How to choose my granola bar?
The market is full of bars of all kinds … there are so many choices available to us that the variety is impressive! So how do you navigate through all of these choices? Here are some tips to help you better choose a soft bar that meets your needs around training or as a snack during the school or work day.
Before training
Start by reading your product’s Nutrition Facts and Ingredient label to identify its content. Before a higher intensity training, we try to fuel for the effort that will follow, therefore we want a bar rich in carbohydrates and low in protein, fiber and lipids (fat), since these are more difficult to eat. digest.
So choose bars that contain less than 4 grams of fiber, protein and fat.
Examples:
- Go Pure de Leclerc cranberries, pomegranates and ancient grains
- Nature’s Path Pumpkin Spice
- Mixture of the hiker, fruit and nut flavor of Val Nature
- Sunrype FruitSource
Post workout
After a high intensity workout of more than an hour, you want to recover, to replenish your energy and repair the muscles that have been working hard. So, it is better to choose a bar that will contain carbohydrates and protein.
So opt for a bar that contains +/- 30g of carbohydrates and more than 10g of protein.
Examples:
- Kellogg’s Vector
- Endurance or Protein from Kronobar
- Clif and Luna bars
Remember, for optimal recovery, the goal is to have a full snack or meal within 30 minutes of training!
Daily
We are looking to chose granola bars that will be richer in protein and fiber in order to promote optimal satiety between meals. Therefore, we are aiming for whole grain based bars that contain at least 2g of fiber and 5g of protein and a maximum of 10g of sugars and 2g of saturated fat.
Examples:
- Honey, almond and Kashi flax seeds
- Go Pure sunflower seeds and Leclerc honey
- Nature’s Path Nut, Seed & Sea Salt Qi’a Bar
Keep in mind that there are many factors that influence your choice of food before and after a workout, including duration, intensity, level of training and individual tolerance, so be sure to choose your snacks accordingly. If you are wondering about your nutritional needs, don’t hesitate to contact us! Remember that several factors influence your choice of food before and after a workout, such as duration, intensity, workout level and individual tolerance, so be sure to choose your snacks accordingly.
If you are wondering about your nutritional needs, don’t hesitate to contact us!
Sources:
www.coach.ca/votre-barre-pour-sportifs-et-sportives-est-elle-la-hauteur–p154669&language=fr
www.extenso.org/article/les-barres-energetiques/
www.protegez-vous.ca/sante-et-alimentation/barres-de-cereales.html