Training & Nutrition - Energy bars with less fat?

Hi all....I'm starting to use energy bars even as "snacks" to help with the 6 smaller meals a day thing and such. I'm eating Clif bars now....but they have 6g fat. Anybody have a clue on bars that are better in terms of weight loss (less fat and carbs)?

I did some preliminary looking over the weekend and best I found was Luna bars, but somebody in another post somewhere said that they had a few nutrients (iron in particular) which males shouldn't go out of their way to take.

Any ideas?

Hi all....I'm starting to use energy bars even as "snacks" to help with the 6 smaller meals a day thing and such. I'm eating Clif bars now....but they have 6g fat. Anybody have a clue on bars that are better in terms of weight loss (less fat and carbs)?

I did some preliminary looking over the weekend and best I found was Luna bars, but somebody in another post somewhere said that they had a few nutrients (iron in particular) which males shouldn't go out of their way to take.

Any ideas?
Cranberry Apple Cherry, Lemon Poppyseed, Cookies and Cream, and Chocolate Brownie all have under 5 grams of fat. I eat Luna bars sometimes. The Iced Oatmeal smells just like a cinnamon roll. I usually eat them if I wanna reduce my calories for the day as they only have either 170 or 180 calories compared to original Clif Bar's 230-250 calories. Kashi Go Lean Crunch bars also have fewer grams of fat than most.

Hi all....I'm starting to use energy bars even as "snacks" to help with the 6 smaller meals a day thing and such. I'm eating Clif bars now....but they have 6g fat. Anybody have a clue on bars that are better in terms of weight loss (less fat and carbs)?

I did some preliminary looking over the weekend and best I found was Luna bars, but somebody in another post somewhere said that they had a few nutrients (iron in particular) which males shouldn't go out of their way to take.

Any ideas?

They are just fine for men. They are not "pH balanced for a woman" or anything just some extra nutrients/vitamins that are more woman oriented but would not hurt a man. I eat them all the time. They taste absolutely wonderful and I feel very energetic after eating one. Great product.

http://www.lunabar.com/products/FAQs.cfm?documentid=7#kids

Hi all....I'm starting to use energy bars even as "snacks" to help with the 6 smaller meals a day thing and such. I'm eating Clif bars now....but they have 6g fat.

Any ideas?

I would not worry too much about fat, as much as I would worry about the TYPE of fat. Fish Oils and flax oil is all fat. But they are very healthy fats with many health benefits.
Avoid a bar with trans fats. Omega 3 oils are good.

I eat MetRx bars, Grow bars taste better. Check them out at:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=12551A74F4A58B0F8891802CE20A2B4B.hydra?id=618107

I would not worry too much about fat, as much as I would worry about the TYPE of fat. Fish Oils and flax oil is all fat. But they are very healthy fats with many health benefits.
Avoid a bar with trans fats. Omega 3 oils are good.

I eat MetRx bars, Grow bars taste better. Check them out at:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=**sesionid removed**.hydra?id=618107
That website is not very secure.....the url you give above has your sessionid embedded as part of the url so that when I clicked it to go look, I was logged in to that website as YOU. I'd remove that url, if I were you.

A low calorie energy bar? LOL

A low calorie energy bar? LOL
Now that you mention it.....that is sort of an oxy-moron isn't it? Kind of self-defeating.

You could just eat half the bar

I'm a fan of Clif bars, but recently I found some cereal bars in the health-food section of my local Kroger (Tom Thumb, Safeway, whathaveyou) -- only 2g fat (0g trans-fat) and they taste good enough that someone close to me who's not a 'health nut' by any sense of the phrase loves them:

http://www.healthvalley.com/products/product.php?prod_id=86&cat_id=3

http://www.healthvalley.com/images/products/w165/ba_ce_bc.jpg

Get a powerbar. I think it's only 2 grams of fat.

I am always concerned about the amount of saturated fat in an energy bar, not the total fat content. If it's a low saturated fat content, your energy bar should be ok.

Koffee

Get a powerbar. I think it's only 2 grams of fat.

I am always concerned about the amount of saturated fat in an energy bar, not the total fat content. If it's a low saturated fat content, your energy bar should be ok.

Koffee
well but with the powerbar you're getting High Fructose Corn Syrup. So although you avoid saturated fat, you're getting a dose of HFCS. Pick your poison I guess.

