Are protein bars really just candy bars in disguise?

I was traveling by air recently and eating my usual “lunch on the go”—a protein bar and an apple. Across the aisle, I noticed another passenger eating a candy bar. It made me think about recent studies documenting the deplorable state of the average American diet, and the rising rates of obesity. Yet, at first glance, the snack he was enjoying and my quick lunch seemed similar. We were both eating a rectangular bar coated with chocolate icing. I wondered: is my protein bar really a healthier option or is it a lot more like a candy bar than I’d care to admit? So, I carefully compared the nutritional contents of a Snickers Bar, a Luna Bar (Nutz Over Chocolate, my personal favorite) and, for good measure, a Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey granola bar. Here’s what I found. Calories. The Snickers bar had the most calories per serving (250). But the serving size of a Snickers bar was larger: 52.7 grams, versus 48 grams for the Luna Bar and 42 grams for the granola bar (both of which were 190 calories per serving). This means that, gram for gram, the calorie counts were similar. Fat. The Snickers bar had 12 grams of fat. That’s roughly twice as much fat as the other two bars, and more than a third of it was unhealthy saturated fat. Sugar and salt. Again, the Snickers bar was the loser, with its 27 grams of sugar being well above the 11 grams in the granola bar and 10 grams in the Luna Bar. However, the salt content was lowest in the Snickers bar. Protein. True to its ...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Healthy Eating candy bars protein bars Source Type: news