How to Choose the Right Energy Bar

Confused about all the protein and energy bar options these days? Us, too! Which is why we’re sharing this guest post from Claire Suellentrop on how to choose the right energy bar. Claire helps professionals in creative industries maintain their health and sanity at Eat Well. Party Hard, and her ebook provides the framework for a healthy (and fun) relationship with food. Read on for her three steps for finding the best energy bar for you!

Find “the one” for you. Credit: SodanieChea, Flickr

So you’re off work, you’re pumped to get to the gym, and then it hits you — you forgot to pack a pre-workout snack.

Yikes.

Now, you’re a smart lady, and you know that an empty-stomach workout is a low-quality workout (reduced energy, quicker exhaustion and, if done regularly, risk of decreased muscle mass), so you pop into the nearest gas station to grab an energy bar.

But the aisle is packed with 20 odd brands, each with ingredient lists a mile long and labels promising different things — Fiber! Whole grains! PROTEIN!

Double yikes.

Finding a bar that will fuel a hard workout but won’t fill your body full of junk it doesn’t need can be tricky business. But fear not: here’s the magic formula that’ll lead you to the best one, every time.