The Shocking List of “Health Foods” That Aren’t Healthy At All

13. Energy/Protein Bars

Protein and “energy” bars fall into a similar category as sports drinks: elite athletes may have a use for them, but the average individual should stay away.Protein bars can be helpful for high-level athletes who need to eat lots of calories and take extra protein to maintain performance and muscle mass. When you need to consume 4,000-6,000 calories per day just to perform adequately in your sport, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do that all through whole foods and cooked meals alone.

However, for the average person, eating a protein bar is about the same as eating a candy bar.

After all, they have a lot of the same ingredients, along with similar levels of processed flours and artificial flavors. Besides the extra protein from a protein bar, they’re pretty much the same in terms of calories and sugar content.

While they can make for a healthier snack on-the-go than fast food, you’d still be better off planning ahead and bringing along a bag of almonds or a homemade smoothie instead.