Diet & Fitness

That happens to me quite a bit. I'll be writing away, and then realize it's time to hit the road - right that minute - to make it to an appointment on time. Then I'll notice I'm quite hungry.

Snack bars to the rescue!

There are usually at least three kinds in the Billingsley pantry, and I enjoy trying new ones. Presented today are seven new bars, and four of them brag they contain a lot of fiber. Hooray for us!

Well, hooray for us if they taste good and don't cost too much and aren't full of fat. I want to fuel my energy, but I don't want a cookie. If I wanted a cookie, I'd eat a cookie.

Let's see how they measure up.

They're listed in order of my family's preference, starting with our favorite in terms of price, nutrition and taste; we are looking for reasonably priced bars that taste good and are healthy. The point scale is from 1-10.

Nutri-Grain Fruit & Nut Bars, berry & almond

Price: $2.50 for six 32g bars; the price per bar is 42 cents.

Nutrition: 120 calories, 3.5g fat (0.5 saturated), zero cholesterol, 100mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate (3 fiber, 12 sugars) and 3g protein.

Taste and texture: Don't you think the bar tastes much more interesting when it contains nuts and fruit? I sure do. This one is chock-full of roasted almonds, peanuts and strawberry-, blueberry- and cranberry-flavored dried cranberries, with some oats and crispy bran cereal bits to help give crunch. It's sweet, it's tart, it's satisfying and filling.

Score: 10

Fiber One Chewy Bars, oats & peanut butter

Price: $2.89 for five 40g bars; each bar costs 58 cents.

Nutrition: 150 calories, 4.5g fat (2 saturated), zero cholesterol, 105mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (9 fiber, 9 sugars) and 3g protein. A bar also has 10 percent of the Daily Value of calcium.

Taste and texture: The taste is outstanding if you like peanut butter, because there is a thin drizzle of creamy peanut butter icing on top. You definitely get your oats with this bar -- lots and lots of rolled oats. I like it. It's sweet and chewy and dense and fills you up well. I am puzzled by one thing, though. The first ingredient listed is chicory root extract.

Huh?

I looked it up. The first definition I found said chicory root extract is "an adulterant in pure coffee powder." An adulterant! I don't want to eat an adulterant!

But wait -- the next definition says chicory root is a probiotic that inhibits the growth of bad bacteria and promotes the growth of good bacteria, so that's a good thing.

Score: 8

Grape-Nuts Trail Mix Crunch, apple cinnamon

Price: $2.49 for six 28g bars; the price for each bar is 42 cents.

Nutrition: Each bar has 110 calories, 2g fat (1 saturated), zero cholesterol, 120mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate (2 fiber, 10 sugars) and 2g protein.

Taste and texture: While not as hard on the teeth as Grape-Nuts cereal, compared to the other bars in this group it gives your mouth the hardest workout. It is made up of crunchy wheat/corn bits and real pieces of grape-nuts packed in a pleasantly sticky and sweet glaze. The apple flavor comes through clearly, and there is definitely a hint of cinnamon.

Score: 7

All-Bran Snack Bites, brown sugar cinnamon

Price: $2.50 for six 28g pouches; the price per pouch is 42 cents.

Nutrition: 110 calories, 5g fat (1.5 saturated), zero cholesterol, 90mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate (5 fiber, 9 sugars) and 1g protein. A serving also has 10 percent of the Daily Values of vitamins A and B6, and thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid. There is 8 percent of the iron and zinc DVs.

Taste and texture: OK, OK, this isn't a bar. Just think of it as a bar separated into 15 bites. Each Scrabble tile-size piece is hard; much harder and dryer than any of the other bars. They're so hard you make a lot of noise chewing them up, so I wouldn't slip these into your pocket to eat at a movie theater. The taste is indeed brown sugary and cinnamony, and is not unpleasant. But I'd rather have a soft and chewy bar.

Score: 6

All-Bran Honey Oat Bars

Price: $2.50 for six 35g bars; each bar costs 42 cents.

Nutrition: 130 calories, 3g fat (0.5 saturated), zero cholesterol, 170mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (5 fiber, 11 sugars) and 2g protein. You also get 10 percent of the Daily Values of vitamins A, B6 and B12 and thiamin, niacin, folic acid, iron and riboflavin.

Taste and texture: This tastes too sweet, and there is nothing in there to break up the monotony. It's just a mix of crispy cereal bits and oatmeal pulled together with high fructose corn syrup. We want mix-ins!

Score: 5

Caribou Coffee Caramel High Rise

Price: $3.29 for six 35g bars, making the price per bar 55 cents.

Taste and Texture: It figures, since these have two grams of saturated fat, they taste wonderful. Each bar has a thick coating of maple icing on the bottom, and a drizzle of white frosting on top. The actual bar part is full of oats, crispy rice, wheat flakes and a bit of caramel. It's soft and chewy, and there is definitely a hint of coffee flavor.

Score: 5

Reese's Sweet & Salty Granola Bars

Price: $2.96 for six 34g bars; the price of each bar is 49 cents.

Score: 4

Becky Billingsley, a.k.a. the Check-out Chick, is owner of The Food Syndicate and www.myrtlebeachrestaurantnews.com.

Labels: calories, diet, fast-food, healthy, healthy snacks, healthy-food, kids, low-fat, lunch tips, lunches, nutrition, product, tips