Hi there everybody this is Monica Reinagel and you're listening to the

nutrition diva quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

Today's nutrition tip is that a lot of these so-called energy bars

are really not much more than fancy candy bars.

So I've got some tips for you on what to look for.

A whole lot of you have written to ask me about energy bars and

whether they're a good addition to your diet. Well first let's clear up a little

confusion about just what kind of energy these bars provide. Energy bars were

originally developed for athletes

as a convenient way to carry a concentrated source of calories,

or food energy, on long workouts.

If you're exercising really hard for more than an hour or so, you can burn through your body's stash of stored fuel and run out of steam.

I believe the official term for this is bonking.

Eating some carbohydrates, which can be quickly converted to muscle energy will allow you to keep exercising longer and harder.

Now just so we're clear, if you're reading People magazine on the treadmill for 30 minutes, you don't need an energy bar to keep you from

bonking, but if you're training with the US swim team or biking across the Alps, you

probably will need to refuel during your workout. Of course you could do this just as

effectively with a fruit salad or a bowl of pasta, but you have to admit energy bars are a little easier to carry on your bike shorts.

Now what if it's 3 p.m. and you're sitting at your desk feeling a little groggy.

Boy, you think to yourself, I could sure you some energy.

I know, I'll have an energy bar.

Now, unless you skipped lunch that day,

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