By Irene Hayton
Look in any grocery or health food store and you’ll see an abundance of protein bars and energy bars. While these taste good and are convenient for people on the go, they are generally not healthy and natural like they claim to be and are not a recommended food on the Eating Alive Program.
Most protein and energy bars are not much better than a typical candy bar. They are processed foods that often contain unhealthy fats, preservatives, sugars (such as high fructose corn syrup), and artificial sweeteners. Also, the protein in these bars is often derived from whey that has been subjected to heat during processing (see the Health Tip for June 2007) or from soy—which is not a recommended protein choice on the Eating Alive Program (see the Health Tip for January 2007).
Many people eat these as a snack and most of them are too high in calories for a snack. Choose “real” foods instead, those that are unprocessed and as close to their natural form as possible. Healthy snack choices include: an apple and some smooth nut butter; a hard-boiled egg; plain yogurt or cottage cheese with some seasonal fruit and/or hemp or salba seeds; a small handful of nuts (be sure to chew them well); bean salad; hummus, bean dip, or tzatziki with lightly steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots; half an avocado with a slice of chicken, turkey, or tuna spread (see this month’s recipe). Or make a batch of Energy Bites or Coco-Almond Balls (see the Recipe section of this website) to have on hand. Yes, all of these suggestions require a bit of preparation and planning ahead if you want to make healthy eating a priority but your health is certainly worth it. For snacks and meals that require refrigeration, take a small cooler with freezer packs in it with you in your car, at work, etc.
If you do choose to eat protein or energy bars, be sure to read the label and select those that have as few unnatural ingredients as possible (avoid those with ingredients whose names you don’t recognize or cannot pronounce) and limit your consumption of them to once a week or so.
