Jonathan Globerman works with a company called The Bio Station. In this slideshare, Globerman takes a look at what some of todays different nutrition bars tackle for the human body. Check out http://jonathangloberman.net for more information.

1. Nutrition Bars: Each Serve
A Separate Purpose
Jonathan Globerman

2. With every new discovery—be it a product or a cause—there
comes a following, and with that it can be difficult to separate
those hopping on the bandwagon of a fad, trying to make a profit
off of the overeager consumers, and the more authentic
proponents of the idea.
With the recent surge of dietary supplements and substitutes
(dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan) it can be hard to find the greatest
common factor among convenience, nutritional value, taste, and
cost
The bar (typically granola) seems to be the point of intersection
for most of these, but how many of the bars marketed as meal-
complementary and diet-friendly commodities really serve the
consumer what he thinks he’s getting?

3. The ideal bar—that is, the healthiest bar that dares not sacrifice
nutrition for taste—will be made up mostly of complex
carbohydrates featuring whole grains, will avoid shortcuts to good
taste such as simple sugars, starches, and trans fats, will pack a
good amount of protein (approx 10g), and will be supported by
some good fiber (approx. 4g) and any number of essential vitamins
and minerals
With so many brands soliciting our consumership it can be hard to
make sure you get the most out of what you buy—to make sure
you buy the right product. So, here’s some help; below is a list of
some of the approved-of big names and a small blurb making each
one unique.
It’s important to observe that many bars forfeit certain health
benefits in the building up of another.

4. CLIF BAR

5. CLIF BAR
Perhaps the most ubiquitous
and long-standing, Clif Bars
make the list because of their
ability to nearly replace a
small meal. Its 250 calories
are made up of 10g of
protein, 5g of fat (only 1.5g of
which is saturated fat), 5g of
fiber. Unfortunately, its heavy
size comes with roughly 20g
of sugar.

6. Zing Bars

7. Zing Bars
The amount of protein is impressive (a
whopping 13g), but the caloric value
and sugars weigh it down
However, having as much sugar as
many competitors, the slightly harder
to find Zing bars end up being a better
choice for a pre- and post-workout
snack
The 14g of sugar come from agave
nectar which is produced through a
process similar to that which makes
corn syrup so thick and sweet.

8. Luna Bars

9. Luna Bars
They come in a slew of flavors,
and have an attractive, even
calming wrapper, and it’s a
surprise that the candy-like
taste comes from a lower-than-
average dose of sugars (a little
less than two peanut butter
cups) with some saturated fat
It’s one of the better tasting
bars and features an injection of
Vitamin D. The drawback? It’s a
little small.

10. Soyjoy

11. Soyjoy
Smaller than the typical
bar, this soy-based
product undercuts its
competitors with low sugar
(~12g), and only 4g of fat
With such a small bar,
there’s also a lower
amount of protein at 4g,
but it maintains the
average 4g of fiber.