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I really want to present both sides of this argument, but it has proven hard to find any creditable articles online in support of the use of Meal Replacement Bars. I understand that there are times when such an option; bars and shakes, make sense because of their portability and convenience and I support their use in this way.
The industry around these bars seems to have grown bigger and bigger over the last 15 years. They are sold as an alternative for the busy person - you don't have to cook and you can get all your nutrition delivered in a neat oblong little package! No question; there is some truth to that, but caution is the order of the day.
"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true", some of you have heard me lament that we are great at turning breakfast into dessert - think about all the sweet items we eat for that meal, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that we are one of the few countries in the world whose culture has become dessert as every meal. I'm amazed that we have been marketed to the extend that we actually believe that eating candy instead of lunch is acceptable.
I am reprinting an article in it's entirety below. It represents my own position on the subject. Personally, I don't use bars as a replacement meal regularly, occasionally (probably once every couple of months) I have a WW bar for breakfast and that's mostly for the purposes of having some variety in my life. I make no judgement if you do use them in moderation, but do think about the wisdom of eating them regularly. There's really no alternative to a balanced meal on a plate.
published by Timesfreepress.com Thursday, July 19th, 2012
Meal replacement bars should be last resort
Don't put a lot of stock in the term "meal replacement bars." Experts say the so-called health bars really ought to be treated as a last-resort option.
"There is no true meal replacement," said Amy Autuori, a registered dietitian at Sodexho, a food- services contractor at Memorial Hospital. "The best option is always to sit down and try to have a simple meal. Whole foods are better than bars. If you have to do it when you're on the go, you can [get by], but try to limit yourself to one bar a day."
While these bars are touted for their portability, there are other, better options for a meal on the go.
"These bars and shakes are great because they're portable," Autuori said, "but there are food products that are portable as well: low-fat cheese and crackers, peanut butter on bread, a piece of fruit. ... You can also supplement with a high-fiber snack like vegetable juice."
Shaina Davis Gross, a registered dietitian at Sodexho at Erlanger Health Systems, said sometimes she'll have a spoonful of peanut butter when she needs a quick protein fix on the go.
Whole foods with complex carbohydrates are preferable to energy bars, particularly because the bars rarely satisfy your appetite, experts say.
Tiffany Godsey, a registered dietitian at Parkridge Medical Center, said in an email interview the bars should be considered as a quick snack in a pinch, not as a meal replacement.
If you must choose a bar of some sort, look to the label.
"You should look to have 30 percent or less of your daily caloric intake from fat with less than 10 percent of that being from saturated fats," Godsey said.
Trans fats, which raise low-density lipid, or "bad" cholesterol, should be avoided.
The recommended daily fiber intake for adults is 25-30 grams per day. However, too much fiber at once can cause stomach upset. Look for 3-5 grams of fiber per serving, said Autuori, as some of the higher-fiber bars contain indigestible fibers from chicory root, and can cause gastrointestinal distress.
Pay attention as well to sodium sugar, protein and calories. Bars that have more than 200 calories or are probably excessive. Look for 10 to 15 grams of protein per serving and try to find bars that have about 30 percent of daily recommended vitamins and minerals. We need no more than 2300 milligrams of sodium in our diet per day," said Godsey.
The key to determining the acceptability of an energy bar is what's in it. The ingredients reveal a lot about the quality of a product. And in most cases, less is definitely more. Gross emphasized the importance of avoiding bars with a lot of added ingredients that are hard to pronounce or sound like chemical additives.
The first ingredient, Autouri said, is the most prevalent one. Avoid bars that have some sort of syrup as the first ingredient as "those are basically going to be sugar bars."
And don't be fooled by the word "organic." It's great for apples or other fruits that involve the skin being eaten, but organic corn syrup is still sugar.
Speaking of sugar, "be careful of the (bars) that sound like dessert," Autouri said. "You wouldn't substitute your lunch with a piece of cake."
So anything called peanut butter chocolate crunch or cookie dough dream should be dismissed.
Sorry.
A SAMPLING OF BARS
Pro-Bar Sweet & Savory Maple Pecan
• The Good: Contains 10 grams of protein per serving.
• The Bad: Contains 390 calories and 23 grams of fat per serving.
Luna Blueberry Bliss
• The Good: Contains fewer than 200 (180) calories and 5 grams of fat. Godsey, of Parkridge, deemed this one her choice.
• The Bad: Contains a lot of ingredients that are not easily identifiable (what are oat syrup solids?).
Kind Plus Almond, Walnut, Macademia + Protein
• The Good: Contains a lot of nuts, which are high in healthy fats.
• The Bad: This bar is basically nuts held together with syrup, Autouri, of Memorial, said. Why not just eat a handful of nuts?
Clif Bar Oatmeal Raisin Walnut
• The Good: Contains 10 grams of protein and five grams each of fat and fiber.
