By Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D. Sports or energy bars are no longer just for endurance athletes. That depends on the one you choose. The original sports bars were chewy, high carbohydrate bars that tasted bland and left a metallic aftertaste from the added vitamins and minerals. In some cases, this is because of perfecting formulations. In others, it's because they truly are more like candy.
Sports bars vary from just over an ounce to nearly four ounces.
In general, the larger the bar, the more calories it will provide. Not all of today's bars are. Look for one that provides less than 30 percent of total calories from fat and no more than 5 grams of fat per bar. If you're watching calories, choose bars that provide less than 250 calories per bar. The original sports bars provided 60 to 70 percent of calories from a mix of simple and complex carbohydrates.