The energy bar is obviously marketed to give you an “energy boost.” Coffee and energy drinks are advertised in a similar way. We all know that in college, many of us feel drained of energy as a result of staying up late, working endlessly on term papers, and going out on the weekends. Do energy bars actually do what they promise and are they healthy?
Energy Bars are often loaded with sugar in the form of brown rice syrup, corn syrup, and fructose. This gives them their rich, sweet flavor. These processed forms of sugar have been separated from their natural state. They are now hyper-concentrated and lacking of their original nutrients.
Many times these energy bars—as a result of the processed sugar and added caffeine—give us energy, but only for a limited time. Once the “energy” begins to fade, some people experience a “crash” and must begin an immediate search for their next “energy burst” from more sugar or caffeine. For some, they experience a really vicious cycle of spikes and crashes in energy.
A better way to ensure that you will have enough energy during the day is to get enough sleep at night nd to eat regular meals with fruits, vegetables, legumens, and who grains. Fruit, especially is a wonderful way to start the day in lieu of an energy bar. This is because fruit is full of vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and sugar in their most natural form. Fructose is easy for the human body to utilize and assimilate. Our ancestors ate fruit for energy, not energy bars, which are laden with such ingredients as corn syrup, brown rice syrup, isolated fructose, and caffeine.
If you do choose to enjoy the occasional energy bar, however, opt for either a KIND fruit and nut bar, an Odwalla bar, or a CLIF bar as these are the healthiest options at the C-store.
So the takeaway message here is: stick with fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts for energy. However, the occasional energy bar can be quite an enjoyable snack!