I’ve started having a Power Bar or Clif Bar for breakfast everyday (makes a great on-the-go breakfast).
Although the packaging makes them sound wholesome and nutritious, I have my doubts. Has anyone seen/read any reports that have actually analyzed the contents of these?
I’d appreciate any information you might have.
I’ve seen a number of discussions about them. The general consensus has been that they are fine as a snack or pick-up, but don’t make good meal replacements, as they are bound to lack some of the vitamins, minerals, protein (usually) and other good stuff found in real foods.
So basically they are better than nothing for breakfast, but probably not better than real food.
(Plus, IMHO, they all taste like sawdust stuck together with molasses.)
They are energy bars, not breakfast bars. The ingredients (lots of carbs and simple sugars) are designed to give you a burst of energy + sustained energy for exertion. They make no claims to be nutritionally complete (or a meal substitute), and they aren’t, although they beat a Twinkie. Its like asking if Gatorade is good for you. Yes, in some situations, its excellent for you. But if you aren’t dehydrated or about to do something sweat-inducing, its about the same as Kool-aid in terms of health.
I prefer Clif Bars . . . Power Bars are too gooey & gross, but Clif Bars are more like real food. Clif Bars are way ahead of Gatorade & Kool-Aid in nutrition, no comparison. Even more like real food are Odwalla Bars. Then there’s the Chi Bar, loaded with Chinese herbs. Mmm-MM!
You’d be better off grabbing a bagel. You’d be getting the same calories and carbs, and it’s cheaper. There’s no real advantage to power bars unless you’re an endurance athlete.
If you really like the convenience of a bar, maybe try a 40-30-30 bar. They’re closer to an average diet (but still not as good as regular food), and you can still get a lot of calories from them.