Meal Replacement Bars... Health or Hype?

Time was, there was one kind of PowerBar, which came in one flavor, and you had to visit 10 stores to find one that carried them. They were advertised to athletes and had a vaguely healthy reputation among the few regular people who had heard of them.

Not any more. The PowerBar now has many competitors -- known variously as energy bars, nutrition bars or protein bars -- so many, in fact, they get their own section in supermarkets. Often marketed as meal replacements, these bars include brands like Slim-Fast and Atkins Advantage, as well as dozens of variations on the energy bar theme. All this is big business with big-time food manufacturers, including Kraft and Nestlé, heavily invested. The thing is, the marketing for these "meal replacement products" often surpasses the quality of what's inside of them, making it crucial for consumers to read the fine print.

Besides the hidden calories and junk that lurk in many of these so-called health foods, regularly eating them as meal replacements has added risks. A healthy diet requires a variety of foods and it's important -- for digestion and a host of other reasons -- to take time to sit down for regular meals. But we live in fast-moving times and even to me, a healthy meal replacement sounds better than fast food... so I asked Mark Hyman, MD, editor in chief of the journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine and author of Ultra-Metabolism, to review the good, bad and ugly of meal replacement bars.

Good meal replacement bars should be made from whole foods, Dr. Hyman told me. Look for ingredients that are real, like almond butter or nuts or fruit. Conversely, "if there are ingredients you don't recognize or can't pronounce, you probably shouldn't eat it. Similarly, if sugar, pure cane or otherwise, is included among the first few ingredients, then you should know that what you're buying is just a fancy candy bar." While some bars meet this healthy criteria, even a cursory reading of the label shows most don't come close.

It's also worth mentioning that many people use these not just as true meal replacements, but as afternoon snacks or a light breakfast. Containing about 240 to 250 calories on average, most of these products aren't a meal by any standards -- however, a well-balanced one can make a great snack. The more protein it contains, the more likely you are to feel full and satisfied after eating one. Dr. Hyman suggests looking for bars with eight to 10 grams of protein, four to five grams of fiber, and no more than eight to 10 grams of sugar.

WHAT NOT TO EAT

High on Dr. Hyman's list of absolute no-no's -- trans fat and high fructose corn syrup. "Neither is fit for human consumption," he said. It's easy to spot high fructose corn syrup on the label, but be aware that trans fat can be sneakier. A label can claim "zero trans fat" if there's less than 0.5 gram per serving. The way to know for sure is to look for "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oil on the ingredients list, which -- no matter what the label proclaims -- means trans fat was used.

Also to be avoided...

• Products containing soy by-products. While whole soy foods may be healthy, the soy by-products used in many bars (and commercial foods in general) aren't such a good choice. "Whole soy flour is fine, but not the highly processed forms of soy we see in many of these products," he told me. Soy by-products are listed on labels under a number of names, but isolated soy protein is the main thing to watch for -- the ingredient list should say whole soy beans. Many bars also contain whey protein, which is dairy-based. "It's fine for many people, but might be problematic for people with allergies. In fact, because of a protein called b-lactalbumin, whey sometimes triggers allergies in people who haven't suffered from them before," Dr. Hyman said.

• Sugar alcohols as sweeteners. Sugar alcohols -- usually identified as fancy words that end in "ol" (for instance, xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, erythritol, mannitol and lactitol) -- don't raise blood sugar nearly as much as sugar, and manufacturers can lower the product's carb count by using them, Dr. Hyman told me. Not only is that a questionable tactic, but Dr. Hyman also noted that these can be difficult to digest. "While the body can't completely absorb them, it can still ferment them, leading to a lot of gas."

• High sugar content. Regardless of where it comes from, fruits and grains included, sugar is still sugar. Be careful about products that are indeed made of whole food but are also so high in sugar, they may cause blood sugar spikes or otherwise not be appropriate for all individuals. Check the labels and remember that sugar hides in many other compounds, including high fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, beet sugar and pure cane sugar.

THE SHORT LIST

What bars meet Dr. Hyman's nutritional criteria? Not many. He says he likes Omega Smart bars, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, organic ingredients and fermented soy. He's also partial to those made by LäraBar. These bars are made from nothing but real food, including fruit and nuts, though again, those who are sugar-sensitive should be wary of the high sugar levels of many of their flavors. He also likes Clif Bar. "These have some sugar but are still recognizable as food," he said. "Plus they have some fiber." There also are some high-quality products by companies such as Metagenics, Designs for Health, Pure Encapsulations and BioGenesis, which are distributed through health professionals, says Dr. Hyman.

Bottom line: Look for bars that have higher fiber, lower sugar, no trans fats and some protein. Also, as noted above, bars should have a minimum of eight to 10 grams of protein and should have a maximum of 25 grams of carbohydrates. And avoid high-fructose corn syrup like the plague, even if the product disguises itself as "healthy"... and don't be fooled by the fact that these products are sold in health food stores and vitamin shops.

Source(s):

Mark Hyman, MD. Dr. Hyman worked for eight years as co-medical director of Canyon Ranch Lenox and is the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center (www.ultrawellness.com). He is editor in chief of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. He is author of the best-selling book, Ultra-Metabolism (Atria) and has appeared on The View, The Early Show and CNN with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

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