Choosing a Healthier Snack Bar…
As far as easy ‘on the run’ snack options go, you can’t go past muesli/snack bars. When it comes to choosing the right ones for you and your family from the countless options that are out there, some are better than others, and some really just belong in the confectionary aisle.
While some bars claim to be ‘all natural’, ‘nature, ‘lite’ or ‘organic’, don’t be fooled. Clever marketing goes into launching a product and research has shown that the use of these words can mean we can overestimate how healthy the product really is. Majority of the time snack bars are too high in sugar, saturated fat and kilojoules, meaning they are no good for our waistline or heart. In this blog, I will do my best to show you some simple ways to navigate yourself through the muesli bar aisle.
When it comes to choosing the right bar for you and your family, the best place to start is by flipping the box over and having a look at the nutrition panel. So with that said, here are the key things to look out for on that panel…
Sugar – for sugar in muesli bars we want to limit it to less than 10g per bar. If we looked at this in terms of teaspoons of sugar, that would be the equivalent of 2.5 teaspoons. Be mindful though, there can be natural sugars in bars from ingredients such as dried fruits which will bump up the sugar quantity, but are not necessarily considered to be ‘harmful’ sugars. So when choosing a bar with dried fruit, be mindful to look at picking one with ‘no added’ sugar.
Fat – more importantly saturated fats, try to look for bars that have less than 5g of saturated fat per bar. Too much saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease and increases total cholesterol levels.
Fibre – something I have touched on in my previous blog (Fabulous Fibre). When it comes to muesli/ snack bars, we want to look for options that have more than 2g of fibre per bar. As you may have already read, dietary fibre is a complex carbohydrate and has a host of health benefits, not only allowing us to stay regular and fuller for longer, but can help in reducing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is important that snack options contain dietary fibre and having a healthy muesli bar can achieve this.
Protein – again, a topic that I have discussed in one of my past blog (The Pros of Protein). When it comes to protein requirements, we want to try and have more than 5g per bar. This will not only help to support muscles and organ health but keep us feeling fuller for longer, which is perfect to help reduce over-eating between meals.
So, why is the new OSM muesli bar my top pick?…
The new OSM Everyday Bar is by far one of the best muesli bars on the market at the moment. I have been trialling this bar over the last two months and have found them to not only be healthy but tasty and very filling.
As a ‘grab and go snack’, I love these bars as they are full of wholesome components including hemp and chia seeds, quinoa, and a many more premium ingredients. Each bar also contains 7 vitamins and 3 minerals and is proudly made in New Zealand. The nutrition profile of these bars sets them apart from other muesli bars, containing an average of 7g of dietary fibre, a whopping 12g of protein with less than 10g of sugar per bar!
The OSM Everyday Nutrition bars are a quick and convenient snack that doesn’t compromise nutrition and are easy to chuck into office draw, car, handbag, or if you’re like me and enjoy eating before training, chuck into your gym bag. They also come in small bite-size packets, which are great for school lunches, or for an occasional snack. These bars come in 3 delicious flavours – ‘Salted Maple Ancient Grain & Seed’, ‘Crunchy Peanut Butter’ and my all-time favourite ‘Blueberry & Blackcurrant’.
So next time you are looking for a healthy, go to muesli/snack bar, look no further than the OSM Everyday Nutrition bars. By buying these bars you will also be supporting a critical cause, as for every pack sold, the OSM team donates $1 to support KidsCan.
Your OSM Everyday Nutritionist – Abby Shaw