• The Bad: The first ingredient is brown rice syrup, contains chicory root extract.
Rise Breakfast Bar Perfect Pumpkin
• The Good: All ingredients are whole food ingredients.
• The Bad: Contains 10 grams of fat.
Larabar Key Lime Pie
• The Good: Contains only five ingredients, all of which are identifiable as actual food. Has no added sugar.
• The Bad: Contains 10 grams of fat and 220 calories per serving.
Talking About Candy...
"Trick or Treat"
Also - you can take the pledge:
“I ______________________ (name) pledge NOT to purchase my Halloween Candy until 30th October! I pledge to ONLY buy the amount of candy that, to the best of my ability, I estimate to need on Halloween and more-over I pledge to ONLY buy candy that I dislike, therefore minimizing my risk of being triggered by it! In the name that is totally Weight Watchers – I pledge NOT to give Nina any more grey hair this year”!
Candy
3 Musketeers, Fun Size Each 2
3 Musketeers, 60g Bar Each 7
Almond Joy, Snack Size Each 2
Almond Joy, 45g Bar Each 6
Baby Ruth, Snack Size Each 2
Baby Ruth, Regular Size Each Bar 8
Blow Pops Junior 2
Bubble Gum - assorted
gumballs 8g piece 1
Butterfinger, Fun Size Each 3
Butterfinger, Regular 1 Bar 8
Butternut Mini Bar Each 2
Candy Corn 22 pieces 3
Carmello Each snack size bars 2
Crispy Caramel Fudge Bar Snack Size 2
Caramel & Peanut Butter
Crispy Bars Snack Size 2
Chocolate Toffee Crisp Bars Snack Size 2
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar Snack Size 2
Double Bubble Gum 2 Pieces 1
Heath Bar 2 Snack Size Bars 3
Hershey's Bar (Plain) 2 Snack Size Bars 5
Hershey's Bar (Almond) 2 Snack Size Bars 5
Hershey's Kisses 8 Pieces 5
Hershey's Kisses or Hugs 3 Pieces 2
Hershey's Minatures 1 Piece 1
Hershey's Tastations 3 Pieces 1
Hershey's Sweet Escapes 1 Piece 2
Hi C Juice Fillers (bag) 5 Candies 2
Hot Tamales, Snack Box Each 1
Jolly Rancher 3 Pieces 1
Jolly Rancher Mini Stix Each 1
Kit Kat 2 pc Snack Bars Each 2
Kit Kat 4-Piece Bar Each 6
Lemonheads Each Box 2
Life Saver Hard Candies
(Most Flavors) 2 Piece 1
Life Savers Gummies (Most
Flavors) 5 Pieces 2
Life Saver Pops 1 Pop 1
M & M (plain), Fun Size Each 2
M & M (peanut) Fun Size Each 2
M & M Crispy Each Pkg 5
Mars Fun Size 2
Mary Jane Peanut Butter
Kisses 3 Pieces 2
Maynard's Wine Gums 1 Roll 3
Mike & Ikes Snack Pkg Each Box 1
Milk Duds, Fun Size Each 1
Milky Way, Fun Size Each 2
Milky Way Lite, Minis 5 Pieces 3
Milky Way Lite, Regular Bar Each 4
Mounds, Snack Size Each 2
Necco Wafers 1 Roll 1
Nerds Each Box 1
Nestle Crunch Fun Size 2 Pieces 3
Now & Later, Mini Bar Each 1
O'Henry, Fun Size 2 Pieces 5
Pumpkin Pop Each 1
Milk or Dark Chocolate
Raisinetes, Snack Size 1 Box 2
Red Hots Each Box 2
Reese's Crunchy Cookie Cups 2 Pieces 4
Reese's Miniature Peanut
Butter Cups Each 1
Reeses Peanut Butter Bites Each Pkg 2
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup,
Snack Size Each 2
Skittles Fun Size Each 2
Skittles Regular Size Each 5
Smarties Mixed Flavor Mini
Roll Each 1
Snickers, Fun Size Each 2
Starburst, Fun Size Each 1
Starburst Fruit Chews 2 Pieces 1
Sweethearts (Necco), Motto
Candy 1 Box 3
Three Musketeers, Fun Size Each 2
Tootsie Roll, Snack Bars Each 1
Tootsie Roll Midgees 6 Pieces 4
Tootsie Roll Pop Each 1
Twix Mini Size Each 1
Twix, Snack Size Each 2
Twix, Regular Size (2 Pack) Each 7
Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel
Cherry Candy 3 Pieces 3
Twizzlers Strawberry Twists Each 1
Werther's Original 3 Pieces 1
Whoppers Malted Milk Balls,
Snack Size Each Pkg 3
Wonka Nerds Gumballs Each 1
Wonka Shock Tarts Gumballs Each 1
Wrigleys Chewing Gum 5 Pieces 1
York Peppermint Patties 1 Piece 4