If you like the taste of the clif bars, I'd stick with 'em. The lemon poppyseed and apricot are only 3.5g total fat (0.5 saturated), carrot cake is 4g (1.5g sat). Oatmeal & Raisin is one of my favourites, I think around 5g fat total. The two peanut butter versions have high protein levels too, if that excites you at all. Worth the extra couple of grams of fat to have something that tastes ok, instead of an over-processed rubber Powerbar or similar.

I'd also look in to other snack options other than energy bars if I were you. Fresh vegetables (carrots, mushrooms, celery, baby tomatoes) with hommus are a staple snack of mine - you can eat a heap of them, fills you up well, and is low in calories and fat. Trail mix and unsalted nuts are awesome snacks too.

well but with the powerbar you're getting High Fructose Corn Syrup. So although you avoid saturated fat, you're getting a dose of HFCS. Pick your poison I guess.

Well, I just read through the ingredient list- NO high fructose corn syrup. Are you sure about that ingredient list you're talking about?

Koffee

Well, I just read through the ingredient list- NO high fructose corn syrup. Are you sure about that ingredient list you're talking about?

Koffee
"High Fructose Corn Syrup With Grape And Pear Juice Concentrate" is the number one ingredient in the list for Powerbar Performance bars. What Powerbar are you looking at?

Pria. Which one are you looking at?

My pria has brown rice syrup as its number one ingredient.

Koffee

kashi chewy granola bars are very good and 130-140 cal/bar. 5g of fat

Pria. Which one are you looking at?

My pria has brown rice syrup as its number one ingredient.

Koffee
Powerbar Performance bar (the original Powerbar), which is probably where 99.9% of people will go when you suggest "Get a powerbar" :D. I'm sure Pria bars have different ingredients...

*edit: Pria bars have about 3-3.5g of fat and a 2-2.5g of saturated fat!!! :eek: They're also only about half the calories, and less than half the weight of a Clif bar (110 cals / 28g Pria bar, 240-250 cals / 68g Clif bar). More fat (and way more saturated fat) than a Clif bar.

Powerbar Performance bar (the original Powerbar), which is probably where 99.9% of people will go when you suggest "Get a powerbar" :D. I'm sure Pria bars have different ingredients...

Ok, I get it. But even different powerbars will have different ingredients, whether it's Balance, Powerbar, or Cliff. Even when I get different energy bars, I still read the ingredient list with all the different flavors. They will all have different ingredients and different nutrition facts. None of us are blind- we just need to consciously read through the ingredients and nutrition label and make good choices.

Koffee

Powerbar Performance bar (the original Powerbar), which is probably where 99.9% of people will go when you suggest "Get a powerbar" :D. I'm sure Pria bars have different ingredients...

*edit: Pria bars have about 3-3.5g of fat and a 2-2.5g of saturated fat!!! :eek: They're also only about half the calories, and less than half the weight of a Clif bar (110 cals / 28g Pria bar, 240-250 cals / 68g Clif bar). More fat (and way more saturated fat) than a Clif bar.

2 g of saturated fat is not going to hurt- if you consciously eat a diet low in saturated fat, one energy bar with 2 g of saturated fat is not going to bulk you up. Besides that, the lower in fat it is, the less "tasty" the bar, which I've also noticed. I think Clif bars taste like dirt... literally. It's too low in fat for me to even think as an option, but I find the Pria bars and the Balance bars have an acceptable amount of low saturated fat for energy bars. They do the job and are tasty enough for me to not barf when I'm trying to eat a quick energy snack while out there for a long ride (over 3 hours).

Less than two hours, I would say there's no need for an energy bar, provided you've gotten a snack before you left the house.

Koffee

Another side topic......more of a rant.

Why, oh why do all "energy bars" of all types have to be sweet, like candy bars. I'd rather see some swee & sour (like nuts & raisin) or other options.

Ok, I get it. But even different powerbars will have different ingredients, whether it's Balance, Powerbar, or Cliff. Even when I get different energy bars, I still read the ingredient list with all the different flavors. They will all have different ingredients and different nutrition facts. None of us are blind- we just need to consciously read through the ingredients and nutrition label and make good choices.

Koffee
Yup... e.g. some of the Clif bars have caffeine, which my wife tries to avoid like the plague since it's a migraine trigger for her.

Powerbar makes about 4 or 5 different bars... some have HFCS, and the rest seem to be high in saturated fat, neither of which really appeals to me. I typically use Clif bars (Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch, Black Cherry & Almond, or Crunchy Peanut Butter) since the taste and texture work for me, and the ingredients and nutrition info appeal to my inner health conscious being. Different strokes for different folks, though. :)

Another side topic......more of a rant.

