Energy Bars And Sugar: Are They As Sweet As Candy?

Energy Bars That Are Just As Sugary As Candy

When you’re feeling hungry at the end of the day, it’s easy to unwrap an energy bar. These bars have been formulated to provide a combination of fiber and protein to keep you energized and full. While the snacks are convenient and especially helpful if you’re hungry before the gym, they can often conceal a major dose of sugar, causing them to be more unhealthy than you'd expect.

In fact, some bars are as sweet as a candy bar, providing nearly a day's worth of sugar based on nutritional guidelines. The American Heart Association recommends that women should not eat or drink more than 20 grams of sugar a day, and men no more than 36 grams. A man can get half that sugar from a Balance Bar, which has 18 grams, while a woman can get a full day's dose with a Lara Bar, which can clock in at 20 grams. That's about the same amount as chocolate bars and candy like Take Five, Hershey's or Twizzlers -- the sort of snack most nutritionally minded people wouldn't eat regularly.

It's important to note that there are other healthful elements to these bars -- things like fiber, protein and even all-natural, whole ingredients. Since excess sugar can cause numerous health problems, we've compared the sugar content of the several popular energy bars to that of common candy bars.

Balance Bar vs. Take Five

Energy Bars vs. Candy Bars

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