Your goal is to consume at least 20 to 30 different kinds of foods per week. Dieters tend to like energy bars because they offer a defined amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, and this nutrition information on the label makes it easy for the dieter to calculate his or her food intake. But energy bars have no secret ingredients that promote weight loss. Their small portion assists calorie control by simply having a defined start and finish. That is, when you eat an energy bar, it's gone.
Some dieters eat energy bars to the exclusion of whole foods.
The best way to not only lose weight but also keep it off is to learn how to eat appropriate portions of your favorite foods. But the better bet is to eat a variety of wholesome foods that offer nature's bounty of health-protective compounds. You'll simultaneously save yourself lots of money. When used in sports situations, energy bars can be handy, but for day to day snacking, choose real food. Nancy Clark, MS, RD is nutrition counselor at Boston-area's SportsMedicine Brookline.