Why, oh why do all "energy bars" of all types have to be sweet, like candy bars. I'd rather see some swee & sour (like nuts & raisin) or other options.
Try the Kashi granola bars slightly sweet and savory and nutty to boot.
http://www.kashi.com/bars_granola.aspx?SID=1&Category_ID=71&

2 g of saturated fat is not going to hurt- if you consciously eat a diet low in saturated fat, one energy bar with 2 g of saturated fat is not going to bulk you up. Besides that, the lower in fat it is, the less "tasty" the bar, which I've also noticed. I think Clif bars taste like dirt... literally. It's too low in fat for me to even think as an option, but I find the Pria bars and the Balance bars have an acceptable amount of low saturated fat for energy bars. They do the job and are tasty enough for me to not barf when I'm trying to eat a quick energy snack while out there for a long ride (over 3 hours).

Less than two hours, I would say there's no need for an energy bar, provided you've gotten a snack before you left the house.

Koffee
Like I say, different strokes for different folks. Pria bars and Powerbars taste way too sweet for me.

Compared to the Clif bars the OP is currently consuming, you'd need 2-and-a-bit Pria bars to get the same serving size and calories (which IS an important factor on a ride), not only would total fat be higher, but you're also talking 5g+ of saturated fat per comparable serving (an extra 3-4g over what the OP is eating now). When the OP is approaching these as a snack, that's a significant amount of saturated fat. If you like the taste, then I guess it can be justified easily enough.

In any case, I try to keep saturated fats as low as possible. For those of us (like the OP) who are still trying to lose some weight, you need to approach your diet as a whole more than just as individual servings. Individual servings is an easy trap to fall in to. e.g. One scoop of ice cream won't hurt. One scoop of ice cream after a few slices of pizza will. If you can cut 2-3g of saturated fat out of a serving, that's worth doing.

one thing to be careful of with Luna is that a lot of them have 2 grams of saturated fat or more. Many have 3 grams. But the ones that taste good are worth it.

Try the Kashi granola bars slightly sweet and savory and nutty to boot.
http://www.kashi.com/bars_granola.aspx?SID=1&Category_ID=71&
Ok....I REALLY like the look of those. That really looks like what I was looking for.

Gonna see if I can find them at my local SuperTarget!!

Like I say, different strokes for different folks. Pria bars and Powerbars taste way too sweet for me.

Compared to the Clif bars the OP is currently consuming, you'd need 2-and-a-bit Pria bars to get the same serving size and calories (which IS an important factor on a ride), not only would total fat be higher, but you're also talking 5g+ of saturated fat per comparable serving (an extra 3-4g over what the OP is eating now). When the OP is approaching these as a snack, that's a significant amount of saturated fat. If you like the taste, then I guess it can be justified easily enough.

In any case, I try to keep saturated fats as low as possible. For those of us (like the OP) who are still trying to lose some weight, you need to approach your diet as a whole more than just as individual servings. Individual servings is an easy trap to fall in to. e.g. One scoop of ice cream won't hurt. One scoop of ice cream after a few slices of pizza will. If you can cut 2-3g of saturated fat out of a serving, that's worth doing.

And like you said, it's different strokes for different folks. I like the sweet taste of the Powerbars and Pria, and I don't like the taste of dirt, hence my extreme dislike of Clif.

I am also dieting, but I'm not completely adverse to fat- I eat very little saturated fat in my diet. Saturated fat, in low amounts is still fine. If we were talking about 15- 20 g of fat, that's one thing, but 2- 3 grams of fat? That is insane to debate over. I am also working on weight loss, and as long as I continue doing the type of riding I'm doing, I'm going to continue losing weight, as I have been doing all summer, since I started consciously working towards weight loss.

There are so many people out there that believe that saturated fat is a bad thing- it isn't... in SMALL amounts. 5- 10 g of fat in your diet is nothing, and it's easily burned in a long ride- that is, unless you are planning your fitness incorrectly. Or perhaps you're eating incorrectly? Perhaps, in your quest for weight loss, you are exercising so much and eating so little, that you are actually hindering weight loss, which is why some people struggle with weight loss.

