohydrates is equivalent to about 15 grams. On a 1500 calorie diet you can have 3-6 servings of carbs. However, on a 1200 calorie diet you’ll want to keep your servings of carbs to only 3-4. Given that most nutrition bars have 25 grams of carbohydrates are more, they can quickly take up a large part of your carb allowance for the day! When meal or snack bars include fruit you can afford somewhat more total carbs because you are also meeting some of your fruit needs.

Do watch the sugar count. Each 4 grams of sugar is equivalent to about 1 tsp. or 15 “empty” calories. Do you really want to have several teaspoons of sugar along with all the other calories in your meal bar?

Nutrition labels and ingredient List (What to keep in mind)

GOOD

-Whole, natural ingredients are best

-4 grams of fiber or more

MAYBE

Many bars are loaded with nutrients such as zinc, calcium, vitamins B12, D and others. These are nutrients that can come up short for women. However, I wouldn’t make this the basis for choosing a bar.  With the exception of Vitamin D for women of all ages plus calcium and vitamin B12 for older women (and vegans) it is better to get your nutrients from whole minimally processed food.

NOT GOOD

Limit sugar alcohols
Limit sugar in all its forms (See Sources of hidden sugar)
Hydrogenated oils
Saturated Fat (saturated fat is often added to improve flavor but for many people it’s detrimental for cardiovascular health)

What I’ve shared are guidelines I follow that will hopefully help you and other women when selecting a nutrition bar. In another article I’ll let you know which meal and snack bars I like best and why!

Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food!

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