Best Breakfast Bars

Best Breakfast Bars

Courtesy of Prevention
Breakfast in a Bar

Two-thirds of Americans eat some kind of breakfast bar. Sales of these on-the-go meals are expected to increase up to 45 by 2011. And that's great news: Studies show that eating breakfast can improve your focus, help maintain your weight, and give your metabolism a boost. However, just because a food is convenient doesn't mean it's healthy. Some bars are packed with protein to fuel you until lunchtime; others are so sugar laden that they sap your energy and leave you tired by 10 am. At its best, a breakfast bar is a prep-free opportunity for the overscheduled to get a nutritious head start on the day. Here are the four qualities to look for in a bar:

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No more than 15 g of sugar

A bar low in sweeteners will help keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady. But these varieties aren't always easy to spot. One package boasts "all the nutrition of a bowl of instant oatmeal," but contains up to 21 g of sugar in each bar--far more than you'd find in most bowls of hot cereal.

5 g or more of fiber

Breakfast is a prime opportunity to get some fiber in your diet. People who ate high-fiber whole grain cereal for breakfast every day had nearly a 30 lower risk of heart failure than those who chose other foods, found the ongoing Physicians' Health Study. Look for a bar with at least 5 g of fiber, and pair it with a piece of fruit, like an apple or a pear, for an additional boost.

At least 5 g of protein

Protein is essential at breakfast because it's digested more slowly than carbohydrates, which means you won't be ravenous in an hour or two. You should eat around 75 to 100 g of protein a day. The healthiest bars I found contain more than 5 g; add a golf ball?size portion of nuts (about 1 ounce) or a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk (dairy or soy) to pack in the protein even more.

25 of the DV for calcium

A breakfast of cereal and fat-free milk can satisfy roughly 25 of your daily calcium need. Choose a bar with at least that--or drink a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk or calcium-fortified juice if your bar has less.

An Expert Opinion

Prevention's Grocery Guru, Marge Perry, always keeps a breakfast bar in her gym bag. For her, "it's the secret weapon that helps me squeeze in a workout on a busy day." Here are four of her favorites - each for a different situation:

A.M. Energy

Luna's whole grain Sunrise bars have 8 g of protein and 5 g of fiber, plus 35 of the daily value for calcium. (180 cal, 4.5 g fat, 2 g sat fat)

Dieters

Kellogg's All-Bran bars have a honey flavor and a chewy texture. They also have the fewest calories of my favorites. (130 cal, 3 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat)

Heart Health

One of the most nutrient-packed I tasted, Uncle Sam Cereal Bars have 50 of the RDA for heart-healthy folic acid. (180 cal, 3 g fat, 1 g sat fat)

Muffin Fans

Barbara's Bakery's Fruit & Yogurt bars are a sweetly sneaky way to get in a quarter of your DV for calcium. (150 cal, 3 g fat, 0 g sat fat)