Are Fitness Bars Worse for Your Health and Weight Than You Thought?

There is a growing trend to think through a proper meal after a workout, and with good reason. When you work hard at the gym and burn calories then you want to be sure to eat the right foods to complement that. You want something that is easy to grab and convenient, but that is also healthy at the same time. This isn’t as easy as you might realize for the very things that you think are good for you may actually equal diet sabotage. When you think about fitness bars, these are the prime example of foods that seem healthy and appropriate, but may actually cause far more harm than good.

It is important to know that not all bars are made the same. All you have to do is look down the aisles of the local grocery store, and you see that there are far more options than one would ever need. This makes it even more confusing, for you may feel a bit uncertain as to what can work for you and what works against you. This is where you have to really learn to read labels and understand that the wrong ingredients may undo what you just worked so hard to accomplish at the gym. It’s not always easy but becoming your own best advocate means that you are healthy, you are in control, and you learn to do your research to make sound food choices.

Though you might think that fitness bars are a no brainer to grab and eat on the go after a workout, there may be much healthier options. If you’re wondering why they can be bad news, then here are just a few reasons why they can work against you.

They may contain far more sugar than you realize or need: Herein lies one of the biggest problems with these bars overall. Though they may very well contain some healthy, wonderful ingredients, they are often coated in sugar and therefore work against you. Their sugar content may be as high as a baked good and that certainly isn’t what you want to turn to after a strenuous workout. Recognize that sugar content really does matter and read the labels so that you can easily decipher the good protein or workout bars from the bad ones, for this is a big determining factor.

They may actually be higher in saturated fat than a candy bar: While there is such a thing as good fat, that’s not what you are getting with many of the options out there. You want to keep a close eye on saturated fats and avoid those fitness bars that are high in them. If they have trans fats they are definitely out, but if they are higher in saturated fat then they are an instant loser. Look at the nutritional labels and also know what your total fat intake should be each day and move towards this in the way that you eat, and these bars may be out sooner than you think.

They may contain more filler than nutritious ingredients: You want to look for good healthy and natural ingredients such as nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. If you are seeing other ingredients and chemicals then stay away from them for good. The filler that you find in many of these bars is nothing good for you and may go against your healthy intentions. Fillers are nothing nutritionally sound, so opt for a bar that is high in the right ingredients that you understand.

They may cause more harm to your diet than good: If you are turning to fitness bars as a great snack for you to enjoy after a workout, then they should do just that. If they contain the wrong ingredients, if they are high in sugar or fat, or if they don’t help to fulfill you then they are not the right option. You need to decide for yourself what the right types are and then learn to avoid the harmful ones. The right bars should complement your hard work at the gym so choose wisely or turn to another healthier snack altogether.