The Best Low-Carb Bars

Diet bars can help you stick to your diet because they are convenient and ready-to-eat, so you are less tempted to go off your diet. The best low-carbohydrate bars have few enough carbohydrates so that you can include them in your diet plan, and they provide essential nutrients. However, a low-carbohydrate diet is not a healthy eating plan for most individuals, and a nutritionist can guide you in a more balanced approach.

Weight Loss

If you are trying to lose weight, the best low-carbohydrate bars are high in protein, which can keep you from feeling hungry too soon after eating, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. The best low-carbohydrate bars for weight loss are also high in dietary fiber, which is slow to digest, according to the Mayo Clinic. Regardless of whether they come from carbohydrates, fat or protein, total calories determine your weight loss, and the best low-carbohydrate bars have fewer calories than the meal or snack that they are replacing.

Fats

Low-carbohydrate bars may be high in fat, and the best low-carbohydrate bars are low in saturated fats, which raise your cholesterol levels and may increase your risk for heart disease. Instead, the best bars get most of their fat from unsaturated sources. Read the label to choose a bar that is low in cholesterol, or cholesterol-free, because dietary cholesterol can increase cholesterol levels in your blood, and avoid bars with trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils.

Nutrients

The best low-carbohydrate bars for most women are fortified with calcium, for bone health. Women of child-bearing age should get a bar with iron, which is essential for healthy red blood cells, and folic acid, which prevents neural tube birth defects. The best low-carbohydrate bar for you may be one with dietary fiber, which occurs naturally in high-carbohydrate foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. Getting extra nutrients from fortified foods such as bars is especially important when you are limiting your carbohydrate and total calorie intake on a weight loss diet. However, emphasizing nutritious foods to meet your needs is the healthiest approach.

Other Factors

The best low-carbohydrate bars are readily available so that you can purchase as many as you need, and they come in flavors that you enjoy eating. Instead of added sugars, including corn syrup or honey, low-carbohydrate bars frequently have substitute sweeteners. Non-nutritive sweeteners, such as aspartame, do not provide calories, but aspartame is not suitable for individuals with phenylketonuria, according to Medline Plus. Sorbitol is another sugar substitute, but too much can cause diarrhea.