Should you or should you not grab an energy bar when you don’t have time for a full meal or feel you need to charge the batteries before an intense workout? Good question. The answer, as always, is a solid…maybe.

It all depends on which one you grab. Some of the choices masquerading as ‘health’ bars are so packed with sugar and high fructose corn syrup you’d be better off ripping open a five pound bag and snorting the white stuff.

Turn your energy bar over and look at the label. Here’s a quick rundown of what you should pay attention to:

Calorie content: Look for bars with fewer than 200 calories. This is supposed to be a snack, not a four-course meal.

Check the serving size: Many times, food companies try to fake you out by saying the bar is actually two servings, thus the calorie count you just looked at might be misleading.

Look for whole grains: Whole grains should be one of the first ingredients, otherwise, el crappo.

Sugar content: This is where many energy bars go seriously awry. Take the number of sugar grams and divide by four to get the number of teaspoons of sugar. Try to keep it below two per serving.

Protein content: Check the protein grams. You need enough so you won’t be feeling hungry again an hour later. Divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2 to arrive at kilograms. You need about one gram of protein daily for every kilogram of body weight.

Other considerations: Look for at least three grams of fiber per serving and no trans fat. Click here to read a quick article about WHEN you should eat an energy bar.

Wanna see how your bar of choice stacks up against Snickers or Pop Tarts? Click here. You might be surprised and revolted.

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