Energy bars have come to the rescue of the health conscious candy bar consumer. They look and taste like candy bars, contain protein and fiber, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are convenient, taste good, and thanks to an incredible amount of advertising hype, they are consumed without the guilt of the candy bar.
As with many other “natural” products, protein/energy bars the healthy sounding labels are simply marketing tools.
To learn what you are really eating, you usually have to look under a flap, which can be hard to find.
Be diligent and you will see, in very small print, a list of ingredients that will tell you what is in the energy/protein bar. You may need a magnifying glass to read it and if you don’t happen to have one, you will probably be able to tell if the list is long or short. The more ingredients listed the more likely it is to be nothing more than junk food.
Keep in mind that ingredients are listed in the order of the amount which is present in the product. The first ingredient listed is the one that is contained in the largest amount. As I looked at a variety of bars, I found sugar listed several times, in different forms. There was everything from high fructose corn syrup, sugar, cane sugar (just another name that sounds healthier than sugar), honey, molasses, etc. etc. As it becomes well known that sugar destroys health, the industries find new names that they hope people won’t recognize as sugar. Even when it is not listed as the first ingredient, a product can be mostly sugar when you add the different forms together.
Hydrogenated oil, often in the form of processed palm kernel oil, is a common ingredient in energy bars. As you know, these are trans fats—well known to be a big factor in health destruction, especially heart and circulatory disease. Adelle Davis wrote over forty years ago, that if palm oil was not taken out of baby formula, heart disease would continue to increase at a rapid rate. After that you’re likely to find all kinds of artificial flavorings, sweeteners, more hydrogenated refined oils, and they may throw in some processed soy protein.
Soy, which used to be considered a very healthful protein, has come under scrutiny for several well documented reasons. One of which is that it simulates estrogen in the body.
I noticed a man in the supermarket reading labels very carefully. He told me that his wife has had breast cancer and her doctor told her that she was not to eat any amount of soy under any circumstances.
Another reason to pause for thought before eating soy is contained in the following statement included in the history of soy. “Traditionally fermented soy products make a delicious, natural seasoning that may supply important nutritional factors in the Asian diet. But except in times of famine, Asians consume soy products only in small amounts, as condiments, and not as a replacement for animal foods – with one exception. Celibate monks living in monasteries and leading a vegetarian lifestyle find soy foods quite helpful because they dampen libido.”
If you are going to buy energy/protein bars, look for simplicity. Many of the healthiest and tastiest bars have only a couple of basic ingredients such as nuts, seeds and fruit. There are a few good ones on the market, but they are hard to find and they are very expensive. Why bother when you can have your own simple protein/energy snack and actually know what you are eating?
A combination of nuts (pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, etc) a few raisins and some real cheddar cheese cut in little chunks makes a delicious snack that can actually give you some nourishment and energy. You can keep a bag in your purse or pocket. Our own Ozark Country Market (formerly Van’s Fruit Market) here in Heber Springs has a good supply of raw nuts, and raisins and other dry fruit in bulk that are not as processed as the packaged ones. They also taste much better.
An apple or banana with some nuts or cheese makes a fine snack when you feel the need for more energy.
Americans spend over 90 percent of their money for food on processed foods, so it is no surprise that energy bars have become so popular. Most people are more than willing to exchange convenience for their health and will not consider changing this potentially disastrous choice.
Keep it simple and don’t fall for all the gimmicks that try to sell us something that looks healthy. Read the fine print.
Apply to your health the following wisdom from Eric Hoffer: “The learner shall inherit the earth; the learned is likely to find he lives in a world that no longer exists.”
(Janice Norris lives in Heber Springs, has a B.S. in home economics from Murray State University, taught home economics, owned and operated health food stores in Illinois and Heber Springs, has taught numerous health and nutrition classes, and wrote a weekly newspaper column in Illinois for 15 years. She can be reached at janicenorris34@yahoo.com)
