Are you always on-the-go and have little time to eat? Do you spend a lot of time at the gym and often need an instant energy boost? Or are you currently on a diet and looking for a snack that won’t spoil your weight loss plans?

The food bar was created to satisfy the need for a quick, convenient, delicious and filling snack, and is usually marketed as a meal replacement bar or a protein bar. Food bars provide people with an active and busy lifestyle – and those just looking for a snack – an instant source of nourishment.

Many people turn to chocolate bars when they need a quick bite. It’s hard to find something that can beat the satisfaction of sinking your teeth on good ol’ chocolate. But chocolate nutrition has always been a source of controversy.

Chocolate is derived from the fruit of the cacao tree. A single spoon of raw cocoa powder contains more than 25,000 beneficial antioxidants, as well as other nutrients. However, processing strips chocolate of most of its potency and as a result, most chocolate products do not deliver the potential health benefits.

What Makes a Healthy Natural Energy Bar?

Many food bars in the market are chocolate-based, therefore, if you’re looking for a food bar that’s truly healthy and nutritious, choose one that uses a high-quality chocolate cocoa. Organic dark chocolate will be your best bet because it’s the chocolate closest to its original raw state. Avoid milk chocolate because milk and milk byproducts cancel out the antioxidants.

Here are other important things to consider when looking for a food bar:

• Sugar content – The lower the sugar content, the better. Avoid bars containing high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose. Organic raw agave syrup or nectar is one of the more acceptable sweeteners.

• Contains smart fats like omega-3 and other essential fats – Avoid bars containing dangerous trans fats

• Quality protein source – Avoid unhealthy soy proteins

• No allergens, artificial additives, colorings, flavors (MSG), preservatives or stabilizers

• Contains fiber to enhance your digestion

If possible, look for a bar using natural organic ingredients. When it comes to nutrition and safety, organic produce is superior to conventional produce. You can’t go wrong with a natural energy bar containing healthy all-organic ingredients.