Atlanta Nutritionist Sounds Off On Energy Bars

Nutritionist Atlanta The biggest names in energy bars are generally the worst for you. They want you to believe that what you are eating is good for you and ideal for a runners diet.

Even if it isn't the healthiest snack or meal, if you put effort into making something yourself you know it has more health benefits than energy bars.


Take your average energy bar, first ingredient might be a protein source. It might even be a good, healthy source. But many people justify it off that alone. Keep reading you will find milk ingredients, preservatives, and countless forms of sugar. It is fascinating how many different words you can use for sugar.

Researching one of the current bestselling Amazon products under "energy bars", it has 0 grams of fiber to 16 grams of sugar. The second ingredient after protein blend is caramel filling, the third being chocolate. This just goes to prove it is more of a chocolate bar than a healthy snack.


Food is one of the basic human needs. A runner should eat enough food and also the right kind of foods for additional calories used up. A good practice when preparing foods is to eat selections in its most natural state. Take an apple for example. It's most natural state would be a raw apple, rather than in a pie or jelly.
Eating Right

To continue performing at peak levels and be strong enough to cross that 'barrier of pain' that all endurance athletes face at some point in a race, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Drink lots of water: You will lose plenty of fluids in the form of sweat. So keep yourself well hydrated.

Maintain a good training diet: The right running diet must be low in processed cereals and refined sugars and rich in carbohydrates and proteins. Long distance runners may benefit more from a diet rich in fats and carbohydrates.

Ensure a proper race day diet: Keep your race day diet nutritious yet light so that your body is easily able to digest everything before the race. It would also be a good idea to reduce your intake of products like cow's milk to minimize buildup of lactic acid on the race day.

Keep away from junk food: Cut down on burgers, fries, buttered popcorn and carbonated beverages. Junk food is okay maybe once in a couple of weeks. But remember that to be a top-level runner, you must behave like one and eat like one.

To sum up, if you are a running beginner, you must have moderate levels of quality proteins, high levels of carbohydrates and moderate levels of fats to keep you body in top shape and keep you lean and healthy. A well-balanced diet will ensure development of strength and endurance so that you will be ready to give your best on the big day.