They are loaded with nuts and pack in a punch. But are they really healthy?
For 28-year-old media professional Ashish Tewari, health bars are a life saviour. He munches on them in between meals while he's on the move. He says, "They keep me away from gorging on junk food and give me the mental satisfaction that I am eating something healthy, without feeling guilty."
Ashish is not alone. There are many like him munching on nutri bars, thinking they are healthy. In fact, there has been a rise in this trend in the last couple of years. But do these health bars really live up to their name? We decided to ask some experts.
Nothing chikki about it
According to Leena Mogre, Director of Leena Mogre's fitness studio, health bars are nothing, but another version of chikki. "Chikki is the oldest health bar. It has been in existence for a really long time. Made out of pulses, cashew nuts and peanuts and jaggery, it is a healthy option."
But the ones available in the market use sweeteners. "Chikki has jaggery while these health bars use sugar. Jaggery and sugar have the same calorie intake, but the former has more iron content," says Mogre.
Energy or fat?
Ishi Khosla, dietician and owner of Whole Food's Café, Delhi, which offers a variety of energy bars to weight watchers says, "Health bars have come in as a replacement to cookies and snacks. They are high on energy. They are promoted as health foods that give you nourishment while you are on the move."
Khosla however emphasises that the ones available in the market use a lot of corn syrup and binders, which end up making the product high in sugar and fat. "Without corn syrup, preservatives and artificial sweeteners, the product is much healthier with whole grains, seeds, nuts and jaggery. They keep you full for a longer time." So whenever you are buying a health bar, check its ingredients for added preservatives, transfats and artificial sweeteners.
Snack on it
Health bars like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare's Nutri Bar and General Mills' Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bar are being promoted as meal replacement bars and as pre-workout meals. Mogre says, "The best time to eat these bars is before you start your workout, as it provides instant energy or between 5-7 pm, when your hypoglycemic index (level of glucose in the blood circulation) becomes low. These bars are especially beneficial for people who are always on the move and who miss out on their daily intake of minerals and vitamins."
Word of caution
But think twice before biting into those tempting bars. Mogre cautions that all these products should be taken only after consulting their dietician or nutritionist. She also advises that lactose intolerant people and diabetics should be careful before munching these health bars.
"Some of these protein bars have milk. This might cause stomach upset and bloating in lactose intolerant individuals. For diabetics, the time when you eat these bars is very important. The calorie intake and insulin forms the most important part of their diet."
Options galore
You can take your pick from GSK's Nutri bars which are available in three flavours, cereal, milk, choco, crispy and nuts and raisins. They are available for Rs 15-Rs 18. You can also grab a bite of Nature valleys bars. They are available in flavours like oats and honey, roasted almond and apple crunch and priced anywhere between Rs 13-Rs 25.
Khosla's Whole Food Café offers its patrons, bars like gur seeds byte, soya health bar and slimmer's health bar, priced at Rs 25. Khosla confirms healthy substitutes like watermelon seeds, white flax seeds, peanuts, cardamom, green fennel, jaggery, oat bran, wheat bran and cornflakes are used.
Home-made health bars
You don't have to stock up fattening health bars from the market. You can make a healthier option at home. All you have to do is mix some oats, raisins, jaggery, walnuts, ghee and ground cardamom and heat it on a hot tava. Then cool the mixture and cut it into rectangular bars. Voila, your nutri bar is ready.
So munch on these healthy home-made bars and pack in a punch.
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