maxf33•2mo ago

My wife said to check the sugar in my 'healthy' breakfast bars

I grabbed a box labeled 'high protein' and 'no artificial flavors' at the store in Austin last week, thinking it was a good choice. She made me look at the back, and the second ingredient was brown rice syrup, with 22 grams of sugar per bar. What other 'health' foods are actually just candy in disguise?

4 comments

4 Comments

mark_ward2mo ago

But come on, that's just how food is made now. They have to make it taste good or no one would buy it, even the "healthy" stuff. Brown rice syrup sounds better than plain sugar, but it's all just carbs your body uses for energy. Calling it candy is a huge stretch, it's still got protein and fiber. You have to read the label for anything you buy, that's just basic shopping.

hugos462mo ago

My pantry's full of "healthy" bars that taste like sweetened cardboard, so I get it.

wade2502mo ago

Wait, you think brown rice syrup is just another carb? That stuff spikes your blood sugar faster than table sugar. Check the glycemic index, it's basically glucose syrup with a health halo. How is that not candy when it's the first ingredient?

keith_bennett9d ago

22 grams is ridiculous for a single bar, no way that's "healthy" by any reasonable standard lol. I get that they need to make it taste good, but calling it a stretch to say it's candy is a bit wild man. That's over half the daily sugar limit for a woman in one bar, that's basically a Snickers with some protein powder dusted on top. Brown rice syrup being second ingredient means it's coated in the stuff, not just a little sweetener. You can't hide from the fact that 22g of sugar is 22g of sugar, regardless of the protein or fiber they add. It's not about hating on all processed food, it's about calling a spade a spade.