Regardless of what energy bar you choose, to argue over such an insignificant amount of fat and in the same breath, exclaim that you exercise, yet you have problems with weight loss (not saying you specifically, but people in general), makes me think that people could use a good dietitian to explain exactly how food works to fuel the body, and put together a good eating plan so that one is not obsessing over a few grams of fat. Consider this (for instance): for a diet of 1600 calories, you should eat no more than 53 grams of fat... (from a lecture I took from Dr. Nancy Clarke). That's a whole lot of wiggle room for you, and most people aren't aware just how many grams of fat they really need in their diet without stressing out. Fat is necessary for us to absorb some vitamins we consume, so it's not a bad thing to have some of it in your diet.

Again, saturated fat in high amounts= bad. But 2- 3 g of fat extra in your diet is not something to stress over when you exercise regularly and are eating healthy. If you're really that concerned where you're going to obsess over that little amount of saturated fats, then again, see a dietitian and get some eating plans for your exercise.

And P.S.- if you are eating pizza and ice cream, I don't think you're dieting... ;)

Koffee

if i remember correctly,my oatmeal raisin peak bar had 1g of fat.

And like you said, it's different strokes for different folks. I like the sweet taste of the Powerbars and Pria, and I don't like the taste of dirt, hence my extreme dislike of Clif.

I am also dieting, but I'm not completely adverse to fat- I eat very little saturated fat in my diet. Saturated fat, in low amounts is still fine. If we were talking about 15- 20 g of fat, that's one thing, but 2- 3 grams of fat? That is insane to debate over. I am also working on weight loss, and as long as I continue doing the type of riding I'm doing, I'm going to continue losing weight, as I have been doing all summer, since I started consciously working towards weight loss.

There are so many people out there that believe that saturated fat is a bad thing- it isn't... in SMALL amounts. 5- 10 g of fat in your diet is nothing, and it's easily burned in a long ride- that is, unless you are planning your fitness incorrectly. Or perhaps you're eating incorrectly? Perhaps, in your quest for weight loss, you are exercising so much and eating so little, that you are actually hindering weight loss, which is why some people struggle with weight loss.

Regardless of what energy bar you choose, to argue over such an insignificant amount of fat and in the same breath, exclaim that you exercise, yet you have problems with weight loss (not saying you specifically, but people in general), makes me think that people could use a good dietitian to explain exactly how food works to fuel the body, and put together a good eating plan so that one is not obsessing over a few grams of fat. Consider this (for instance): for a diet of 1600 calories, you should eat no more than 53 grams of fat... (from a lecture I took from Dr. Nancy Clarke). That's a whole lot of wiggle room for you, and most people aren't aware just how many grams of fat they really need in their diet without stressing out. Fat is necessary for us to absorb some vitamins we consume, so it's not a bad thing to have some of it in your diet.

Again, saturated fat in high amounts= bad. But 2- 3 g of fat extra in your diet is not something to stress over when you exercise regularly and are eating healthy. If you're really that concerned where you're going to obsess over that little amount of saturated fats, then again, see a dietitian and get some eating plans for your exercise.

And P.S.- if you are eating pizza and ice cream, I don't think you're dieting... ;)

Koffee
Who's arguing? If you think something is insane to discuss, stop discussing it. :rolleyes: The OP is talking about eating these bars as snacks, a couple of times a day. The discussion is not centered around what works when you're out on a long ride. Higher fat bars can add up quickly in the OP's situation.

Different dietitians and different nutritionists will give different advice. Somewhere in there is what works for each person.

** just to clarify, I'm really not that concerned with which bar works for which person. I'm glad you like Powerbars and Pria bars. I pointed out the fat contents of Powerbars only because you recommended them as a 2g of fat option with no HFCS, which was not quite true. There's absolutely nothing wrong with them, and everyone out there should eat whatever they want. The OP is obviously concerned about the fat content, is a grown man, and can figure out what works for him quite well I'm sure... Nutrition advice gained from a forum on the internet is worth exactly what you pay for it. :D

Hey funny guy
I went to buy a Clif Bar today,( but opted for the chocolate donut instead, true story) but it only had
2.5g fat. Don't know which one it was, I would have paid more attention if I'd read your thread first, but maybe just your favorites are higher?

Hey funny guy
I went to buy a Clif Bar today,( but opted for the chocolate donut instead, true story) but it only had
2.5g fat. Don't know which one it was, I would have paid more attention if I'd read your thread first, but maybe just your favorites are higher?
it was the cranberry apple cherry. That's the one with the lowest fat.