It’s 3:30 pm and I am hungry. I am in the library getting some work done and lunch seems like forever ago. I could wait until dinner…but, let’s be honest, I can’t. Naturally, I mosey on over to the vending machine and grab a snack that feels like a good, healthy choice: The Clif Bar.
Advertised as having “wholesome, organic ingredients,” the Clif Bar makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my body. I then realize that this body of mine has been sitting for quite some time and I think back again to why the Clif Bar exists and for whom it exists.
Photo by Emily Waples
The company promotes its product saying, “Whether you’re on a 150-mile bike ride or exploring a new trail, this energy bar is built to sustain your adventure.” I don’t think my time in the library can be considered an “adventure,” even though I have walked back and forth from the water fountain a few times, a journey that is maybe 150 steps (not miles) at most.
So, I think to myself: 1) Why am I eating this thing? 2) Is it actually good for me? 3) Do I deserve to be eating a Clif Bar if my typing fingers are the only active things about me? In a quick few words, I answer myself: 1) Because I have tricked myself into thinking it is healthy and have become addicted. 2) No. 3) Probably not.
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If you actually look at the label, the very first ingredient listed is brown rice syrup: a SUGAR that is generally devoid of any nutritional value. So much for being a “nutrition bar,” you filthy liar. At least with chocolate candy bars the main ingredient is milk.
Photo Courtesy of The Conscientious Eater
Although they have a decent amount of protein (around 9-11 grams) and some vitamins and minerals, Clif Bars aren’t much different from your average candy bar (and in many cases, are actually worse). Clif Bars range from having a whopping 230-270 calories per bar and have the same (if not higher) quantity of sugar and sodium than a Snickers.
Courtesy of nfl.com
Unfortunately for me, I have come to a cold, hard truth: Clif Bars are not actually healthy and are really only intended for the extremely hardcore athletes, who according to Well + Good, “need 42g of carbohydrates and 22g of sugar to power through a four-hour hike or climb up the Andes Mountains, not an hour-long workout.” What about an hour-long library session? No? Okay.
So, if you want a snack that is actually good for you, maybe go for a Greek yogurt or a banana instead. On the other hand, you can also just go for the Snickers that you really wanted (since after all, it really is no different).